Welcoming the delegation and speaking to the participants, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyễn Chí Dũng said that the NIC Hoa Lac campus was inaugurated and put into operation in 2023. As the agency advising on socio-economic development strategy, the Ministry of Planning and Investment has advised the Government and the Prime Minister on developing and implementing tasks and solutions to enable Viet Nam to seize the opportunities and overcome the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Participants in the course for officials earmarked for membership of the 14th Party Central Committee (third course) on a fact-finding visit to the National Innovation Centre (NIC).
Grasping early on the idea that science, technology and innovation are the only shortest path for Viet Nam to catch up with, keep pace with and surpass the region and the world in certain fields, the Ministry of Planning and Investment researched and submitted to the Prime Minister for promulgation the National Strategy on the Fourth Industrial Revolution to 2030; proposed the establishment of a centre to serve as the national focal point for promoting innovation, together with outstanding preferential mechanisms and policies; and established and developed the Viet Nam Innovation Network with thousands of experts and intellectuals in science, technology and innovation.
All of the Ministry's proposals were supported, agreed and adopted by the Government, and received active support and cooperation from ministries, sectors and localities. The National Innovation Centre was established by decision of the Prime Minister in 2019, with the function of supporting and developing the innovation ecosystem and contributing to the renewal of the growth model on the basis of science and technology development.
The NIC provides infrastructure, testing spaces and a collaborative environment that help actors in the innovation and start-up ecosystem develop new ideas.
The NIC is thus a place that connects and brings together the actors of the innovation ecosystem, including enterprises, research institutes and universities, start-ups, investors, support organisations, and domestic and international agencies and organisations. With its mission of attracting resources for innovation, with enterprises at the centre, the NIC plays a role in promoting the formation and development of a complete and comprehensive innovation ecosystem, thereby helping enterprises to access and improve technology and raise productivity, while preparing high-quality human resources for Viet Nam in key technology fields.
"These are essential tasks to gradually ensure that innovation, science and technology truly become drivers of growth for Viet Nam's economy in the new era," said the Minister of Planning and Investment.
The National Innovation Centre has gradually affirmed its role as the nucleus leading the national innovation ecosystem. The Centre has achieved many positive results, including: advising on and proposing improvements to mechanisms and policies to promote innovation (Decree 94 and the Programme "Developing human resources for the semiconductor industry to 2030, with a vision to 2050"); playing a pioneering role in attracting domestic and international resources to support innovation and connecting a large network of partners covering all actors in the innovation ecosystem; and completing infrastructure with modern spaces, ready to support major domestic and international technology enterprises and corporations.
The National Innovation Centre is the only government public service unit model in the world with the function of promoting innovation, focusing on nine key fields that are central to global development: smart manufacturing, smart cities, digital content, cybersecurity, environmental technology, medical technology, the semiconductor industry, green hydrogen and artificial intelligence.
By providing infrastructure, testing spaces and a favourable collaborative environment, the NIC has helped actors in the innovation and start-up ecosystem to connect, experiment and develop new ideas.
The NIC also mobilises resources from international and domestic partners to support innovative enterprises and start-ups, as well as to support training and capacity building for Viet Nam's human resources. This not only helps develop new and advanced products and services but also enhances the competitiveness of the national economy.
During the visit, the participants toured a chip design class, the exhibition space, the NIC's heritage room and the innovation centres of several technology enterprises based at the NIC.