A once-in-a-millennium opportunity
Speaking at the ceremony marking the 5th anniversary of the National Innovation Centre (NIC) on 1 October 2024, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyễn Chí Dũng recalled: "On 2 October 2019, the Prime Minister issued a decision establishing the NIC with the mission of serving as the nucleus driving the development of Viet Nam's innovation ecosystem, swiftly seizing the 'once-in-a-millennium' opportunity of the Fourth Industrial Revolution so that Viet Nam can break through and rise."
Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính attends Viet Nam Innovation Day 2024 and the ceremony marking the 5th anniversary of the National Innovation Centre (NIC). Photo: VGP/Nhật Bắc
The event is an important milestone, affirming the vision and relentless efforts of the Government of Viet Nam in promoting innovation and contributing to the renewal of the growth model on the basis of science and technology development.
Minister Nguyễn Chí Dũng stressed that the NIC is a place that connects resources and a symbol of Vietnamese innovation. The NIC is the nucleus driving the development of Viet Nam's innovation ecosystem.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment has directed the National Innovation Centre to develop a strategic vision, seize opportunities and overcome difficulties and challenges, focusing on nine key technology sectors 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.
Looking back over the past five years, the NIC has achieved many positive results in establishing, developing and leading the national innovation ecosystem. Among other things, it has helped propose additions to and improvements in mechanisms, policies and legislation on innovation and start-ups. Most recently, the Prime Minister approved the Programme "Developing human resources for the semiconductor industry to 2030, with a vision to 2050". Regarded as "the breakthrough of breakthroughs", the Programme will open up many opportunities and create favourable conditions for developing Viet Nam's high-quality human resources, meeting the needs of and attracting major global enterprises and corporations in the semiconductor industry.
Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyễn Chí Dũng opens Innovation Day 2024 and the ceremony marking the 5th anniversary of the NIC.
Second, the NIC has played its role as the nucleus and pioneer leading Viet Nam's innovation ecosystem. It has built and developed a complete innovation ecosystem, particularly in the key technology fields of artificial intelligence and semiconductors, making the NIC in particular and Viet Nam in general trusted partners of the world's leading technology corporations and innovation centres, such as SK (Korea), Google, NVIDIA, Meta and Samsung.
In addition, 10 Vietnamese innovation networks have been established in 20 countries and territories, with more than 2,000 members who are experts and intellectuals.
Viet Nam climbs the innovation rankings
The NIC has also been supporting Vietnamese innovative enterprises and start-ups to gain comprehensive access to high-quality financial, investment, communication, technology and digital transformation resources. It has supported the incubation of more than 1,000 start-ups, connected more than 1,500 innovative enterprises and start-ups, and organised or co-organised more than 100 competitions and awards for innovative enterprises and start-ups.
The NIC has cooperated with many of the world's leading semiconductor partners, such as Qorvo, ARM, Marvell, Cadence, Synopsys, NVIDIA and Siemens.
The NIC has contributed actively to training and developing high-quality human resources for more than 10,000 innovators and entrepreneurs, and implemented the Digital Talent Development Programme, providing more than 60,000 scholarships for digital talent.
The NIC has implemented a semiconductor human resource development programme, built mutually beneficial partnerships with many of the world's leading semiconductor partners (Qorvo, ARM, Marvell, Cadence, Synopsys, NVIDIA, Siemens, etc.) and is the lead agency for the Programme on developing human resources for the semiconductor industry to 2030, with orientation to 2050, approved by the Prime Minister, which aims to train 1,300 lecturers and 50,000 engineers for the semiconductor industry. It will also build four national shared semiconductor laboratories and 18 standard semiconductor laboratories to serve the training of semiconductor human resources.
"With these important results, it can be affirmed that the NIC has made remarkable progress, becoming a leading national innovation centre of stature and with a strong reputation in the region, and a trusted partner of many of the world's leading technology and innovation partners," said the head of the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
These results have helped Viet Nam to climb steadily in the Global Innovation Index over many years; in 2024, Viet Nam ranked 44th out of 133 countries and economies.
Minister Dũng said that, building on the results achieved, the Ministry of Planning and Investment has directed the NIC to fulfil its role as the national innovation centre, helping Viet Nam to become one of the leading innovation and start-up hubs in Asia, while strongly spreading the value of innovation to the business community and the public, in line with the Prime Minister's direction: "The National Innovation Centre must be a place where talent converges and the benefits of Vietnamese innovation spread."
Challenges can only be overcome by daring to innovate
The Centre's success over the past five years is not only the result of determination and tireless effort, but also testament to the strategic vision and sound, resolute leadership of the Government and the Prime Minister, and to the coordination and support of ministries, sectors, localities and the business community.
In the coming period, with the Government's resolute direction, the support of ministries and agencies, and the consensus of society as a whole, the Minister expressed confidence that the NIC will not only be a place that connects resources but also a symbol of Viet Nam's spirit of innovation, contributing to the goals of the 2021–2030 Socio-Economic Development Strategy to build a strong and prosperous Viet Nam by 2045.
"Before us lie great opportunities, but the challenges are not small either. However, challenges always come with opportunities, and we can only overcome them when we dare to innovate, dare to think and dare to act," the head of the planning and investment sector emphasised.
He also affirmed that, as the agency advising on socio-economic development strategy, the Ministry of Planning and Investment will continue to work alongside ministries, sectors, localities and domestic and international partners to build a strong innovation ecosystem, contributing to sustainable economic growth and enhancing Viet Nam's standing in the international arena.
The innovation journey ahead still holds many difficulties, challenges and new demands arising from practice. But with the Party's guidelines and orientation, and the close direction and management of the Government and the Prime Minister, we can be confident of a new wave of development in Viet Nam's innovation ecosystem. Minister Nguyễn Chí Dũng also expressed the hope that, whenever innovation is mentioned, the regional and global innovation community will immediately think of Viet Nam and the National Innovation Centre (NIC).