Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (front, third from left) and officials visit the Vietnam National Innovation Centre on March 4, 2023. (Photo: VNA)

Visiting the NIC, Prime Minister Chinh said the building of this centre is a highly necessary and timely move to achieve the targets set by the 13th National Party Congress, including turning Vietnam into a developing country with modernity-oriented industry that surpasses the lower-middle income level by 2025, a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030, and a developed country with high income by 2045; and boosting development based on science, technology, and innovation.

He wanted the NIC to become a rendezvous of intellectuals from around the world to create resources for spreading benefits and values of innovation to the entire society. To do that, mechanisms, policies, resources, efforts, and dedication are required.

The Government leader told the MPI to coordinate with other ministries, sectors, and agencies to create a favourable legal framework for the centre to operate effectively; create mechanisms and policies for attracting intellectuals, and develop an innovation ecosystem.

In particular, the relevant parties should establish a fund for encouraging innovation, perfect an innovation centre model suitable for Vietnam, invest in infrastructure and equipment to guarantee research and innovation activities, digitalise the NIC’s operations, and connect the NIC with the national database system to build big databases and artificial intelligence, according to the Prime Minister.

Approved by the Prime Minister in 2019, the NIC is invested with 4.04 trillion VND (nearly 10.3 million USD) and now undergoing final touches. The 35ha centre is set up with the aim of supporting and developing startup and innovation ecosystems in Vietnam. Once operational, it is expected to be a location of domestic and international innovation enterprises, laboratories, offices of major businesses, as well as leading experts and scientists.

Also on March 4, Prime Minister Chinh visited Viettel to examine its high technology research and production activities in the fields of military, telecoms infrastructure, and civilian products.

He said the firm has continually invested in research and development activities, helping form a telecoms industry and ensuring safety for the development of a digital Government, a digital economy, and a digital society.

He told Viettel to play the core role in the building of a high-tech defence industry complex and the development of the production of civilian device to help turn Vietnam into an industrialised country, efficiently serving national digital transformation, maintaining its role in leading the digital transformation process, building national databases, and enhancing telecoms and cyber security.