General Secretary To Lam orients 6 key tasks for national innovation

On October 1, at the National Innovation Center (NIC), the Ministry of Science and Technology coordinated with the Ministry of Finance to organize the Ceremony to respond to the National Innovation Day 2025.

The event was attended and delivered a speech giving directions and directions by General Secretary To Lam, Head of the Central Steering Committee on science, technology development, innovation and digital transformation.

Also attending the ceremony were Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Chairman of the Central Inspection Commission Nguyen Duy Ngoc, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung, and other Party and State leaders, representatives of ministries, branches, localities, the business community, research institutes, universities, investment funds and international organizations.

According to the Prime Minister's decision, from 2024, October 1st of each year will be chosen as the National Innovation Day. The theme for 2025 is "Innovation for all people - Driving force for national development", affirming the determination to make innovation a strategic center for socio-economic development, enhancing competitiveness, ensuring sustainable growth. This is also an opportunity to honor creative and breakthrough ideas, while promoting the formation of a comprehensive innovation ecosystem.

In his speech, General Secretary To Lam emphasized that this is not only an important event, held for the first time, but also a call to unleash Vietnam's intellectual resources and potential so that the country can break through, develop quickly and sustainably in the digital age.

The General Secretary sent his best wishes to the team of scientists, engineers, experts, entrepreneurs, managers, young entrepreneurs and international friends: "May the flame of innovation in each of us always burn brightly, constantly opening up new knowledge, turning ideas into value, contributing to building a rich and prosperous future for Vietnam."

According to the General Secretary, the world is moving at an unprecedented speed with artificial intelligence, big data, biotechnology, clean energy, and new materials. Countries that are one step ahead in science, technology, and innovation will have a strategic competitive advantage and will move faster and further; those who are slow to innovate will be left behind.

Vietnam has no choice but to consider science and technology, innovation and digital transformation as the top important breakthroughs, the main driving force to innovate the development model, realizing two 100-year goals: By 2030, becoming a developing country with an upper middle income; by 2045, becoming a developed, high-income country.

"This is not only an objective need, but also a command of the times, determining the nation's position in the next decade. No country can "take off" with poor science and technology and slow innovation activities," the General Secretary emphasized.

General Secretary To Lam said that the recent initial results show that we are on the right track, but the speed of change in the world is faster than our ability to keep up. Therefore, from political determination to implementation, from awareness to action, we must transform faster and more strongly to turn ideas into values, aspirations into reality. The spirit is to say less - do more; do quickly - do correctly; do it thoroughly.

In that spirit, the General Secretary proposed focusing on 6 groups of tasks.The first, unify in perception and action according to the viewpoint that innovation is the cause of all people, building culture and innovation for all people.

"Innovation is not the sole responsibility of the science and technology sector but must be the cause of the entire people and society, requiring the participation of all levels, all sectors, the business community of all economic sectors and all people," the General Secretary emphasized.

The spirit of innovation must be imbued in all fields, from state management, production and business activities of enterprises to movements and practical solutions in the daily life of each citizen.

MondayInnovation must go hand in hand with solid development of science and technology foundation, improving the level of strategic autonomy in national technology, first of all core technology and source technology.

The General Secretary requested the urgent implementation of the Action Program for developing 11 strategic technologies in the spirit of Resolution 57, clearly defining the roadmap for mastery, especially technologies such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, big data, safety, network security, biotechnology, biomedicine, new materials, new energy, electronics, and robotic sensors.

At the same time, develop basic digital infrastructure such as cloud computing, high-performance computing, data centers, 5G and 6G networks, increase the domestic ratio in key technology systems, ensure confident integration without dependence, expand cooperation while still maintaining the country's core competencies.

Tuesday, focus on perfecting institutions and outstanding policies for science and technology development and innovation, must urgently institutionalize the Party's policies with clear laws, decrees and circulars with high practicality, focus on tax, credit and land incentives for research and development activities, for new products and services; expand orders and public orders to attract markets for Vietnamese technology; develop start-up capital markets, venture capital fund mechanisms and financial instruments suitable for innovation, while also strengthening intellectual property protection, data protection and information security, risk control but not stifling innovation...

Wednesday,Implement the National Strategy on innovative startups, build a national innovation ecosystem that connects regionally and globally.

Each ministry, sector and locality forms at least one innovation center; completes the "chain" from ideas, research, laboratories, incubation, acceleration, technology trading floors, legal consultancy, finance, intellectual property, angel investors, venture funds, market output; connects overseas Vietnamese, international experts, leading technology corporations; fosters a culture of controlled risk-taking; encourages products based on data, AI, biotechnology, environmental technology; promotes technology transfer, commercialization of research results, towards fast-growing technology enterprises, technology unicorns with Vietnamese brands.

Thursday, vEffectively operate 3 pillars: State creates, enterprises are the center, institutes and schools are the source of knowledge.

The State creates institutions, digital infrastructure standards, open data, and convenient digital public services; institutes and schools provide knowledge and training that meets market needs, encourage international publications and commercialization; businesses are the center of innovation, put R&D in a strategic position, and dare to invest in the future. When the three pillars work together harmoniously, knowledge will flow into the value production machine, creating new productivity and competitiveness for the economy.

Friday,Linking innovation with sustainable development and international integration. Every innovation must solve social problems, increase productivity but reduce emissions, ensure data security; update standards and regulations according to international practices; take advantage of new generation FTAs ​​to raise governance and quality standards, build and promote the "Vietnam Innovation" brand - a dynamic, trustworthy image with great potential for cooperation; science and technology diplomacy to attract strategic investors and R&D centers of large corporations; organize international events of stature; promote Vietnamese enterprises to participate more deeply in the global value chain.

Innovation has no end, requiring the spirit of daring to think, daring to do, daring to break through.

The General Secretary affirmed that innovation is not the destination of a nation but must be a process of improvement, with no stopping point. The origin of that process is the spirit of daring to think of extraordinary things, daring to do the most difficult things, daring to shoulder responsibility before the people and history, daring to break through to open up paths that have not been touched by human footsteps.

The General Secretary called on all cadres, civil servants, public employees, workers, farmers, engineers, teachers, doctors, armed forces soldiers, the elderly, students and all people at home and abroad to uphold the spirit of patriotism and constantly innovate in daily work.

Each civil servant improves a process; each teacher innovates a method; each engineer writes an additional line of code; each entrepreneur ventures into the market; each young person dares to challenge his or her own responsibility. Let each person have a useful idea, each agency a specific improvement, each locality a leading product so that the whole country becomes a vibrant innovation ecosystem.

"Let's turn challenges into opportunities, ideas into values, aspirations into reality, and bring the country to prosperity and development in the new era. May the flame of creativity burn forever in every Vietnamese person," said General Secretary To Lam.

The government pledged to take drastic action.

In his response to General Secretary To Lam's direction, on behalf of the Government, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh respectfully thanked and accepted all the profound, close, enthusiastic and motivating directions of the General Secretary; the sharing and inspiration of the delegates and distinguished guests to promote Vietnam's innovation to become a trend and movement of the entire people, the whole society in all regions of the country; contributing to bringing the country into a new era, an era of prosperity, civilization, prosperity and happiness; at the same time affirming that science and technology, innovation are objective requirements, strategic choices and top priorities of our Party and State.

The Prime Minister stated: The Government requests ministries, branches, agencies, units, localities, enterprises and individuals, based on their functions, tasks and powers, to effectively organize the implementation of the 6 tasks assigned by General Secretary To Lam.

At the same time, thoroughly implementing the direction of General Secretary To Lam, the Prime Minister proposed implementing the motto "3 no's": Do not say no, do not say difficult, do not say yes but do not do in development and innovation; do not be perfectionist, do not be hasty, do not formalize innovation; do not create barriers to innovative thinking and drastic action in innovation, do not let administrative procedures get in the way, do not limit the innovation space of any collective or individual.

For development partners and international organizations, the Prime Minister proposed "3 supports" to help Vietnam: Technical support, sharing of experiences to help Vietnam build policies, legal frameworks, infrastructure, and resources for innovation; financial support, technology transfer, especially in priority areas, strategic technology, and development of research and development (R&D) centers in Vietnam; support for start-ups (innovative start-ups) and Vietnamese technology enterprises to connect to markets, value chains, and global supply chains.

For the young generation, students, the Prime Minister emphasized 3 more pioneers: Exemplary pioneers leading the way in innovation and digital transformation; exemplary pioneers leading the way in overcoming their own limits to always innovate anytime, anywhere, in all matters, in all circumstances; exemplary pioneers leading the race against time, developing intelligence, being decisive and resolute in innovation.

On behalf of the Government, the Prime Minister sincerely thanks and hopes to continue receiving the attention and support of Party and State leaders, especially General Secretary To Lam; the close and effective coordination of agencies in the political system; the support and active participation of the people, business community, students, and the help of international friends.