Strengthening Vietnam-South Korea linkages in strategic technologies

On the afternoon of 23 March, at the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST), Party Central Committee Member and Permanent Deputy Minister Vu Hai Quan received and worked with the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Vietnam, Choi Young Sam, to exchange orientations for cooperation in science, technology, and innovation (STI) between the two countries.

Placing STI at the heart of economic cooperation

During the working session, both parties reached a unified and consistent viewpoint: STI must be positioned at the center of the overall Vietnam-South Korea economic partnership, rather than being implemented in isolation as in the past. The South Korean side proposed integrating STI cooperation content into large-scale economic forums to enhance efficiency and substantiveness.

Speaking at the meeting, Permanent Deputy Minister Vu Hai Quan emphasized: "The promotion of STI cooperation should not stop at policy exchange but must be directly linked to the development needs of enterprises and the economy, thereby creating real value for both sides".

Echoing this sentiment, Ambassador Choi Young Sam shared: "We hope that cooperative activities will not remain individual in scope but should be placed within the framework of overall economic cooperation, in which STI is one of the core contents driving the future development of both nations".

The two sides also agreed on the direction of building in-depth cooperation forums with sufficient duration to discuss core issues such as strategic technologies, advanced industries, and digital transformation.

Notably, the linkage model between the State, enterprises, and research institutions continues to be emphasized as a vital pillar, consistent with South Korea's successful experience and Vietnam's developmental needs.

Concurrently, both parties agreed to continue promoting the cooperation mechanism through the 10th Meeting of the Vietnam-South Korea Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation, expected to be held in the near future, to concretize cooperative contents and finalize implementation frameworks.

Promoting AI cooperation, innovation, and the technology ecosystem

A key focus emphasized during the working session was the strengthening of cooperation in strategic technological fields, particularly artificial intelligence (AI).

The South Korean side proposed encouraging the participation of major technology corporations in projects in Vietnam, ranging from building AI data centers and developing Vietnamese-language AI models to digital transformation within the public sector.

Ambassador Choi Young Sam emphasized: "The important thing is not just sharing policy experience, but how South Korea's leading technology enterprises can participate in fields where Vietnam has demand, thereby creating substantive and long-lasting connections".

From a management perspective, Permanent Deputy Minister Vu Hai Quan suggested that the connection between enterprises and the innovation ecosystems of both countries needs to be pushed more strongly. In this process, regulatory agencies play the role of creators and leaders, removing barriers so that cooperative projects can be implemented effectively.

In the field of research, the Vietnam-Korea Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST) continues to be evaluated as a flagship cooperation model, with approximately 35 million USD in ODA capital deployed in Phase 1. Both sides agreed to continue researching the implementation of the next phase, while emphasizing the requirement to strengthen high-quality human resources and investment in R&D activities to improve operational efficiency.

Regarding innovation, the "Best Excellent Innovation Enterprise" (BEIE) certification program, implemented by the National Startup Support Center in coordination with South Korea, has been officially launched. It is expected to become a tool to support enterprises from both countries in expanding markets and enhancing competitiveness.

Cooperation in the startup sector also continues to be promoted through investment matching activities, corporate exchanges, and the participation of venture capital funds. The South Korean side expressed a desire to participate more deeply in the formation and operation of Vietnam's national venture capital fund, thereby expanding the cooperative space within the innovation ecosystem.

In addition to the cooperative contents, the South Korean side also recommended resolving several obstacles related to renewal procedures for the recognition of testing organizations, as well as quality inspection regulations for imported raw materials for production. These issues are considered priorities for review to reduce costs and facilitate business operations.

It is evident that the working session went beyond exchanging general orientations to delve into specific issues, from policy and technology to the business environment. This demonstrates that STI cooperation between Vietnam and South Korea is shifting strongly toward a substantive phase, tied to economic development goals and enhancing competitiveness amidst increasing digital transformation and technological competition./.

Copyright belongs to the Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology (VJST-MOST)