The State will spend 3-4 billion USD/year on science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation

On October 13, 2025, the First Government Party Committee Congress, term 2025-2030 officially opened at the National Convention Center (Hanoi).

This is the first congress of the Party Committee of the Government under the new organizational model, taking place in the context that the whole Party, the whole people and the whole army are striving and determined to successfully complete the socio-economic development goals in 2025 and the 5 years 2021 - 2025; emulating and making achievements to welcome the XIV National Congress of the Party.

Held in 2 days on October 12-13, the Congress had the theme "Building a clean and strong Government Party Committee with solidarity and exemplary leadership in science and technology, innovation and innovation; accelerating breakthroughs, developing the country quickly and sustainably in the era of prosperity, prosperity, civilization, prosperity and happiness".

The motto of the Congress is: "Solidarity and discipline - Democracy and innovation - Breakthrough development - Close to the people, for the people".

At the Congress, Member of CPV Central Committee, Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung presented a speech with the content: The Party's leadership role in promoting the development of science and technology, innovation and innovation for a powerful and prosperous Vietnam.

Science, technology, innovation and digital transformation must contribute at least 5% of GDP growth

According to Minister Nguyen Manh Hung, agriculture has helped Vietnam get out of poverty, industry has helped Vietnam become a middle-income country, but to become a high-income developed country, the country must rely on science and technology. No country has yet overcome the middle-income trap without switching to growth based on science and technology.

Vietnam's science and technology go hand in hand with innovation and are placed in the context of digital transformation. This is a very unique approach of Vietnam. Science and technology provide knowledge; Innovation transforms knowledge into life service; Digital transformation amplifies knowledge, the Minister emphasized.

In terms of institutions for science, technology, innovation and digital transformation, Vietnam has been open, constructive, and modern like international countries, with a number of breakthrough and outstanding mechanisms and policies. Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW is a change in thinking and vision, a manifesto on the transition to development based on science and technology.

In order to institutionalize Resolution 57-NQ/TW, 10 laws in the field of science and technology have been and will be promulgated in 2025.

The last 5 years of the term have achieved a number of great achievements in science and technology, innovation and digital transformation, there have been significant changes in international rankings, laying the foundation for institutions and infrastructure, and having important initial results to create confidence that the next 5 years will be transformed into economic growth.

The State will spend 3-4% of the budget, equivalent to 3-4 billion USD per year, activating the total expenditure of the whole society from 10-15 billion USD so that science and technology, innovation and digital transformation contribute at least 5% of the country's GDP growth. The Ministry of Science and Technology will be responsible for calculating the efficiency of science and technology expenditures and using this efficiency as a criterion for allocating science and technology budgets to ministries, branches, localities, science and technology organizations and enterprises.

Science and technology will focus on mastering 11 strategic technology groups, thereby forming Vietnam's strategic industries.

Today, not mastering technology means not being able to maintain national sovereignty, the Minister emphasized.

Along with that, innovation will focus on technological innovation of businesses and creativity of all people, building an innovative startup nation, making innovation a lifestyle of all people and organizations, building a culture of innovation, encouraging exploration and tolerance of failure.

Digital transformation will focus on building a comprehensive digital nation, including digital government, digital economy, digital society, and digital-centered citizen.

Strategic shifts of science and technology

According to Minister Nguyen Manh Hung, the strategic shifts in the next term of science and technology are from management to motivation; from resource allocation to resource mobilization; from administrative control to creativity, leading and creating markets.

Switch from checking invoices and documents to research results. Shifting from input management to output management. Organizations that commercialize research results will be allocated more budget and vice versa.

Along with that, it is necessary to transfer basic research to universities, technology research to businesses. Shift from spreading research to focus on strategic technologies and core technologies. From digital transformation to AI transformation. From digitizing administrative processes to operating the country with data and digital platforms. Shifting from investing in technology infrastructure to investing in data and analytical capacity.

On that basis, the Ministry of Science and Technology suggested 3 proposals:

Firstly, basic research outputs are articles, but applied research is products. Therefore, the State needs to have a very strong policy to support the output of strategic products, through government procurement and 10-20% of science and technology funds.

Secondly, there is a mechanism of support vouchers issued by the State to enterprises to innovate technology. Type 1 for enterprises to hire organizations to research and improve processes and products. Type 2 for enterprises to buy and test new technologies in the country.

Thirdly, in the era of information technology, each commune and each province has one software. In the digital era, a digital platform was shared nationwide. Minister Nguyen Manh Hung suggested that the Government have a mechanism to assign and order businesses to make shared digital platforms.

An innovator has an idea, a hundred million innovators have a whole future

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung affirmed that the next 5 years are 5 years to transform institutions, mechanisms, policies and potentials into economic growth of over 10%, into strategic autonomy. The trio of science and technology, innovation and digital transformation is the central driving force of development, the main driver of growth, and the key driving force to improve productivity, quality and competitiveness of the economy.

However, the Minister also emphasized that science and technology, innovation and digital transformation are not only the work of one ministry, not only the cause of a sector, but the common cause of the whole country and the whole nation.

True strength only comes when we bring it all together, go a long way together. An innovator has an idea, a hundred million innovators have a whole future, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung emphasized.

Translated by Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology (VJST - MOST).