Minister Nguyễn Quân: WIPO has had objective assessment

Thursday, 01/10/2015 15:06 GMT+7
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WIPO has ranked Viet Nam’s global innovation index 2015 at 52 out of 141. The ranking is basically the assessment on innovation of economics. Many people think that this index shows the technology development level of a nation.

On September 22, 2015, Minister of Science and Technology Nguyễn Quân had a discussion on the Science and Technology Newspaper on the event that Viet Nam has increased 19 steps in the Report on Global Innovation Index 2015 (GII), on the country’s S&T development ability and challenges for Viet Nam’ S&T innovation.

Viet Nam has made a lot of efforts in innovation

- Dear Mr. Minister, World International Property Organization (WIPO) has just announced the Report on Global Innovation Index 2015. Accordingly, Viet Nam has increased 19 steps in the Ranking Table GII, ranking at 52th (as compared with the 71th ranking in 2014 and the 76thin 2013) out of the total of 141 economies. The Report also mentioned that innovation efficiency of Viet Nam has ranked the 9thin the world (in 2014 Viet Nam ranked the 5th in the world, in 2013 the 17th and in 2012 the 17th). As such, in 2015 although our efficiency in innovation has reduced 4 steps, Viet Nam has achieved an incredible increase in its general ranking which is of the most importance. Can the Minister say how meaningful this index has affected on innovation as well as patent development and technology use and renovation in Viet Nam?

Minister Nguyễn Quân:

- It can be said that this index has a very important meaning because this is an extremely objective assessment made by WIPO in coordination with Cornell University (the US) and the Business School INSEAD (France).

In order to make assessments, these organizations have based on data of 79 criteria collected from nations. It can be said the ranking has actually assessed innovation aspects of the economies. Many people also think that this index shows the development ability of a nation because the criteria are rather comprehensive.

Among these 79 criteria, many of them are relating to S&T inputs and outputs, from institutions, human resources, infrastructure to investments then scientific products are announced as well as scientific results are applied. As a result, through WIPO’s ranking index, it can be said over last year Viet Nam made a lot of efforts to improve its ranking.

Many years ago, we were still around with the 70th ranking but since 2013 the ranking has been improved. If in 2013, we ranked the 76th then in 2014 it was the 71st and this year it is 52th.

If we continue innovation in S&T, including investment, human resource training, management system, access to the market economy and internationalcommon practices, our ranking will continue to increase.



Minister Nguyễn Quân

Another very important point we can see is that this assessment index has recognized Viet Nam’s efforts when we started to have Law on S&T from2013. In reality, this Law has been put into effect since 2014 but until 2015 it has actually brought into life because for the whole year of 2014 we focused on formulating guiding documents.

It can be seen that the Law has had great impacts with 3 pillars, which are renovation in investment methods, financial mechanisms and S&T human resource training. These has initially resulted in new creativeness and vitality for Viet Nam’s S&T. Scientists commented that the Law has resulted in many good changes, especially S&T products have been developed very quickly. The international publication in 2014 of Viet Nam’s S&T consisted of more than 2,600 international articles in ISI magazine. The number of patents has been significantly increased. Among Viet Name’s scientific products, some are of the leading positions in the region and equivalent to the international level.

It can be mentioned that in fields of vaccine manufacturing and mechanic engineering, some products are from super-field and super-load lifting equipment to petroleum drilling complex manufactured in Viet Nam and for exporting to India. Many other types of products are fast-attacking rockets, heave-loading ships… These products are resulted from Viet Nam’s achievements on S&T research and master over the past time.

Some Vietnamese magazines have started to enter in the world’s reputable database system as Scopus. We are having mathematics and physics programs by 2020 which have been strongly invested. Specialized magazines of Mathematics and Physics field will be leading ones in having a position in the database of Scopus and further in that of Thomson.

It can be said the fact that the ranking has changed quickly and outstanding in 2015 can be a good and proud thing of Viet Nam’s science. If we continue renovating with spirits of Resolution 20 of the Central Party as well as that of Law on S&T in 2013, we have rights to hope that we will continue to reach higher rankings.

One clear thing is that we can see Viet Nam’s progress more and more apparently. If before 2010, according to WIPO’s ranking Viet Nam ranked the 7th in ASEAN, then we passed by Philippines, Indonesia in 2013. In 2014 we passed by Brunei. This year Viet Nam comes over Thailand.

This is one of the objectives set out in our Strategy for S&T Development as well as in Resolution 20 of the Central Party, which is that by 2020 Viet Nam will be one of ASEAN’s top leading countries. At that time, we only set the objective of being among the top 3 countries, even we were anxious about this objective. However, although it is not 2020 yet, we have already been among the top 3 countries.

With such achieved results, we have the belief to strive for Viet Nam to be in the top 3 country, however the distance with the 2nd country, Malaysia, should be significantly shortened.CurrentlyMalaysia has ranked the 32nd(which is about 20 steps higher than Viet Nam).

In order to shorten this distance, we need to continue striving, if with the current speed, by 2020 Việt Nam can strength the 3rd position in ASEAN with high ranking.

If we don’t continue renovation, we will be faced with difficulties.

- According to WIPO’s assessment, among inputsub-indicators of innovation, there are indicators on institutions, policies, applied innovation in infrastructure as well as the development level of the market, those of Viet Nam have been significantly increased. However, regarding input aspects of innovation, applying technology innovation in enterprises – components of the economy – hasn’t met expectations. At your point of view, what do you think we should do to improve the effectiveness of innovations in terms of the components of the economy?

Minister Nguyễn Quân:

- It can be said that input factors can be easily assessed because they can be showed through systems of institutions, social resources, and Government’s investments in S&T. However, output sub-indicators are more difficult to assess because they have the latency.

It can be understood that today we strengthen investments, renovate mechanisms and policies, however we can’t see immediately results and there is latency during the implementation of new mechanisms and policies. The roadmap to see effectivenessof investments as well as changes should be from 2 to 3 years. Durations of S&T tasks and researchthemes can’t be shorter than 2 or 3 years.

Therefore, after this time we are able to see the effectiveness, that means outputs of Viet Nam’s S&T makes progress. Therefore, due to strong growth of input factors, our ranking has significant changedsince last year. However, the effectiveness of innovation is reduced because in the outputs no products have been manufactured equivalent to the inputs.

As per that statement, in addition to internationallyannounced S&T products, patents and results applied to business and manufacturing, one of input factors which play very important role is technology innovation of businesses.

Over the past time, the Government has had proper directions as developing the National Program on Technology Innovation, establishing the National Technology Innovation Fund with the legal capital up to VND 1,000 billion – one of the biggest current State Funds. The objectiveof establishing the Fund is to support enterprises to innovate their technologies for creating new products, firstly focusing on S&T businesses.

Assuming that this Fund would operate 2 or 3 years ago, we would have a better ranking. However, during that time, the Fund couldn’t operate because it was still necessary to develop a system of legal and regulatory documents on operating mechanisms as well as financial management and it officially operates from 2015.

Currently the Fund has started to review first projects for some businesses which have funding demands and take leads in applying technology innovation. We can hope that in 1 or 2 years a series of businesses whose technologies are innovated with the State support, can manufacture high value-added products of S&T content.

In addition to the National Program on S&T Innovation and establishment of the Fund, support has been provided to organizations and individuals, especially enterprises through many other programs MOST is implementing, for example, the Program on developing National Products; the National Program on developing High Technologies; the Program on improving the productivity and quality of goods manufactured by Vietnamese enterprises by 2020; the Program on supporting S&T enterprises; the Program on rural mountainous areas…

With the complexity of many national programs the Ministry is implementing, it is certain that Vietnamese enterprises will have many opportunities to access to new technologies, access to the funding supported by the State to implement projects on manufacturing new products during the international integration process.

With many agreements Viet Nam has signed as the Free Trade Agreement(FTA), Viet Nam – South Korea FTA, Viet Nam – EU Agreement; Viet Nam – European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA); The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), if Vietnameseenterprises have no preparations and are not ready for innovating technologies in order to improve their competitiveness, they will be very extremely difficult.

- As you have said, Viet Nam has been integrating thoroughly and in S&T field, Law on S&T 2013 has a chapter on integration. This is Viet Name’s first law which has a separate chapter on international integration, showing its importance. Therefore, dear Minister, could you please say in order to meet integration requirements, what has Viet Nam been preparing and what are challenges we need to address for the coming time?

Minister Nguyễn Quân:

- MOST has defined international integration is an obvious factor because we are a country which develops behind with very backward technologies. Our country experienced many years of wars, therefore it is extremely important for us to access to the world’s advanced technologies and learnfrom their research results in order to shorten the distance. Therefore, in the Law on S&T as well as other policies MOST has formulated to submit to competent levels for approval, the factor of international integration has been paid a special attention.

We have had Agreements on S&T Cooperation with about 70 nations. Over the past time, Viet Name’s key partners, which are the nation of the most developed S&T level have had very important coordination and support to Viet Name’s development.

Regarding the S&T innovation, the biggest challenges we have been faced with during the current period and for the coming time are important factors, which are intellectual property and goods quality. Especially when integrating, we have participated in TPP Agreements, Freed Trade Agreements, intellectual property is the most difficult issue in negotiation. We are very difficult in meeting requirements of international partners.

For example in Free Trade Agreements and TPP, geographical instructions and brand names are hot issues. They have very high protection requirements if we become members of these agreements. However, Viet Nam’s conditions on infrastructures human resources and social awareness are still at low levels. Therefore, the negotiations often get stuck.

We hope to have transition time so that we can have more preparation to meet very high requirements of partners, however partners – especially the US always requires to meet demands immediately or allow short transitional time. They don’t want to have inequity among members participating in the Agreement.

We are still negotiating, however on our side we need to keep a certain distance so that Vietnamese enterprises can adjust to requested requirements themselves.

Another issue of goods quality is a factor which need specially attention. When Viet Nam enters free trade agreements, it is necessary to open entirely to the markets. Then the goods manufactured by the countries will not have tariff barriers. Therefore, if the quality of Vietnamese products can’t compete, it is certain that Vietnamese enterprises will lose in the domestic market.

Therefore, Vietnamese enterprises need to take efforts themselves and support provided by the State is in a short period of time. The enterprises need to quickly innovate their technologies, train their human resources and study strengths of Vietnamese market as well as weakness of the international market. Then it is necessary for them to focus on spearhead products which have specialized characteristics and competitive enough with the same products in the international market.

Viet Nam has strengthens in agriculture but in reality its agricultural products can’t compete with the same products in the region, not to say in the international market.

For example, our rice is difficult to complete with that of Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar. Or consuming products are difficult to compete with those of Thailand, Malaysia and China.

Therefore, with the very short remaining time, the State certainly needs to have proper investments in both mechanisms and policies as well as human resources. However, enterprises play essential roles, save their resources to focus their investment on technology innovation, then in human resource training and market development. As a result, we can favorable integrate. In order to do that S&T role in all issues are extremely important.

- Sincerely thank you, Minister!




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