MST and World Bank strengthen research and innovation ties

Minister Vu Hai Quan met with World Bank country director Mariam J. Sherma in Hanoi on June 29 to discuss key areas including laboratory operations, talent attraction, and technology commercialisation.

Minister Vu Hai Quan meets with World Bank country director Mariam J. Sherma. Photo: MST

Minister Quan said Vietnam is implementing key tasks to realise Resolution 57, including developing a national laboratory system, enhancing research capacity, and encouraging technology transfer.

Based on World Bank proposals, the minister suggested strengthening cooperation in several areas: enhancing national research infrastructure capacity; improving governance models and operating regulations for key and shared laboratories; coordinating platforms to bring technology from lab to market, linking research institutes, universities, businesses, and startups in priority fields such as biotechnology, new materials, and semiconductors.

He also proposed collaborating on financial mechanism models, learning from international experience on the National Venture Capital Fund, with a focus on co-investment, risk management, and divestment, while strengthening high-tech human resource development and attracting experts to lead national laboratories and research centres.

Sherma said the World Bank wishes to continue its partnership with Vietnam through technical assistance, sharing international experience, connecting the private sector, and researching appropriate financial instruments. She added that cooperation in talent, research infrastructure, business connectivity, and innovation finance can complement each other, contributing to Vietnam's sci-tech development goals.

Both sides agreed to continue technical exchanges and identify potential areas for concrete cooperation between the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) and the World Bank.

The MST is further strengthening international cooperation. At a reception for Japanese Ambassador Ito Naoki on June 26, Minister Vu Hai Quan said Vietnam and Japan need to build sci-tech cooperation programmes based on mutual benefit, shared responsibility, and long-term substantive outcomes.

On AI, Open RAN, and 5G, the minister said security and safety are Vietnam's top priorities. Welcoming initial cooperation between Vietnamese telecom carriers MobiFone and VNPT with Japanese enterprises, he confirmed the ministry supports projects that bring mutual benefits.

On National Innovation Day 2026, the ministry will formulate a concrete plan and discuss Japanese business participation. The minister highlighted the event's core message of, "Two nations, but one shared spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation."

For the Vietnam-Japan Joint Research Programme, the minister said he hopes projects will secure business participation, prioritise quality, target large-scale long-term initiatives, and generate products with high practical applicability.

On the Young Talent Exchange Programme, he stated the ministry will support its implementation and create new advantages for principal investigators under the NEXUS Programme to participate in exchanges and inspire young scientists.

For the Vietnam-Japan Seminar on Semiconductors, the minister proposed that the ministry chair a panel discussion to help foster connectivity between enterprises in the two countries in this strategic technology sector.

Ambassador Naoki said he appreciated Minister Quan's proposals and expressed Japan's desire to further expand cooperation with Vietnam. He said Japan hopes to strengthen business participation in joint research programmes and scientific exchanges, while expressing hope for continued close coordination and support from the Vietnamese side.

On June 23, a delegation from the MST led by Deputy Minister Pham Duc Long visited Croatian Post to study international experience in universal postal service delivery as part of efforts to gather practices for drafting the revised Law on Post. The two sides exchanged experience on universal postal services and state support, with the Croatian side noting that the government provides annual financial support equivalent to approximately 10 per cent of Croatian Post's total revenue.

Earlier in May, the ministry's delegation also held discussions with Thailand and Singapore on strengthening cooperation in digital economy, AI and innovation.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology and OECD strengthen cooperation Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development will strengthen cooperation in innovation, data, and preparations for APEC Year 2027.

Prime Minister: Science and technology, and digital transformation must serve economic development Prime Minister Le Minh Hung has emphasised that sci-tech and digital transformation must directly serve socioeconomic development, becoming a driving force for double-digit economic growth, improving productivity, quality, and national self-reliance.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology studies Croatia’s experience in universal postal service delivery A Vietnamese delegation has studied international postal service experience in Croatia to support the drafting of the amended Postal Law.