Vietnam and Switzerland boost sci-tech cooperation

Vu Hai Quan, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology on March 16 had a meeting with Helene Budliger Artieda, State Secretary for Economic Affairs of Switzerland, in Hanoi to discuss strengthening bilateral ties.

He stated that the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) tasked with developing science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation as important drivers of economic growth.

The ministry is focusing on perfecting the institutional framework to promote these fields. Specifically in 2025, it submitted 10 laws to the National Assembly for approval, including the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation; the Law on High Technology; and the Law on Digital Transformation.

Photo: MST

“During the implementation of the aforementioned laws, several challenges remain, such as limitations in technological infrastructure, a shortage of high-quality human resources, and difficulties in governance and administration," he said. "Vietnam hopes to strengthen cooperation with Switzerland, a country with a developed sci-tech sector and many leading universities in Europe, to share experiences and encourage cooperation programmes in the future.”

Artieda emphasised that Vietnam was an important partner, appreciating Vietnam's leading role in ASEAN as well as its role as the chairman of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Council for the past year. The signing of the EFTA agreement will open opportunities for high-quality Swiss businesses to invest in Vietnam, contributing to job creation, encouraging technology transfer, and supporting Vietnam in achieving its modernisation goals within the next five years.

She said that the Swiss government maintained close ties with the private sector and business community in the development of science, technology, and innovation. Switzerland prioritises investment in basic research from public funds, while also creating a favourable environment for research and innovation to thrive, particularly in the fields of automation and AI.

She also shared her country's flexible education model, in which approximately two-thirds of high school graduates choose vocational training before continuing their education at university. This model contributes to the strong growth of small and medium-sized enterprises, a crucial force in Switzerland's innovation ecosystem.

She emphasised that intellectual property is one of the important pillars in the development of a knowledge-based economy. Swiss businesses are ready to share their experience, knowledge, and expertise with Vietnamese businesses, and expressed their hope that Vietnam will continue to pay attention to encouraging the negotiation process of the EFTA agreement.

At the meeting, the Intellectual Property Office provided information on the progress of negotiations regarding intellectual property rights in the agreement. Accordingly, the free trade agreement between Vietnam and EFTA was initiated in 2012 and has since undergone 19 official rounds of negotiations, along with several online interim sessions.

The 20^th round of negotiations is scheduled to be held in Hanoi at the end of April 2026, aiming to conclude the negotiations and sign the agreement at the EFTA Ministerial Conference in June 2026 in Iceland.

The chapter on intellectual property remains one of the areas requiring further discussion, primarily concerning high-level commitment requirements from EFTA, such as mechanisms for patent compensation due to delays in pharmaceutical marketing authorisation procedures; protection of pharmaceutical and agrochemical test data; and mechanisms for direct protection of geographical indications through the list attached to the agreement.

Both sides declared the important role of sci-tech, innovation, and digital transformation in socioeconomic development, and expressed their desire to continue encouraging cooperation in these areas. They also agreed to coordinate closely to overcome existing difficulties and to accelerate the negotiation process, aiming to finalise the EFTA agreement in the near future, bringing tangible benefits to both sides.

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