Vietnam strengthens sci-tech ties with international partners

On May 11 in Hanoi, Vietnamese Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan worked with Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Marco della Seta to discuss directions for boosting cooperation in science, technology, and innovation between the two countries.

Minister Quan said that cooperation in sci-tech is one of the effective areas of cooperation in Vietnam-Italy relations. The two countries currently have more than 150 memoranda of understanding and cooperation agreements between universities and research institutes; many joint research programmes are being implemented in fields of energy, health sciences, climate change, space science, and remote sensing.

Vietnamese Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan worked with Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Marco della Seta. Photo: the MST

The minister stated that in addition to strategic technology areas such as AI, digital technology, space technology, and new materials, both sides should focus on strengthening cooperation projects in areas where they have complementary strengths, including collaborative research and technology transfer in smart agriculture, food technology, and post-harvest preservation technology.

The others are enhancing cooperation in responding to climate change through space technology, Earth observation, and environmental monitoring, and expanding cooperation in cultural heritage preservation, heritage digitisation, and the development of advanced and sustainable materials.

The two sides also discussed various ongoing cooperation projects in the fields of biodiversity conservation, coastal ecosystem restoration, environmental technology, and sustainable development, and agreed to continue boosting existing cooperation programmes and jointly organise the Vietnam-Italy Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Technology in 2026.

Last week, Minister Quan held an important meeting with Sri Lankan Minister of Science and Technology Chrishantha Abeysena.

During the meeting, both sides agreed to strengthen comprehensive cooperation through the development of a long-term cooperation programme and the implementation of a co-financing mechanism for R&D projects. To firm up these objectives, a thematic workshop is planned to be held in Hanoi for more in-depth exchange between experts and managers from both countries.

Vietnamese Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan held an important meeting with Sri Lankan Minister of Science and Technology Chrishantha Abeysena. Photo: The MST

The two ministers proposed elevating cooperation in atomic energy to a direct bilateral level. In addition, harmonisation of standards was also emphasised.

In the agricultural sector, the two countries will prioritise cooperation in research and technology transfer for freeze-drying fruits, as well as advanced agricultural processing techniques for matcha.

Furthermore, the vision for cooperation extends to high-tech fields such as automation, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones/UAVs), and especially technological solutions for adapting to climate change, including coordinating research to develop appropriate policy frameworks.

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