Vietnam is keen to promote local innovation and the creation of digital solutions and platforms. The aim is to have products that address national issues and that can be used easily in the local context. Since 2020, Make in Vietnam has turned towards a focus on digital orientation.
Minister Nguyen Manh Hung of the Ministry of Information and Communication was quoted as saying, ‘The Make in Vietnam represents technology products created in Vietnam, designed in Vietnam, made in Vietnam!’ In laying out the government’s ambitions, he called it a ‘…slogan of action and promotes the spirit of design, innovation and production in Vietnam. Instead of just assembling, production is encouraged to help solve the problems of Vietnam itself and aid export to other international markets.’
A landmark decision was taken to enable open-source technology combined with an open approach to data to enable the realisation of the country’s vision. It is expected that the information, electronics and telecommunications industry will master or develop technologies to produce cover more than 45% of relevant content by 2025. The country is expected to have 100,000 digital technology enterprises by then, with at least 10 internationally competitive unicorns playing a major role.
Moreover, the government is keen to encourage and acknowledge people and organisations that show exemplary progress in this area. One of the key ways the government motivates and recognises these contributions has been the ‘Make in Vietnam’ Digital Technology Product Awards.
The Ministry of Information and Communications launched the ‘Make in Vietnam’ Digital Technology Product Awards 2022. Held since 2020 and in its third year, these awards recognise contextualised solutions to solving problems the country is facing. Clarifying that eligible enterprises as those which are at least 51% owned by Vietnamese investors, the Deputy Minister said, ‘There are products that have contributed to changing lives in many remote villages, difficulties that we previously thought would take a long time to solve.’
To facilitate international collaborations and domestic innovation, the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Vietnam recently launched a portal to provide information and support services to local businesses, especially SMEs.
As reported by OpenGov Asia, the portal is built on an open platform and the government is inviting stakeholders to participate in creating a smooth, multi-dimensional information system. The portal will be a source of research and reports on various topics from leading agencies, research units, and consulting organisations, helping local businesses quickly and easily access relevant information about the industry and market.
In early 2021, Minister Hung said that people live in both a fast-changing and unpredictable world where they move from the real world to the digital world. As they transition to an increasingly online realm there are both great challenges and great opportunities.
The ICT sector has never had as important a role as it has now. It offers a rare opportunity for the industry to reposition, reinvent and reimagine itself, realise challenges and identify new living spaces that are decisive for development.
Digital technology, digital transformation and the media play a particularly important role in this transformation. This, therefore, requires the ICT sector to grasp opportunities and effectively address challenges to meet the ambitions set out in the “Make-in-Vietnam” strategy.
“Make in Vietnam” is an expression to emphasise the initiative in the creation and design of high-tech products by the Vietnamese.
Pham Duc Long, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications said that the Ministry of Information and Communication will facilitate winners of the ‘Make in Vietnam’ Digital Technology Product Awards to access a wider market thus promoting the flagship ‘Make in Vietnam’ agenda to benefit Vietnamese citizens at large.
