Strategic technology autonomy key to national competitiveness
DTO/NDO- Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung recently signed a decision promulgating the list of advanced technologies prioritised for investment and development and the list of high-tech products encouraged for development. This move broadens policy priorities to encompass a wide range of core and strategic technologies as well as Vietnamese-made high-tech products.
Under the decision, 70 advanced technologies have been prioritised for investment and development, with a focus on fields driving profound changes in global technological competition, including artificial intelligence (AI), big data, high-performance computing, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, blockchain, quantum technology, renewable energy, advanced energy storage, and next-generation microbial technologies.
The list also prioritises technologies that support sustainable development and climate change adaptation, such as real-time AI-integrated disaster warning systems; clean energy technologies; and biotechnology applications in agriculture, healthcare, and environmental protection.
In addition, 100 high-tech products have been designated for priority development, including AI platforms, smart educational devices, unmanned aerial vehicles, new-energy vehicles, and a range of next-generation biotechnology and biomedical products.
The selection of these technologies reflects emerging global development trends while demonstrating Viet Nam’s determination to move deeper into the foundational technological fields that determine national competitiveness.
At a meeting of the Central Steering Committee for Science and Technology Development, Innovation and Digital Transformation on May 25, General Secretary and President To Lam emphasised that the fields shaping the world’s future — such as AI, semiconductors, quantum technology, biotechnology, advanced materials, data technologies, and new energy — are all rooted in basic research that has been sustained over many years.
This underscores that only strong basic research can generate robust core technologies and foster strategic autonomy and long-term national competitiveness.
Today, the gaps between accessing, applying, and mastering technology remain a significant challenge for many developing economies. At a time when global competition is increasingly driven by knowledge, data, and innovation capacity, core technologies cannot be built through short-term projects or campaign-style support programmes.
Therefore, alongside identifying priority technologies, it is essential to establish a research ecosystem deep enough to generate new knowledge and nurture strategic technologies from the ground up. The foundation of such an ecosystem consists of data, computing infrastructure, modern laboratories, long-term capital and a highly skilled workforce.
In practice, the main bottlenecks lie not only in resources but also in mechanisms and management thinking. Innovation inevitably involves risk, yet some regulations remain heavily focused on control, making it difficult for many scientific initiatives to achieve genuine breakthroughs.
At the same time, the shortage of highly qualified personnel is becoming increasingly evident, highlighting the need for long-term investment in the training, attraction, and development of scientific and technological talent.
To ensure that priority technologies genuinely become new engines of growth, stronger linkages must be fostered among the state, businesses, universities, and research institutes. When these stakeholders participate throughout the entire process from research and development to commercialisation, new technologies can move from the laboratory to the marketplace and generate tangible economic value.
Identifying the right priority areas is a necessary step in concentrating development resources. However, the true value of a technology list ultimately lies in its ability to deliver meaningful improvements in productivity, innovation capacity, and the competitiveness of the economy.
(Source: NDO)
