Viet Nam, South Korea chart new course for sci-tech cooperation at Seoul dialogue

Speaking at a dialogue in Seoul on August 12, General Secretary To urged both sides to make these sectors central to bilateral ties.

The event—jointly organized by Viet Nam's Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul, and the Korean Ministry of Science and ICT—marked the first step toward building a strategic cooperation framework focused on these three growth drivers.

Citing the South Korea's "Miracle on the Han River" as evidence of the transformative power of technology-led growth, General Secretary To said Viet Nam aims to follow a similar path by accelerating reforms, investing in human capital, optimizing financial resources, and expanding international collaboration.

He said that Viet Nam is developing a skilled workforce in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and encouraging overseas Vietnamese scientists to contribute to national progress. Partnerships with nations like South Korea, he noted, are essential to acquiring advanced technologies, applying global best practices, and "finding shortcuts" to close the gap with global leaders.

To also reaffirmed Viet Nam's commitment to increasing research and development (R&D) funding and fostering stronger links between academia, research institutes, businesses, and the State to turn innovation into commercial and industrial output. He called for shifting the focus from manufacturing outsourcing to technology transfer, R&D, and innovation-driven cooperation for mutual benefit.

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung announced the formation of a Central Steering Committee for science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation—chaired by the Party chief—to coordinate national efforts in these fields.

Nguyen said Viet Nam is interested in learning from South Korea's high-tech development model, particularly in core and emerging technologies. Government spending on these sectors has already risen from 1-3 percent of the state budget, with further increases planned. Viet Nam is also revising its laws on high technology and technology transfer, offering incentives for foreign investors who bring expertise and advanced capabilities.

He urged Korean enterprises to establish training and R&D centers in Viet Nam, stressing the country's ambition to sustain annual economic growth above 10 percent over the next decade through legal and policy reforms, governance improvements, startup promotion, and investment attraction.

The minister identified semiconductors, electronics, telecommunications, AI, quantum technology, new energy, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and cybersecurity as priority sectors for collaboration. He proposed joint R&D programs, technology transfer between companies and research institutions, and the creation of advanced engineering training hubs. He also underlined the need to learn from South Korea's startup ecosystem to help modernize small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Viet Nam also hopes to work with South Korea on building a digital government platform, developing a national data centre, enhancing cybersecurity, and strengthening digital sovereignty and governance capacity.

Korean delegates shared experiences in digital transformation, SME innovation, and national strategy development. Representatives from Korean research institutes, universities, and technology firms proposed partnerships with Vietnamese counterparts in rare earth recovery, production technologies, joint R&D, and SME technology support.

Both sides expressed confidence that expanding science and technology cooperation will deliver inclusive and sustainable benefits, further advancing the Viet Nam–South Korea comprehensive strategic partnership in the years to come./.