Singapore (VNA) – On the threshold of Party General Secretary To Lam’s official visit to Singapore, experts and scholars in the country have proposed ways to boost cooperation in science-technology, innovation, and national digital transformation between the two nations, positioning the area as a new driver for Vietnam to enter a new era – that of the nation’s rise.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tran Phuoc Anh told the Vietnam News Agency that the Party chief’s trip is of significance, marking a new step in bilateral relations. The two countries will focus on strategic areas such as digital transformation, clean energy, technological cooperation and innovation, financial centres, and more.
The diplomat highlighted specific fields with potential for cooperation, including AI and semiconductor, noting these are the domains that Vietnam is in need and it can learn from Singapore’s experience and attract investment from the country.
At an online conference held by the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, Singaporean Ambassador to Vietnam Jaya Ratnam said elevating bilateral relations to a new level would add significance to the relationship, marking a special year for both countries.
Despite advancement in their cooperation ties, there is huge room for Vietnam and Singapore to explore new opportunities after upgrading their relations to the highest level, he stressed, calling for substantive elevation and expansion of the partnership to new areas like renewable energy, sustainability, infrastructure, food, digital economy, innovation, and connectivity.
Pham Quang Cuong, former Assoc.Prof at Nanyang Technological University, held that for sustainable development, Vietnam needs to possess strong manufacturing capabilities with deep application of advanced technologies, underscoring that intrinsic strengthen should be capitalised on to develop and own technologies in the production process.
Cuong, also CEO and co-founder of Eureka Robotics in Singapore, said although Vietnam has taken rapid steps in embracing digitalisation, applying AI and automation in manufacturing will take time and cannot be accomplished with shortcuts, requiring patience for strategic development.
Vietnam has many advantages, especially in talented and motivated younger generations and highly skilled AI software engineers, while labour costs are not as expensive as in other countries, he said, stressing that high-quality human resources will help develop breakthrough products, a strength that Vietnam could rise and compete with global companies, even without abundant capital.
Nevertheless, the Government could also explore investment funds for larger projects to stimulate development and gain competitive edge over leading enterprises, he underscored.
Vietnam is undertaking a revolution in streamlining the organisational apparatus of the political system, perhaps the strongest in decades. Placing citizens' interests at the centre of this process, General Secretary To Lam emphasised the need for substantive administrative reform that serves the people, aiming to improve citizens' living standards.
The country has clearly identified that many administrative bottlenecks continue to hinder development opportunities, creating an urgent need to reform administrative procedures and streamline the apparatus.
Meanwhile, Professor Vu Minh Khuong from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy under the National University of Singapore said AI should be seen as a revolutionary step towards less management and more governance.
According to the expert, effective cooperation between Vietnam and Singapore in the domain could create significant power and value. Singapore’s model could solve problems for Government administrative agencies and help perfect the Government apparatus based on digital platforms.
He also proposed several solutions like establishing a special working groups on the Vietnam – Singapore ties to help the Government accelerate public administrative reform and facilitate cooperation in database centre development. Besides, he advocated for calling for research and adaptation of Singapore’s experiences and seeking partners in the area./.
