Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung chaired a meeting at the Government headquarters on the morning of October 20 to review progress in implementing tasks for strategic technology development.
According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, following the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 808/QD-TTg assigning tasks for strategic technology development, the ministry received 29 proposals from ministries and agencies. After appraisal, 23 were deemed eligible for approval, while six failed to meet the requirements.
As of October 19, 17 of the 23 eligible tasks had been approved, with proposed funding totalling about 2.32 trillion VND (89.63 million USD). Since early September 2026, the Ministry of Science and Technology has received another 10 proposals. Five have undergone appraisal, including two whose appraisal reports are being finalised and three that are deemed ineligible for approval. The remaining five are being reviewed before appraisal.
Approved tasks and those undergoing procedural finalisation cover fields including space, electronics, energy, high-speed rail, healthcare, agriculture, robotics, artificial intelligence, education and banking. These are areas in which Vietnam remains heavily dependent on imported technologies and equipment, but where domestic market demand is sufficiently large to support the development of local production capabilities.
According to the ministry, these tasks are intended to help Vietnam master core technologies, reduce dependence on imports, improve productivity, create markets for new technology products, boost economic growth and address social challenges.
However, progress in approving tasks has varied across ministries and agencies. Delays in approving some tasks could affect the selection of lead organisations, contract signing and implementation during 2026.
Some proposals have also failed to meet the criteria for strategic technology tasks, while others have identified the right problems to address but lack innovation and substantive research aimed at mastering technology.
Concluding the meeting, Deputy PM Dung stressed that strategic technology development is a challenging task requiring new approaches, with research commissioned to address the country's development needs and deliver specific products.
He noted that the legal framework for strategic technology development has largely been completed. However, no single model could be applied to identify core technologies across all fields, given the specific characteristics of each sector.
The key requirement is for strategic technology products to address the country's development challenges and be put into practical use, helping people and businesses improve productivity, quality and efficiency while contributing to economic growth, he emphasised.
For tasks awaiting approval, he asked ministries and sectors to urgently complete the necessary procedures and secure approval within October 2026, with the goal of having at least 20 tasks approved. For the 17 approved tasks, ministries and sectors were instructed to promptly select lead organisations and sign implementation contracts, aiming to complete the process in November 2026 so that the tasks could implemented as soon as possible.
The Deputy PM called on the Ministry of Science and Technology to identify and settle emerging difficulties and obstacles, and promptly report issues beyond its authority to the competent authorities.
On funding, the ministry was asked to continue guiding ministries and sectors in finalising proposals and budget estimates, while working closely with the Ministry of Finance to urgently allocate funding for implementation in 2026 and prepare plans and resources for 2027. Dung stressed that no approved task should be left without the funding needed for implementation.
Regarding the institutional framework, he directed the Ministry of Science and Technology to urgently issue a circular on management of the special national science, technology and innovation programme for strategic technologies in November 2026.
The ministry was further asked to proactively coordinate with other ministries and sectors to review and supplement regulations on testing conditions, standards, technical regulations, inspection procedures and licensing requirements for strategic technology products.
The completion of these mechanisms must go hand in hand with efforts to accelerate appraisal, approval and implementation, ensuring that the process is not interrupted, he said.
The Deputy PM called on ministries and sectors to uphold their responsibilities, coordinate proactively and promptly resolve difficulties and obstacles. The Ministry of Science and Technology was instructed to maintain monthly coordination meetings to monitor progress and press for implementation, ensuring that strategic technology tasks are put into practice soon, deliver tangible products and make practical contributions to national development./.
