Phnom Penh, January 19 (VNA) – A new growth model that places science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation at its core will become a new driving force, helping to position Vietnam on the global technology map, said Dr. Heng LiHong, Permanent Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Vietnam-Cambodia Business Association (VCBA).
According to the agenda, the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam will devote substantial time to discussing the country’s new growth model, in which science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation are identified as the key drivers, aiming for average double-digit gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the next development phase.
Heng LiHong, who is also a member of the Standing Board of the Business Association of Overseas Vietnamese (BAOOV), expressed his confidence that this new growth model will help Vietnam move beyond a development path reliant on low-cost labour and resource extraction, enabling the country to gradually climb to higher levels in the global value chain.
With a target of average GDP growth of around 10% per year, he noted that if implemented in a synchronised and effective manner, the new model could position Vietnam as a regional hub for smart manufacturing, innovation, and digital technology, thereby progressively affirming its place on the world technology map.
Heng LiHong, Director of MED115 Clinic in Cambodia, said digital transformation not only boosts labour productivity but also opens opportunities for Vietnamese businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to integrate more deeply into global supply chains. At the same time, strong investment in science and technology and the development of high-quality human resources will enable the country to master certain core and strategic technologies, enhancing national competitiveness.
More importantly, this growth model reflects the Party’s long-term vision, affirming its determination to pursue rapid yet sustainable development that prioritises quality, efficiency, and high value-added growth rather than merely chasing quantitative expansion, he emphasised.
During the preparations for the 14th National Party Congress, the collection of public feedback on the draft documents was conducted, garnering nearly 14 million opinions from people at home and abroad. In late October last year, the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh also organised a conference to gather feedback from the Vietnamese expatriate community on the draft documents of the congress.
Representing the VCBA at the event, Heng LiHong highly appreciated the initiative, viewing it as a practical activity that demonstrated a spirit of openness, listening, and the mobilisation of intellectual contributions from overseas Vietnamese (OV) in shaping the country’s development orientations.
According to the VCBA leader, the recent consultation process recorded more than 1,300 opinions from OV worldwide. In that context, allowing the Vietnamese community in Cambodia to directly contribute ideas not only made the 14th National Party Congress's documents more closely aligned with reality, but also strengthened trust and deepened the group’s attachment to their homeland.
He said this was also an opportunity for the Vietnam-Cambodia business and intellectual community to propose concrete solutions for economic cooperation, science and technology development, and human resource training.
On that basis, on behalf of the VCBA and the Vietnamese business community in Cambodia, Heng LiHong expressed his hope that the new leadership following the 14th congress will continue to uphold and promote the spirit of renewal, possess strategic vision, courage, and integrity, and particularly value the role of the 6.5 million OV worldwide as an important national resource, thereby creating stronger momentum for them to accompany the country’s development journey./.
VNA
