Hanoi (VNA) – Party General Secretary To Lam urged the science and technology sector to continue building on its past achievements to propel Vietnam forward during a ceremony in Hanoi on September 29 marking its 66th anniversary and 80 years of the post and telecommunications industry.
He lauded the post and telecom sector for its trailblazing role in network digitisation, noting that it brought the internet to Vietnam in 1997, opening avenues for education, production, trade, entertainment, and global integration. Today, mobile networks span nearly the entire country, with 4G covering almost 100% of the population and 5G now rolling out. Vietnam stands among a select few nations capable of designing and producing 5G equipment domestically. The postal system, too, has modernised, harnessing digital tools to underpin e-commerce and logistics.
The science and technology sector has also delivered remarkable feats, he noted. Vietnamese researchers have engineered high-yield rice varieties, solidifying the country’s status as a pillar of global food security. The nation has mastered international-standard vaccine production and performed complex organ transplants, while consistently ranking among the fastest-improving middle-income countries on the Global Innovation Index.
On March 1, the two sectors merged to form the new Ministry of Science and Technology, a move he hailed as a strategic alignment with the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57, which aims to make sci-tech, innovation, and digital transformation a breakthrough national policy for Vietnam’s next development stage.
He urged the ministry to act as a policy advisor and architect, fostering an ecosystem that accelerates innovation and digital transformation. As a state management agency, it must steer growth in critical high-tech fields like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, new materials, and nuclear energy for peaceful purposes to ensure energy security and drive sustainable growth. He stressed the need for a modern, unified and secure national digital infrastructure, describing it as the “central nervous system” of national governance, the digital economy, and society.
The ministry should optimise resources, sharply increase state budget allocations for science and technology, and spur the involvement of businesses and venture funds, he said, calling for tailored mechanisms to attract and retain global talent, support innovative startups, and align higher education with market needs.
At the event, Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung launched the sector’s first patriotic emulation campaign for the new era, outlining bold objectives: building a knowledge-based economy powered by sci-tech, innovation, and digital data; achieving technological self-reliance in strategic sectors under the “Make in Vietnam” approach; establishing Vietnam as a global and regional innovation hub; and transforming the nation into a startup powerhouse fueled by digital technology.
The Party chief awarded the first-class Labour Order to the ministry for its pivotal role in advancing sci-tech, innovation and digital transformation, contributing to national construction and defence.
The ministry also staged an exhibition chronicling sci-tech achievements, arranged along a timeline that traces five pivotal phases of Vietnam’s history, from the resistance wars through reconstruction, reform, global integration, and into a new era. On display were weapons, telegraph machines, robots, a model nuclear reactor, 5G equipment, radar systems, and the Vinasat-1 satellite, among others.
In a digital museum section, data on over 162,000 ministry staff across various periods have been digitised, allowing visitors to access information on individuals and leaders. A memorial space honoured more than 10,000 fallen personnel from both sectors, featuring an 80th anniversary commemorative stamp and a “golden book” featuring key figures, events, and milestones./.
