Vietnam hopes to have 5,000 businesses operating in science-technology by 2020, which should generate between 7-15 percent of the country’s gross domestic product ( GDP ) under a Scientific-Technological Development Strategy approved recently.

Over eight years spent implementing the Prime Ministerial decree on the development of science-technology enterprises, the Ministry of Science and Technology has been able to create a network of innovative enterprises, though not many, Minister Nguyen Quan stated February 16.

Preferential taxation and other favourable financial policies have been implemented to favour these innovative businesses, Quan affirmed.

The Government last year set up a national fund for technological renewal in the service of national development.

The 2 trillion VND (94 million USD) fund aims to supply financial support to organisations, individuals and businesses for technological research, transfer and renewal.

At the same time, the minister said that Vietnam should continue to invest high-tech industrial parks, where research institutes and universities operate along with businesses. He cited experiences from developed countries and newly-emerging economies that show such hi-tech IP spearhead the development of new and more sophisticated technologies.

Minister Quan also said the State will support hi-tech enterprises even when they are not located in hi-tech parks, provided that they use new technologies or produce products with high technological content.-VNA