Managers and experts both at home and abroad on September 12 gathered at a seminar in Hanoi to discuss the implementation of the Vietnam-Finland Innovation Partnership Programme (IPP).

The programme was launched in 2009 in the eight cities and provinces of Hanoi , Hai Phong, Da Nang , Hue , Ho Chi Minh City , Can Tho, Lam Dong and An Giang.

The first phase of the project costs a total of nearly 7 million EUR with 89 percent of the budget coming from the Finnish Government.

After three years of implementation, 56 sub-projects out of 61 ratified ones are getting underway.

Speaking at the seminar, Finnish Ambassador Kimmo Lahdevirta said the project has significantly contributed to encouraging innovation initiatives, raising effectiveness of cooperation between scientists and businesses, and boosting the scientific and technological partnership between the two countries.

Taking businesses as the centre, IPP has paid special attention to enterprises run by female leaders and those focusing on rural areas, the ambassador said.

He underlined the need for Vietnam to upgrade its information system to deal with issues regarding State management during the implementation of the project.

It is also necessary for the two sides to expand the project’s scale to maximise the effectiveness of innovation in Vietnam , the diplomat said.

The two sides agreed to continue their cooperation during the second phase of the project which will last from February to August next year.

The project aims to help Vietnam become an industrialised nation with the middle-income status, a knowledge-based economy and a national innovative system actively serving socio-economic development.-VNA