The Law on Science and Technology (amended) builds a mechanism aimed at increasing the number of research staff and attracting investment from society and businesses for science and technology development.
The information was provided by Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui The Duy when talking about the draft Law on Science and Technology 2013 (amended) which will be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and comments in May 2025.
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Deputy Minister Bui The Duy. Photo: Giang Huy
Among the changes in this Law, solutions will be proposed to increase human resources for research and development, aiming to realize the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation by 2030. Deputy Minister Duy said that, from the experience of other countries, to develop based on science, technology and innovation, the number of research and development staff needs to reach about 12 people/10,000 people. To achieve the goal of increasing the number of research and development staff and increasing the level of social investment, it is necessary to carry out comprehensive reforms, including integrating research and development activities into the Law.
Looking back at the development history of countries, it is easy to see that in the early stages, most of the research and development force was often concentrated in the public sector, that is, research institutes and public universities established by the state. Funding for research and development is also mainly provided from the state budget. To increase investment in science and technology, developed countries have sought to increase the investment rate from society. Typically, the investment rate from the state will decrease from 100% to about 30%, while the investment rate from society will increase to about 70%.
"In the Law on Science and Technology, we plan to submit it to the Government and then to the National Assembly with the goal of increasing the number of research staff from 7 to 12 people per 10,000 people. The solution is to follow the model that countries have implemented, aiming to promote investment from society, businesses and the private sector in science and technology," said Mr. Duy. This investment will include finance and the construction of research and development centers, research institutes, as well as the formation of research and development teams in businesses.
Deputy Minister Duy also acknowledged that it is impossible to expect businesses to immediately invest in science and technology because this field is often risky and does not immediately bring profits, while the main goal of businesses is to make profits and maintain their existence.
Currently, most Vietnamese businesses, except for some large corporations, do not have the motivation or willingness to invest in science and technology due to concerns that the benefits from this investment will only be obtained over a long period of time, not immediately. "This Law on Science and Technology needs to have policies to increase investment attraction from society," he said.
First, the State will implement support programs to facilitate the transfer of research results and connect universities with businesses.
Second, it is necessary to establish incentive mechanisms, such as tax incentives and land rent reductions for businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises in the initial difficult period.
"To achieve the goal of increasing the number of research staff and social investment sources, the Law on Science and Technology needs to be comprehensively revised, including integrating research and development activities of the whole society into the Law, not just relying on current regulations," Deputy Minister Duy emphasized.
In addition, to promote the development of the national innovation system, in which enterprises are the center and research institutes and universities play the role of strong research subjects, the Law will have a new group of policies and issues.
Universities are gradually becoming strong research subjects, equivalent to research institutes. There is a need for graduate student training programs using funding from science and technology. "In fact, many countries in the world consider graduate students as the main research force. Because graduate students are at the youngest, most creative and most passionate age in their work," said Mr. Duy.
It is necessary to build centers of excellence in science and technology, closely connecting research and training. Deputy Minister Duy said that the drafting agency wants to propose separating the research teams of research institutes and universities from the concept of considering them as officials of public service units. Like in other countries around the world, lecturers and researchers are encouraged to participate in managing enterprises established by research institutes and universities, based on their research results and intellectual property. This helps bring innovation activities from enterprises closer to universities, even within universities.
The Law on Science and Technology, first issued in 2000 and amended in 2013, has played an important role in creating a legal corridor for science and technology activities, promoting economic development. However, after 10 years of implementation, the world has developed rapidly with the explosion of digital technology. Accordingly, the Law on Science and Technology needs to be amended to increase the mobilization of investment, attention and human resources from the business sector for research and development activities and to keep up with the general trend of the world.
Plan No. 81 of the Standing Committee of the 15th National Assembly identifies the task of amending the Law on Science and Technology, expected to be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and comments at the 15th Session.
Bao Chi
By VnExpress