The seminar in Brussels on Sunday gathers Vietnamese intellectuals in Belgium and Luxembourg. Photo courtesy of Việt Nam Embassy in Belgium

BRUSSELS — A seminar was held in Brussels on Sunday to gather contributions from Vietnamese intellectuals in Belgium and Luxembourg to enhance Việt Nam-EU cooperation in science, technology, and innovation.

Co-organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium and Luxembourg and the Vietnamese Mission to the European Union (EU), the seminar attracted 140 experts and intellectuals working in leading research institutes, universities, and businesses in the two countries. 

Discussions focused on cooperation potential between Việt Nam and the EU, Belgium, and Luxembourg, and the role and ways in which overseas Vietnamese experts and intellectuals can contribute to these collaboration areas.

Addressing the event, Ambassador Nguyễn Văn Thảo, Head of the Vietnamese Mission to the EU, emphasised the importance of sci-tech and innovation cooperation in advancing Việt Nam-EU relations.

He called on experts, intellectuals, and the Vietnamese community in the EU to contribute their knowledge and experience, and to participate in national efforts to make breakthroughs in innovation and technological development, thus strengthening bilateral cooperation.

Experts recommended prioritising science and technology sectors where Belgium and Luxembourg excel, aligning with Việt Nam’s development needs. For Belgium, the focus should be on biotechnology in agriculture and pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, cybersecurity, AI, digital transformation, renewable energy, and small-scale nuclear reactors. For Luxembourg, the emphasis would be on developing financial markets, green finance, telecommunications, satellite technology, digital transformation, and AI as well as its applications in finance and education.

They expressed their readiness to contribute at all stages, from policy development to sharing the latest technologies, acting as bridges between Việt Nam and local partners, and directly participating in collaborative projects.

Based on opinions collected at the forum, the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium and Luxembourg will develop a database of Vietnamese experts and intellectuals in the region, categorising proposals by sector to facilitate their contributions to the homeland. — VNS