Speakers and guests attend the workshop “Which innovation system is relevant to Việt Nam?” VNA/VNS Photo Hữu Chiến

PARIS - In the context of Việt Nam aiming to become a high-income country by 2045, innovation is seen as one of the key drivers. However, to ensure that innovation brings tangible benefits to the economy and people’s lives, it is necessary to clearly define priorities, methods, and implementation approaches suitable to the country’s conditions, according to experts in France.

Professor Lê Văn Cường, Honorary Research Director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), emphasised that Việt Nam needs to develop innovation in the spirit of Joseph Schumpeter’s theory of "creative destruction" which means boldly creating the new while eliminating outdated practices.

According to Cường, innovation cannot just remain a slogan or an academic concept; it must be concretised into practical applications closely connected to the daily lives of the people.

He noted that artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics technology need to be developed in ways that practically serve agricultural production, food processing, and everyday livelihoods. If people, especially those in rural areas, do not feel the real benefits of innovation, they will feel marginalised in the development process.

Therefore, innovation only matters when it helps farmers “work less but achieve more,” improving their quality of life, rather than being an abstract concept reserved solely for academics or urban residents, stressed Cường.

The professor also warned that in investment in AI and high technology, special attention must be given to poor communities and rural areas - those most likely to be left behind in this transformation.

From the perspective of human resources development, Professor Nguyễn Văn Phú, Senior Researcher at CNRS, said that innovation cannot be separated from the strategy of human development. According to him, Việt Nam needs to focus on investing in higher education and postgraduate studies, especially in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, while also paying attention to the training of high-quality management personnel. He said that only through systematic, long-term, and focused investment in people can Vietnam build a knowledge- and innovation-based economy.

Phú also noted that Việt Nam’s new policies such as the Politburo’s Resolution 57 and Resolution 68 have opened the right path, but the important thing is to quickly concretise and implement them decisively and effectively.

He cautioned, “Not only is Việt Nam focusing on innovation, but many other countries have been ahead of us by decades. Therefore, if we do not move fast and act strongly, it will be very difficult for us to catch up with.”

Trần Hà My, Director of the France-based Vietnam Innovation Network in Europe (VINEU) and Chairwoman of the Vietnamese Young Entrepreneurs Association in Europe, stressed that in recent years, with the introduction of new policies, a generation of young Vietnamese entrepreneurs and intellectual professionals has been motivated to engage in innovation. However, she identified three major current barriers: lack of initial investment capital, an incomplete institutional framework, and weak links between the State, universities, and businesses.

If these three factors are addressed, she believes innovation activities in Việt Nam will boom and produce more practical results.

Jean-Philippe Eglinger from France’s National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilisations (INALCO) emphasised that political determination is the foundation of success. According to him, Việt Nam’s high-level leaders have clearly demonstrated the will to regard innovation as a “national endeavour” and affirmed that Việt Nam has no choice but to succeed in this policy.

He recommended that Việt Nam, like France, can make the most of the strengths of the public sector to lead innovation, and needs to enhance international cooperation, especially with France, in areas such as innovation incubators, technology transfer, and intellectual property protection.

This collaboration not only helps Việt Nam access advanced technologies but also contributes to forming its own technological sovereignty - a core element of sustainable development, Eglinger added. VNA/VNS