Vietnamese Ambassador to France Đinh Toàn Thắng speaks at the workshop titled “What system of innovation in Việt Nam?” in Paris on October 16. VNA/VNS Photo

PARIS  The French Research Institute on East Asia (IFRAE) and the National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilisations (INALCO) co-hosted a workshop titled “What system of innovation in Việt Nam?” in Paris on October 16, bringing together academics, policymakers, and business representatives to discuss pathways for Việt Nam’s innovation-driven growth.

The event formed part of the France–Việt Nam Year of Innovation, an initiative launched by the French Embassy in Việt Nam in collaboration with research institutions and the Vietnam Innovation Network in Europe (VINEU).

The high-level academic forum aimed to explore directions for building an innovation system tailored to Việt Nam’s development needs in the coming decades.

In his opening remarks, Professor Michel Blanchard, the programme coordinator, said Việt Nam faces the challenge of escaping the “middle-income trap” as it strives to become a high-income economy by 2045. To achieve this goal, he said, innovation must serve as the central driver of growth.

Jean-Philippe Eglinger, initiator of the France–Việt Nam Year of Innovation, said the symposium sought to provide an overview of Việt Nam’s innovation ecosystem, particularly since the government launched the national startup support initiative, Programme 844, in 2016.

The event, he noted, offered an opportunity for experts, entrepreneurs, and students from both countries to exchange experiences and discuss innovation models suited to Việt Nam’s context, contributing to its goal of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a developed nation by 2045.

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Đinh Toàn Thắng praised the initiative as a strategically significant event, given Việt Nam’s efforts to transform its growth model. “Science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation are key breakthroughs, and main engines for renewing Việt Nam’s development model toward sustainability,” he said.

The ambassador underscored France’s role as a technological power and a comprehensive strategic partner of Việt Nam, highlighting broad cooperation potential in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, civil nuclear energy, high-speed rail, clean energy, aerospace, high-tech agriculture, and advanced medicine.

He also stressed France’s important contribution to training high-quality human resources for Việt Nam through scholarships, dual-degree programmes, and joint research projects.

In his presentation, Professor Blanchard analysed Việt Nam’s macroeconomic landscape, noting its reliance on manufacturing and assembly in electronics with limited domestic value added. He said that while this model spurred early export-led growth, Việt Nam needs to shift toward more knowledge- and technology-intensive industries, investing in productivity and innovation to overcome the middle-income trap.

Blanchard highlighted Việt Nam’s strong political will, emphasising that innovation is viewed not only as a science and technology task but as a nationwide endeavour. He suggested that Việt Nam could learn from France’s experience in fostering public–private collaboration among universities, research institutes, and businesses to build a comprehensive innovation ecosystem.

The workshop concluded with lively exchanges between scholars and the French–Vietnamese business community on technological trends, digital transformation, and bilateral cooperation in innovation.

Participants agreed that innovation is not only an inevitable trend but also a defining imperative of the era, the foundation for green growth, sustainable development, and Việt Nam’s stronger position in global value chains. VNA/VNS