Besides the high-level session, three other thematic workshops were held the same day on the development of stable labour supply chains after the pandemic, the capital and real estate markets, and technology modernization, digital transformation and diversification of supply chains.

The forum serves as a platform for ministries, sectors, localities, scientists, researchers, enterprises, and representatives of some international organisations to share opinions and viewpoints which will be considered in the Party Central Committee’s drafting of socio-economic policies

At the plenary session of the Seminar, thematic "Technological innovation, digital transformation and supply chain diversification", the representative of the University of Economics and Business - VNU was Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Truc Le - Secretary of the Party Committee, Rector of the university, participated as the main coordinator of this discussion.

 

In terms of digital transformation, by the end of the first quarter of 2022, there were 22/22 ministries and sectors and 63 / 63 localities have established Steering Committees; 55 / 63 localities have issued resolutions /directives /documents of the provincial /municipal Party Committee on digital transformation; 59 / 63 localities and 19 / 22 ministries and branches promulgating a program/plan/project on digital transformation for a 5-year period. Finance-banking, healthcare, education, agriculture, energy, transportation, etc. have achieved remarkable results in digital transformation and bringing regular activities of the industry to the digital environment.

In terms of supply chain diversity, Vietnam has joined and signed 17 free trade agreements (FTAs) with key partners in the world such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the Vietnam Free Trade Agreement South-EU (EVFTA). Some Vietnamese enterprises are also increasingly participating more effectively in regional and global supply, production chains and continuously expanding input and output markets for products made in Vietnam.

However, an objective assessment shows that Vietnam's technological innovation, digital transformation and supply chain diversification still have many limitations. Up to now, Vietnam has not built a national innovation system with the synchronization of the following stages: science and technology supply of universities and research institutes, applicability and capacity of investment in science - technology of the business sector and the management system and policies of the State.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic is a powerful catalyst for the application of the achievements of the 4th industrial revolution. For Vietnam, changes in the way the global economy and markets operation under these circumstances have brought both challenges and opportunities to the industry and trade.  

Supply chain disruptions have affected to investment shifts to diversify supply chains, reduce dependence on foreign supplies, and accelerate innovation, high-tech application, and digital transformation for activities of both foreign-invested enterprises and domestic enterprises. Therefore, technological innovation, digital transformation and supply chain diversification are not only an opportunity, but also an effective tool to help Vietnam achieve its goals and aspirations for rapid and sustainable development.

In order to do that, we need to continue to perfect the legal policy system, provide orientations, solutions and breakthrough policies to support Vietnamese industrial enterprises to improve their governance capacity, technical level and production restructuring based on technological innovation and digital transformation. At the same time, further strengthen the connection between the State authorities and enterprises in the process of efforts to participate more active in the global production and supply chain, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Truc Le emphasized.