Vietnam and UK deepen science, technology and innovation partnerships

The UK-Vietnam ST&I partnership began in 2014 with the arrival of the Newton Fund and the Global Challenges Research Fund. Since then, 50 joint research projects have been supported by the Newton Fund, and the UK ranked ninth in the list of Vietnam’s international co-publishers between 2017-2022. Joint publications have mainly focussed on medicine, engineering and physics.

UK-Vietnam's current ST&I priorities are emerging technologies (mostly AI), climate and environment, global health, and institutional capacity building in governance and responsible development and adoption of technology.

In 2023, Vietnam became a partner country to the UK’s International Science Partnership Fund, which is now the main instrument to deepen UK-Vietnam ST&I partnerships.

The UK’s Science and Innovation Network (SIN) works closely with Vietnamese government partners, funding agencies and academics in country to identify collaboration opportunities of mutual interest and complementary capability.

SIN Vietnam mobilises various science diplomacy channels and funds to materialise them, and works closely with the UK’s Department for Business and Trade to realise commercial benefits and incorporate industry engagement where appropriate.

Examples of recent UK-Vietnam collaboration include a workshop on responsible AI governance organised in the margin of Vietnam’s AI Day, and a workshop to establish a UK-Vietnam network to drive innovation in healthcare.

Vietnam is currently 46th in the Global Innovation Index 2023. It ranks second among the 37 lower-middle-income group economies.

The number of international publications from the country tripled between 2017 and 2022. The top five disciplines in international publications are engineering, computer science, mathematics, environmental science and medicine.

In 2021, Vietnam’s gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD) was 0.42 per cent of GDP. There was a sharp increase in R&D investment from the private sector from 12 per cent in 2015 to 43.84 per cent in 2021.

Vietnam’s National Strategy for ST&I Development (2021-2030) aims to increase the GERD to 1.5 per cent by 2030.

Throughout this decade, the Party and state have been placing high expectations on the fundamental role of science, technology, and innovation to boost productivity, quality, efficiency, and economic competitiveness. Minister of Science and Technology HUYNH THANH DAT explains the progress so far and what is ahead for the nation in this regard.

Vietnamese Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung and the UK’s Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Chris Philp signed a Letter of Intent on cooperation in digital economy and digital transformation on November 1 (London time).

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended and witnessed a ceremony to sign 26 cooperation agreements between ministries, sectors and businesses of Vietnam and the United Kingdom (UK) on October 31 (London time) as part of his trip for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) and a working visit to the UK.