Professor, Dr. Tran Hong Thai, President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, emphasized that the core issue today lies not in commitment, but in the capacity to realize them into concrete products and value. Science and technology must shift strongly from a research mindset to a value-creation mindset, with practical outcomes as the measure.

The time for action has matured

Professor, in recent times, what outstanding results has the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology achieved in research and application of science and technology to directly serve people’s lives and the country’s socio-economic development?

Professor, Dr. Tran Hong Thai: There is a question that we scientists always ask ourselves: “When will knowledge accumulated in laboratories reach the real lives of people?” The answer, in my view, is right now.

Looking back at more than 80 years of national development, with the support of international partners, Vietnamese scientists have been systematically trained across all fields of basic research. That accumulated foundation across generations now allows us to answer that question in a substantive way: This is the right time not only to receive technology from outside but, together with domestic and international experts, to proactively master and develop it into Vietnamese technology and Vietnamese products serving national construction and development.

The Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology currently has more than 2,500 leading scientists, publishes over 2,300 international papers annually, leads the country in the Nature Index, and registers more than 100 intellectual property rights each year.

More importantly, this team has begun to master specific technologies, including AI-based autonomous driving modules for transportation, CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology applied to key crops, hydrogen production technology from water electrolysis, electrode material manufacturing for next-generation batteries, and personalized medicine. This is not assembly or outsourcing based on foreign designs, but genuine mastery from scientific foundation to product, without import dependence.

We identify a key priority direction in the coming period: proactively bringing applied science and technology into key economic sectors where Vietnam has advantages, especially those involving a large proportion of the population or directly affecting many people’s livelihoods. This is the shortest path for Vietnamese technology to create widespread social value.

For example, agricultural sectors such as crop cultivation, livestock, and aquaculture are top priorities. Vietnam is one of the world’s leading exporters of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products, with tens of millions of people directly dependent on these sectors.

Together with enterprises and some localities, the Academy is researching and promoting the application of artificial intelligence and databases to optimize farming, reduce input costs, and increase added value per unit area.

In livestock and aquaculture, biotechnology for developing veterinary vaccines, disease-prevention biological products, and high-quality breeds is being implemented, aiming to both increase productivity and meet food safety standards of major export markets. These are areas where science can act immediately and create the most practical impact on people.

Linked to the tropical forest ecosystem, Vietnam is shifting its approach from afforestation for coverage to smart and sustainable forest utilization. With 14.8 million hectares of forest and among the world’s highest biodiversity levels, we focus on exploiting the value of indigenous medicinal resources.

For example, the Red Pine tree in Lam Dong Province contains Paclitaxel (commercial name Taxol), one of the most effective chemotherapy drugs currently used in treating ovarian, breast, and lung cancers. If the technology for extraction, semi-synthesis, and targeted nano-formulation is mastered, the value created from the same raw material could increase by 50 to 100 times. We have proposed establishing a Biomedical Center in Lam Dong to implement a complete chain from indigenous raw materials to finished pharmaceuticals, creating sustainable livelihoods for forest-dependent communities.

In addition, more than 1.5 million hectares of bamboo represent a tropical biomass resource we aim to industrialize toward high value. Technology for extracting cellulose from bamboo to produce viscose fiber can partially replace imported cotton for the textile industry and meet green material requirements from major export markets. Bamboo fiber and powder are also excellent reinforcement materials for polymer composites used in construction and UAV components, with value increasing 20 to 30 times compared to raw bamboo. This is a direction that directly connects forestry, agriculture, and industry, creating value chains where each link benefits.

Regarding mineral resources, Vietnam possesses over 5,000 mines of 60 different types. The elements Neodymium, Praseodymium, and Dysprosium are core components of NdFeB magnets, indispensable for high-performance electric vehicle motors and wind turbines.

We are researching to master the entire technology chain from ore processing to finished magnet manufacturing, potentially increasing the value of the same ton of ore by 30 to 50 times. From bauxite in the Central Highlands, gallium—a strategic semiconductor material—can also be recovered during processing, with a value 500 to 1,000 times higher than alumina. We are ready to cooperate with the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group to pilot implementation at existing plants.

In space technology, the Vietnam Space Center at Hoa Lac High-Tech Park, inaugurated in March 2026, is the first national space infrastructure operated by Vietnamese engineers and scientists, with nearly two decades of collaboration with Japan through JAXA and JICA. The LOTUSat-1 satellite, soon to be launched, will provide observation data for resource management, disaster monitoring, and protection of maritime sovereignty.

The low-altitude economy is booming globally with thousands of applications from unmanned logistics and smart agriculture to disaster response; we aim within the next five years to master the production line of dual-use UAVs with a localization rate approaching 90%, combined with mastering semiconductor chip production at nodes above 90nm.

I would also like to mention a very practical issue: construction sand for expressways in the Mekong Delta. The demand is about 39 million cubic meters of sand for embankment, while river sand can supply only about 20 million cubic meters. Coastal marine sand resources, with estimated reserves of nearly 150 billion cubic meters, can be a solution.

We are participating in research on treating saline sand through methods such as cement mixing, geotechnical reinforcement, and salt content control to meet engineering requirements. Additionally, intelligent flood warning systems integrated with AI and technological consulting for underground urban spaces in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are also areas where the Academy can immediately contribute with existing capabilities.

How will the transition of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology to a public non-business unit under the Central Committee of the Communist Party affect its strategic orientation, operational mechanisms, and position? In your view, what should the Academy prepare to adapt effectively and continue to play a core role in basic research and high-tech development?

Professor, Dr. Tran Hong Thai: To properly understand the significance of this decision, it must first be viewed in the broader context. The second plenum of the 14th Central Committee agreed on the policy to transfer five agencies—the Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam News Agency, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, and Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology—to the model of public non-business units under the Central Committee. These five agencies represent three foundational pillars of national strength in the new era: ideological orientation through the media system, social knowledge through social sciences and humanities research, and scientific-technological knowledge through natural sciences and engineering research.

Placing all three pillars under the Party’s direct leadership at the highest level reflects a clear awareness: in a breakthrough phase, sectors decisive to national destiny cannot be led indirectly.

For the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, this is the first time in history that a natural science and technology research organization is placed directly under the Party’s highest leadership. This indicates that science and technology are viewed not merely as technical fields, but as strategic and national issues.

This message is fully consistent with the spirit of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024 of the Politburo on developing science, technology, and innovation, and with the aspiration to propel the country forward in the new era through science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation, as repeatedly emphasized by General Secretary To Lam.

Regarding strategic orientation, the new position sets higher requirements but also opens broader opportunities. The Academy not only performs professional tasks but also directly participates in strategic advisory processes, providing scientific arguments to support Party leadership.

Research results must reach key decision-making bodies more substantively and promptly. The new position creates conditions for the Academy to advise on forming specialized science policies and removing long-standing institutional bottlenecks.

Regarding operational mechanisms, the new position opens opportunities to design financial mechanisms for scientific research based on scientific logic rather than conventional administrative management. Investment cycles for basic research can be extended in line with knowledge accumulation processes. Mechanisms for attracting and retaining scientific talent can be made more flexible to compete with private and international sectors. These are fundamental adjustments enabled by the new position.

In preparation, we are focusing on three parallel directions:

First, restructuring the organization to be streamlined and focused on strategic priority research areas aligned with 11 national strategic technology groups.

Second, rebuilding the scientific strategy based on the principle of moving from basic research to mastering and developing Vietnamese technologies and products serving key economic sectors.

Third, advising on special policies to attract scientific talent, including overseas Vietnamese experts, creating conditions for them to return and contribute in a suitable environment.

The most worthy response to the trust placed by the Central Committee is not promises or statements, but real scientific quality, concrete products, and a team with integrity and dedication. Every official and scientist of the Academy understands this.

Vietnamese science must contribute to the global knowledge base

Decision No. 1131/QĐ-TTg of the Prime Minister clearly identifies 11 strategic technology groups with 35 key products, from artificial intelligence and blockchain to new materials, renewable energy, and space technology, requiring a solid foundation of basic science and long-term knowledge accumulation. In your view, how should a roadmap be built to develop effectively and in line with reality?

Professor, Dr. Tran Hong Thai: Decision 1131/QĐ-TTg reflects clear strategic thinking, and for the first time we have a specific list of priority technologies, providing a basis for focused resource allocation.

From a research perspective, we see this as an opportunity for the Academy to fulfill its foundational scientific role for these technology groups, while proactively incorporating application directions linked to Vietnam’s resource and ecological advantages, developing them into Vietnamese technologies and products for domestic use and export.

From a management perspective, the roadmap should be structured in clear phases, each with its own logic and key tasks. In the next one to three years, the top priority is to immediately bring accumulated basic research results from institutes and universities into practical application, transforming them into technologies and products for key economic sectors without waiting for new research. The accumulated knowledge base is vast and requires mechanisms and bridges to bring it into real life. State budget for science and technology in this phase should prioritize exploitation and commercialization of existing results, alongside continued investment in new research.

In the one- to five-year phase, the focus shifts to mastering and developing technologies aligned with the country’s long-term structural advantages. In addition to universal directions such as artificial intelligence and semiconductors, the Academy focuses on mastering deep processing of rare earths and strategic minerals; developing space and UAV technologies for sovereignty protection and resource management; biomedicine and indigenous pharmaceuticals; high-tech applications in agriculture, livestock, and aquaculture; and technologies supporting forest livelihoods and sustainable forest economy. By 2030, the Academy aims to reach leading positions in Asia in selected priority research areas, creating true spearheads.

From five to ten years onward, deeper investment in basic research is needed to generate breakthroughs for the following decade. No country can be truly strong in science and technology without this foundation. Toward 2045, when Vietnam aims to become a developed country, its science must not only absorb and apply global knowledge but also contribute to it. The current generation of young scientists must be systematically trained, empowered, and trusted to lead in the next 10–15 years. This must begin now, as science develops sustainably only when each generation lays the foundation for the next.

The role of the Academy in this roadmap is to serve as the pillar of basic research and the leading force in mastering and developing technologies, ensuring a solid scientific foundation for all strategic technology directions, while acting as a bridge between academic knowledge and practical application needs. The prerequisite for this is effective coordination mechanisms among ministries, sectors, the state, research institutions, localities, and enterprises. The Academy is ready to serve as the focal point of such coordination.

Thank you very much, Professor!