📋 Tender Overview
Speaking with the Government Electronic Newspaper, Dr. Trinh Thanh Trung, Director of the Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology (Hanoi National University) commented that Resolution 57-NQ/TW is a strong push to promote science, technology and innovation according to international standards, while creating a solid corridor for amending the Law on Science and Technology.
The draft Law on Science and Technology consists of 14 chapters and 83 articles and is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration at the 9th Session (May 2025) and approved at the 10th Session (September 2025).
After many years of facing barriers in mechanisms and policies, the science and technology community is expecting a strong change when the Central Steering Committee on Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation Development is officially established, with General Secretary To Lam as its Head.
Dr. Trinh Thanh Trung said that this is not only a strategic decision but also a good sign for the entire science industry. Because, for a long time, scientists have repeatedly made recommendations about the difficulties in implementing policies, but the bottlenecks have not been resolved because the Law on Science and Technology is governed by many other laws such as the State Budget Law, the Bidding Law, the Law on Management and Use of Public Assets. It is this overlap that prevents science and technology from breaking through to its full potential and expectations.
However, under the strong direction of General Secretary To Lam, the scientific community is placing great faith in a new phase, where administrative barriers are removed, operating mechanisms are more flexible, creating conditions for scientific research to truly play a key role in socio-economic development.
"We believe that when the bottlenecks are removed, science and technology will no longer be a 'follower' but can truly become a driving force for national development," Dr. Trung emphasized.
From the perspective of a scientist, Dr. Trinh Thanh Trung commented that Resolution 57-NQ/TW has created a complete ecosystem, where scientific research does not only stop at creating knowledge, but is also transformed into technology, applied in practice, promoting innovation and building big data infrastructure to serve the digital economy.
According to him, scientific research and technological development, in order to maximize its value, must ensure five core criteria according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): novelty, systematicity, creativity, uncertainty, and repeatability or transferability.
Based on those principles, Resolution 57-NQ/TW lays the foundation for amending the Law on Science and Technology in accordance with the nature of research activities with 5 key goals: Preventing waste of research resources; Accepting scientific risks as an inevitable part; Promoting breakthrough innovation; Decentralizing and delegating more power; Eliminating cumbersome administrative procedures.
One of the most important breakthroughs of the resolution is the spirit of accepting risks in scientific research. Dr. Trung pointed out: "In scientific research, failure is not the end but the foundation for new discoveries. When a research is unsuccessful, scientists should not be pressured to repay the funding but should be encouraged to publish the results, helping the scientific community avoid making the same mistake."
This mindset marks an important shift in the scientific management mechanism in Vietnam. Instead of forcing researchers to the goal of "acceptance at all costs", the new policy will encourage them to boldly experiment and explore without being restrained by administrative barriers or fear of failure.
Another important highlight of Resolution 57-NQ/TW is the stronger decentralization and delegation of authority to scientists. Dr. Trung explained: "If researchers are proactive in adjusting experiments, changing chemicals and biological products according to reality without having to go through complicated administrative procedures, research will be more effective, risks will be minimized, while still ensuring the right goals and funding."
In reality, many scientists today struggle to fit their research results into initial commitments to ensure acceptance. This not only hinders creativity but also causes valuable new discoveries to be overlooked.
Once the resolution is implemented, researchers will have the right to proactively adjust the content and methods of their research as long as they still achieve the ultimate goal. This is an important step forward to help science and technology develop more flexibly.
With its breakthrough orientations, Resolution 57-NQ/TW not only removes inherent barriers, but also opens up opportunities for Vietnamese science and technology to move closer to international standards. When research is put in its rightful place – a field of creativity, innovation and risk-taking – then science becomes a real driving force for the country’s development.
Resolution 57-NQ/TW is not simply a policy decision but a strong affirmation that science and technology must be the foundation for national prosperity. When effectively implemented, this resolution will not only elevate the status of Vietnamese science but also pave the way for steady progress in the digital age.
