VietNamNet Bridge - The Vietnam Innovation Summit 2008 (photo) ended with the clear message that significantly more investment is necessary in information and communication technology (ITC) and its infrastructure.

VietNamNet Bridge - The Vietnam Innovation Summit 2008 (photo) ended with the clear message that significantly more investment is necessary in information and communication technology (ITC) and its infrastructure.
The US-based computer provider IBM gave this feedback at the summit on September 4 and 5, which aimed to review long-term collaboration activities between IBM and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST).
This collaboration has been established to help drive innovation, research and development initiatives to help shape the Vietnam Innovations Agenda.
IBM also said that Vietnam needed non-linear innovation systems made up of public and private enterprises and other organisations to adapt global knowledge to local conditions.
“The Government should build innovation systems which empower businesses through digital technologies,” added the company, noting that the systems would focus on small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Enterprises participating in the summit helped to review other initiatives, including the Innovation Collaboration Platform and the Service, Science, Management Engineering/IT Service Curriculum (SSME/ITS) Academic Initiative.
In May, IBM initially introduced the Innovation Collaboration Platform, known as the Vietnam Advancement and Innovation for Science and Technology Portal (VIP) into practice.
This portal is a software programme used by Vietnamese Government institutions and universities to develop education programmes for SSME which is an emerging academic discipline and research area encompassing computer science, engineering, and other information sectors.
Also in May, IBM inked a memorandum of understanding with Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City on SSME education and IT Service Curriculum for students and IT professionals.
During the summit, discussions also included topics like Open Source/Linux and other areas of further cooperation between MoST and IBM .
“In the past few decades, Vietnam has made significant changes and become a favourite destination for investments,” said IBM Vietnam’s general director Nguyen Viet Hoang.
He also pledged that IBM would continue working with MoST to make various beneficial innovation investment initiatives in Vietnam.