He made the statement during a meeting with the management board in Ha Noi's Thach That District.

Dung affirmed the establishment of the park was a sound Party and Government policy, which would help develop the country's science and technology industry, especially with high-tech products.

However, based on the current situation, it was difficult to accomplish the project's investment and construction goals by 2015 as planned, he said.

Regarding challenges in land clearance and compensation, Dung asked the management board to work with investors to increase finance into settling the issue by the end of this year.

He asked Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN) to take responsibility for direct investment into setting up the park's electricity system.

With regard to other infrastructure systems the park will build, such as telecommunications and park transport, he said the management board needed to clearly differentiate state-funded and ODA projects.

Dung urged Ministry of Science and Technology leaders to keep researching, reviewing and publishing specific criteria and conditions for investment projects for the park, especially those related to education and training and laboratory work.

He asked the management board to review and revoke licenses for projects such as golf courts and villas which do not meet the park's functions and suggested the ministry should form favourable policies to attract scientists and experts to the park's research and training centres.

Established in 1998, Hoa Lac High-Tech Park cleared 845ha out of 1,586ha of land and is connected with Thang Long Highway.

So far, 61 projects with VND31 trillion (US$1.48 billion) have been licensed for investment within the park. Among them, 17 projects coming into operation have created jobs for more than 4,000 workers and reached VND1.3 trillion ($62 million) of turnover.

However, according to the management board, the park fails to attract big investors in high-tech industries due to its poor infrastructure systems and lack of favourable conditions.

HCM City takes hard look at research, technology

The country's research efforts will get a major boost if businesses invest unhesitatingly in technology, a top HCM City official said.

Speaking at a meeting last week with top scientists and representatives of universities, research institutes, and science-technology firms, deputy chairman of the city People's Committee, Nguyen Manh Ha, said: "Only intelligence is an endless resource. Properly mobilising and exploiting intelligence will enable science and technology to become a major driver of economic growth."

Many scientists expressed the worry that companies are not concerned about restructuring or employing innovations or technologies.

"It might be due to limited funds, ineffective support policies, or the mistaken belief that small businesses do not need technology," Dr Dao Van Luong, principal of the Sai Gon Technology University, said.

In fact, if they do invest in technology, they can improve their capacity and profits, he said.

Statistics from the city Department of Science and Technology reveal that only 24 firms signed up for technology-related support last year.

"In the upcoming time scientists must meet actual industry demand while businesses should work closer with scientists for what they need," Ha said.

Technology has not become a major factor in most industries in the city due to outdated policies.

"Most current research is separated from practical needs and do not meet industries' requirements," Professor Duong Thi Binh Minh, former vice principal of the HCM City Economics University, said.

"Besides, the need to explain the use of funds and cumbersome administrative procedures have limited effectiveness."

Ngo Duc Hoang of the Viet Nam National University – HCM City said: "Businesses need technologies that can be immediately used in production, but currently research does not operate this way."

Ha promised new policies this year that would allow scientists not to worry about costs.

"[It] will let scientists report the total cost of their research instead of a detailed break-up as required now."