Finland continues to assist Vietnam in speeding up technology innovation via the second phase of the Innovation Partnership Programme (IPP), heard a workshop in Ho Chi Minh City on November 28.

The event was jointly held by the city’s Department of Science and Technology and the IPP management board.
The second phase, from 2014 to 2018, will be implemented with 10 million EUR sourced from Finland’s ODA, said Programme Coordinator Luong Van Thang.

Its goal is to raise policymakers’ and enterprises’ awareness of the roles of creativity and innovation towards a sustainable development, he added.

During the workshop, IPP’s Chief Technical Advisor Lauri Laakso gave participants an overview of the programme and highlighted its support for local enterprises, notably those looking to start a new business.
Accordingly, startup businesses will be helped to improve innovation capability and gain access to financial resources in a bid to develop their initiatives and innovation projects.

The IPP is Vietnam’s first Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme in the field of scientific and technological development and innovation.

The first phase of the programme was conducted between 2009 and 2014 with a total cost of 8 million EUR. It has been supporting businesses to spark innovation activities with an emphasis on legal framework, innovation mechanisms, capacity building and technological cooperation between Vietnam and Finland.