The Australian Embassy in Vietnam on March 12 stated that the Australian government has announced its support for Vietnam to implement a study themed “Technological change in Vietnam – How technology contributes to productivity and economic growth.”

The assistance is part of the AUD11 million Aus4Innovation programme being carried out over four years (2018-2020), aiming to help strengthen Vietnam’s innovation system and prepare for the country’s economic and digital future.

This research activity will be implemented in 2020 through a partnership between Australia’s leading digital research network Data61 (under the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation – CSIRO) and the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). Once completed, the AUD500,000 study will offer models to assess the impact of technological research and applications on productivity and GDP growth in Vietnam.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie hailed the study as an excellent example of how Australia and Vietnam can turn high-level cooperation in innovation between the two countries into meaningful, real projects.

Through cooperation with the MOST, the Data61 research team will join Vietnamese experts to develop effective models and further strengthen decision-making processes based on specific scientific evidence, thus bringing greater value to Vietnam’s investment in science-technology and innovation, she said.

According to MOST Deputy Minister Bui The Duy, this is the first time such a study has been conducted in Vietnam, making it a good opportunity for Vietnam to approach new and creative practices in building policies.

He stressed the MOST’s high appreciation of all the models obtained from the research results and their transfer to the ministry for use and replication, affirming this as the spirit of innovative partnerships.

The study will be implemented based on recommendations from a 2019 report on the future of Vietnam’s digital economy until 2030 and 2045, also funded by the Australian government. The report proposes that there should be an indicator to measure the economic impact of innovation activities, thus promoting the development of Vietnam’s innovation ecosystem and building the necessary capacity to meet challenges and opportunities, such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The implementation of this study with Data61 will help to build on results from similar studies conducted in Australia as well as in other developed and developing countries.