A meeting took place in Ha Noi on Wednesday morning to review the cooperation between the Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) and the Da Nang People’s Committee (PC) over the past decade.

Vice Chairman Dung (left) shaking hands with a VAST representative at the signing ceremony

During the event, municipal PC Vice Chairman Dang Viet Dung remarked, “Over the review period, VAST has helped Da Nang to fulfil its assigned science and technology tasks, effectively exploit its science and technology potential, and enhance effective technology transfers.”

He hoped that VAST would create extra motivation for the city to develop into a science and technology hub in the central region.  He said he would like VAST to assist the city with effectively implementing science and technology activities in the city, and especially to conduct successful scientific and technological development research.

The focus will be on sharing the latest domestic and international science and technology information and research results with Da Nang, as well as helping the city to promote science and technology cooperation with foreign organisations.  Importance will be attached to helping the city boost its start-up activities, as well as build a national satellite centre in the local Hi-tech Park and a central irradiation centre.

At the event, representatives from VAST and the Da Nang authorities entered into an agreement on science and technology cooperation for the 2017 - 2020 period. 

Under the agreement, the focus will be on promoting the city’s science and technology potential, conducting more scientific and technological studies, enhancing science and technology-related information exchanges, and attracting more investment into their cooperative activities.

Also in Ha Noi on the same day, the Da Nang PC and the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology co-organised a meeting to review their cooperation between 2012 and 2015.

Mr Thai Ba Canh, Director of the municipal Department of Science and Technology, said that over the period Da Nang has paid special attention to developing its science and technology infrastructure, and issuing more preferential policies to promote the development of the local science and technology sector.

Vice Chairman Dung asked for help from the Ministry to facilitate the city’s relevant agencies to deploy State-level key projects and renew technologies in local businesses.  Assistance should be given to the city to upgrade the Da Nang Biotechnology Centre into a centre for biotechnological research and development for the agricultural and pharmaceutical sectors of southern and central localities, to establish a high-tech business incubators centre, to build an environmental radiation monitoring and warning station, and to enhance the city’s radiation accident response.

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Quoc Khanh underlined the need for the local department to develop suitable science and technology development plans.  Greater efforts will be made to complete the construction of the Central Region Radiation Centre by October 2017 to help regional localities promote their socio-economic development.