The content is stated in the cooperation agreement signed by the two sides on the afternoon of December 21 in Hanoi. According to the cooperation agreement, the two sides will implement three main contents: Strengthening training courses to improve science and technology management capacity; Building a set of indicators to assess innovation capacity for industries and fields; Deploying solutions and tools to support businesses in improving productivity, digital transformation, and green transformation.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Minh said that many activities promoting the application of science and technology based on innovation in socio-economic development have been implemented recently. To measure the results, it is necessary to model and measure through indicators. From there, there is a basis for directing and adjusting policies.

The Deputy Minister acknowledged that it is necessary to assess capacity and current situation, especially important sectors, those at risk of competition, those with difficulty in development or those with opportunities, in order to have policies to adjust, improve and enhance productivity and competitiveness. Therefore, there is a need for indicators and criteria to assess capacity at the sectoral and sectoral levels, from agriculture, tourism, textiles, etc.

He assessed that the development of a set of industry innovation indexes would be a practical tool for ministries, sectors, managers, policy makers, businesses, etc. to see the current situation of industries in order to have measures to respond. This is also a set of tools for domestic and international investors to visualize the picture, orient strategies and investment solutions.

Immediately after the signing ceremony, the two sides launched the project to develop the Vietnam Industry Innovation Index. Dr. Le Mai Lan, Chairman of the Board of VinUni University, said that researching models and innovation drivers at the national, local, or industry levels are all important. For key economic sectors with development potential, creating a force in society, to create breakthroughs, and to have competitiveness in both the short and long term, specific assessment and measurement tools are needed.

She said that in June, the research team of VinUni University under the guidance of Professor Soumitra Dutta, the "father" of the Global Innovation Index (GII), published a study on industry innovation. The report created the first foundation to receive support from many ministries and agencies, providing ideas for scientific support, including professional sponsorship from the Ministry of Science and Technology, aiming to form a project on the first set of indicators approaching by industry and region.

Vietnam has implemented the national Global Innovation Index (GII). After 8 years of implementation, with many improvements in rankings, it has increased by 30 places, continuously maintaining the number one and two positions in the group of low-middle income countries, and in the last two years, it has been second only to India.

The Ministry of Science and Technology has also developed a local innovation index (PII). Vietnam is the fourth country to implement this index. India and China are currently the two countries that are effectively using the local innovation index.

Nhu Quynh