Ha Noi, 3 October 2011 - National and international experts will meet in Ha Noi to discuss Viet Nam’s science, technology and innovation policy and strategy development, which will contribute to the achievement of Viet Nam’s goal of becoming an industrialized and modernized country by 2020.

The discussion is within the frame work of an international conference to be held in Ha Noi on October 5 by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the National Institute for Science, Technology Policy and Strategy Studies (NISTPASS) of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). The conference will focus its discussion on following key areas:

• The role of STI in Viet Nam’s development and the role of the strategy and science, technology and innovation (STI) institutions, including a discussion on the desired role of a Vietnamese STI system in national development, and the desired broad outcomes of STI policies;
• Opportunities and challenges from current socio-economic and technology trends, including: i) How can Viet Nam reach its goals in STI? ii) What is the most effective strategy for technological innovation? and iii) Processes for technical transfer and innovation.

The conference will also introduce an International Advisory Board (IAB) of ten international experts from a variety of sectors and countries (namely Austria, Bolivia, Denmark, France, Finland, South Korea and the United Kingdom), who will contribute their expertise and experiences to the conference and Viet Nam to support the country in their development of STI policies and strategies and to share best practices from their own countries in STI development.

The conference is part of the UNIDO Project “Policy Advice to Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy 2011 – 2020 and High Technology Law Implementation” in which its Vietnamese partner is MOST, through its NISTPASS. The project is financed by the United Nation's 'One Plan Fund'.

Under the project, UNIDO was requested by MOST-NISTPASS to provide technical assistance for the preparation of the STI Strategy 2011-2020, building up the capacities of STI stakeholders engaged in the strategy formulation process, and provide policy advice on the implementation of the Law on High Technologies (promulgated in 2009).

The Strategy is the high priority of the Government of Vietnam in its plan for national development, in which STI is essential to the country’s Socio - Economic Development Plan. The Ministry of Science and Technology, via its think tank, the National Institute for Science Technology Policy and Strategy Studies (NISTPASS) has been assigned by the Government to formulate the Strategy.

A number of studies, foresight analyses, and workshops with key Vietnamese STI stakeholders have been conducted in the last two years to support the strategy formulation process, and particularly to help define specific objectives and directions for the STI system.

The STI Strategy is expected to be approved by the Government later this year.

• Click here to download the conference agenda

----

For further information, please contact:
UNIDO Press & Communication Officer Ms Dinh Thu Huong – email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , Mobile: 0913 301 539; or
Project Chief Technical Advice, Mr Richard Jones – email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , Mobile: 0912 073 504; or
Mr. Nguyen Manh Quan, NISTPASS Vice President – email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , Mobile: 0903 217 918

The International Advisory Board members include: