‘New concepts help change thinking about scientific and technological development

The message was stated by Minister Nguyen Manh Hung at the Conference summarizing the work in 2025 and implementing tasks in 2026 of the Ministry of Science and Technology, on December 26.

2025 is the end of a 5-year period. The country turned to a new page to realize its strong aspirations.

The year 2025 is 40 years after Doi Moi, Vietnam from a poor country to an upper middle income country.

2025 is the 80th year of the new Vietnam. Vietnam won independence, unified the country, overcame the embargo, built socialism, and created Vietnamese pride.

In 2025, a year equals decades of institutional innovation. After a year, Vietnam’s institutions are basically as modern as advanced countries.

2025 is the year to pivot to development, change development thinking, and end the logic of the old development model. Previously, we were poor, lacked capital, and lacked technology, so we had to rely on capital, public investment, cheap labor, and opening up to attract FDI and exports. But now, those factors have begun to hit the ceiling, so it must be based on total productivity (TFP), technology content, autonomy and resilience of Vietnamese businesses, that is, based on science-technology, innovation and digital transformation.

2025 is the year when the three pillars of science and technology, innovation and digital transformation come under one roof. In fact, innovation will not be formalized at the law level until 2025, and digital transformation will also be formalized at the law level in December 2025. The fact that this trio was formalized at a high level with Resolution 57 of the Politburo and related laws, then brought under one management ministry, and our Party’s statement on national development from now on will be mainly based on science and technology, innovation and digital transformation, is a strategic vision. It changed both the mission and destiny of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The original name of the Ministry of Information and Communications was proposed as the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, but because there was already a Ministry of Science and Technology, fearing a collision, the word “technology” was removed. Now the two words technology have merged into one house, becoming the trio of science and technology, innovation and innovation, the central driving force to turn Vietnam into a developed country with high income, strength, prosperity and happiness.

In a year with so many changes, it will be difficult to choose what to say in a year-end meeting. Especially as a Minister.

Change always starts from awareness, awareness starts from concepts. In the past 5 years, our industry has had many new concepts that represent a fundamental change in the industry. Concepts are not just words, but the way we see the world, define problems, and choose how to act.

Over the past 5 years, the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Science and Technology – and now the unified Ministry – have formed and spread a new conceptual system, thereby gradually changing fundamentally the way we think about industry, the role of the State, and the country’s development path in the digital and knowledge era.

From “telecommunications infrastructure” to “digital infrastructure” – expanding development space

If in the past, when talking about infrastructure, we mainly thought of physical infrastructure and telecommunications infrastructure, then in the past 5 years, the concept of digital infrastructure has appeared and gradually become a new cognitive pillar.

Digital infrastructure is not just a network, but includes data infrastructure, cloud computing infrastructure, AI knowledge infrastructure, digital identity and trust infrastructure.

This change has moved the industry from the role of “ensuring connectivity” to the role of creating digital development space for the entire society and economy.

From traditional postal services to national logistics infrastructure on a digital platform

The post office not only delivers but becomes the logistics infrastructure of the digital economy, becoming a smart network, connecting transport, warehouses, supply chains, e-commerce, and data. This is not just about digitizing operations but about upgrading postal services into a strategic infrastructure, ensuring material flows in addition to data flows, reducing costs and increasing the competitiveness of the economy.

From “IT applications” to “digital platforms” – changing the way value is created

Another groundbreaking concept is the digital platform. We are no longer just talking about single systems, but about shared platforms, connecting many subjects, creating spillover effects and scale.

The concept of digital platforms has changed the way ministries manage, the way businesses develop products, and the way society exploits technology: from “one system at a time” to sharing – connecting – reusing – expanding.

From “scientific research” to “innovation” – changing the logic of development

In the field of science and technology, the concept of innovation has marked an important shift in thinking.

Previously, science was mainly viewed through topics, publications, and research results, then innovation focuses on the ability to create new value, solve practical problems and contribute to growth.

This is a shift from the mindset of “doing science to gain knowledge” to doing science to develop the country, linking research, technology, market and policy more closely.

Creativity is to connect what is in Heaven with what is on Earth.

From project management to creating value to promote growth

Science and technology are not just for research results but must become a driving force to increase productivity, competitiveness and technological autonomy. New concepts are national knowledge infrastructure, national innovation ecosystem, knowledge – technology – market value chain, technology sovereignty, technology autonomy, strategic technology, strategic technology products, core technology, ordering, block spending, purchasing results, fund mechanism, risks and delays in research, technology sandbox.

From “computerization” to “digital transformation” – changing the operating model

The concept of digital transformation has changed the way we view technology application.

Digital transformation is no longer about introducing computers into old processes, but about redesigning operating models, management methods and service delivery. This is a shift from “digitizing the existing” to creating new things on a digital platform.

From “e-government” to “digital government” – changing the role of the State

The emergence of the concept of digital government reflects a deeper step forward in the perception of state governance.

Digital government is not just about digitizing procedures, but about the State operating based on data, making decisions based on evidence, and serving the people in a proactive, individualized way.

This also poses new requirements for the Ministry: from a technical management agency, to becoming an agency that creates institutions and national digital capacity.

From “IT industry” to “digital economy” – expanding the role of the industry

The concept of digital economy has helped us look back at the position of the IT and communications industry (ICT) in the national development picture.

The ICT industry is no longer just an independent economic sector, but has become the infrastructure and driving force for all industries and fields, from production and services to social management and people’s lives.

From standards management, measurement, quality, intellectual property and atomic energy to development engineering

The shift from standards, measurement and quality to national quality infrastructure marks an innovation in management thinking, from control to development creation. Standards to guide development, regulations to protect minimum safety thresholds.

Intellectual property innovation is moving from protecting rights to creating motivation and markets for innovation, becoming an infrastructure for circulating knowledge.

Atomic energy is being approached as a core technology platform and national research infrastructure, closely linked to innovation and long-term development, no longer a specific energy industry, not just a large-scale power plant, but a modular technology, forming a nuclear technology value chain, becoming a nuclear technology ecosystem.

The past 5 years have been the process of forming a new development reference system for the Ministry and the industry, through new concepts, new approaches and new roles. From new concepts to new development models.

The year 2025, the year that summarizes this period, is not only a milestone, but a qualitative shift in awareness and development thinking.

From now on, our task is not just to speak the right concepts, but to turn those concepts into practical capabilities, specific results and measurable values ​​for the country.