Saigon Hi-Tech Park urged to set specific goals

Saigon Hi-Tech Park (SHTP) in Ho Chi Minh City needs to create more breakthroughs and set specific goals for contribution to the city’s growth.

Politburo member and Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Dinh La Thang, speaking at the working session at SHTP (Credit: VOV)
Politburo member and Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Dinh La Thang, speaking at the working session at SHTP (Credit: VOV)

Politburo member and Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Dinh La Thang made the requirement during his working visit to the SHTP on March 3.

Addressing the working session, the Politburo member asked SHTP and relevant departments and agencies to overcome shortcomings to strive to make science and technology an important driving force for socio-economic development as well as a motive for the city’s growth.

Politburo member Thang emphasised that the city should review plans and strategies for its development with a vision to 2030-2050, as well as form mechanisms and policies for the development of science and technology, particularly for SHTP. The allocation of 2% from the city’s budget for science-technology, but only 7% of which for scientific research, is not sensible and needs to be reconsidered.

It is essential for the park to enhance its close link to research institutes, universities and scientists to bring research and scientific products to enterprises and markets, said the Politburo member.

He added that scientific and technological activities, including in the SHTP, must be socialised.

The departments and branches in the city should support enterprises to innovate technology to improve their products’ quality as well as develop scientific and technological resources towards research for key products, noted Politburo member Thang.

So far, SHTP has attracted 94 projects with a total investment of US$5.4 billion, including 36 FDI projects (total capital of over US$4.3 billion) from 10 big high-tech corporations around the world.

The park set a target of becoming a high-tech multi-functional economic zone, completing its infrastructure towards modernisation and efficiency, becoming a scientific-technological and intelligent urban area during 2016-2020 period.

On the occasion, Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City’s Party Committee Dinh La Thang visited two FDI enterprises in SHTP: Vietnam Nidec Sankyo Limited Company and Samsung CE Complex.