Hanoi (VNA) – A national forum on the development of digital technology enterprises (Make in Vietnam Forum 2022), one of the biggest annual events of Vietnam’s digi♏tal technology industry, was held in Hanoi on December 8.

Speaking at the forum, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said that technology carries the mission of paving the way. He also pointed out three issues, namely institutions, human resources and new problems that need to be solved by modern digital technology.

Dam urged digital technology enterprises to join hands and stay united to seek digital solutions serving the government and people.

"If we continue to develop industry, agriculture, and services while lea🎃ving behind new global spearheads, including information technology, we will not be able to achieve the 7% annual growth target," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

Another issue is to change the method of training IT human resources to reach the target of one million IT workers. According to the Deputy PM, Vietnam's digital technology force still lacks teachers and workers. He added that the number of tertiary-level students in Vietnam is still two to three times lower than in Thailand, South Korea, and Australia. "At present, Vietnam has 65,000 digital enterprises. There are large enterprises such as FPT, CMC, and MISA with more than 20 years of operation, in addition to other newcomers making many breakthroughs," the Deputy PM said. "Vietnamese enterprises need to team up with a leader, uniting to go abroad in a spirit of confidence to achieve success," he suggested. Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Duc Long affirmed that digital businesses need to have ambitions and pioneer in helping to turn Vietnam into a developed country by 2045. Businesses must turn digital technology into an important driving force for creativity and innovation, he said. The Ministry of Information and Communications will consider changing institutions to better support the development of digital businesses, he said, adding that it will also accompany the Ministry of Education and Training to develop human resources, making it a core for the national digital transformation process. The ministry will work with the business community to further explore the domestic market and then, enter the foreign markets, he said. Long said that the digital technology industry is a bright spot in Vietnam's economy. Its revenue is estimated to reach about 148 billion USD in 2022, marking a year-on-year increase of 10%. Vietnam now has 70,000 digital technology firms and the exports of the digital technology industry are estimated at 136 billion USD, Long noted. Vietnamese digital technology enterprises have continued to affirm their pioneering role in research, development and innovation, mastering technology, and making important contributions to the process of promoting national digital transformation, he added. At the forum, enterprises shared information about global information technology trends, and proposed solutions to develop sustainable Vietnamese digital technology enterprises, master the domestic market, and enhance Vietnam's value in the global value chain. On the sidelines of the forum, a hybrid exhibition displays and offers participants opportunities to experience typical Make-in-Vietnam digital technology products, that are expected to serve the development of the digital government, digital economy and digital society.

“Make in Vietnam" is an initiative/slogan launched by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) in 2019, aiming to promote development of the domestic ICT industry. It calls on businesses to design, create and manufacture products in Vietnam instead of outsourcing them to help solve the nation’s problems and boost its global presence. Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Information and Communications (MIC), highlighted Make-in-Vietnam as a key strategy in the country’s development. He said: “Without Make in Vietnam, our country cannot become a developed nation; cannot establish our presence in the world; cannot strengthen ourselves; and cannot become mighty and prosperous.”