Vietnam wishes to better engage expats in developing innovation ecosystem

Vietnamese officials and expats living all around the world gathered in a workshop held on December 4 to discuss ways to connect skilled and intellectual expats with the country’s innovation ecosystem.

The hybrid event was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)’ State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (SCOV) in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST)’s National Agency for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialisation Development and Office of Project 844.

It aimed to encourage overseas Vietnamese who are IT experts and intellectuals to put forward recommendations and initiatives in using technology and developing a startup and innovation ecosystem for Vietnam to boost recovery and sustainable economic development.

It also provided a platform for local authorities and organisations to speak about the kinds of support they need for promoting entrepreneurship and innovation; and for the expats to share practices and give their advice on developing incentives and supports for overseas Vietnamese to engage in the startup and innovation ecosystem in the country.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of encouraging and facilitating overseas Vietnamese to make active contributions to developing and safeguarding the nation.

Hieu said SCOV will serve as a bridge to engage Vietnamese experts and intellectuals living in foreign countries in science and technology activities and the startup and innovation ecosystem in the country, via the network of associations of intellectual expats supporting innovation and technology commercialisation newly established under the patronage of the MFA and MoST.

He expressed his hope that through the network, Vietnamese policymakers can receive feedback from expats on issues they are facing when joining the country’s startup and innovation ecosystem./.