Decision No. 67/2006/QĐ-TTg Approving the Orientation, Objectives, and Main Tasks of Science and Technology for the 2006-2010 Five-Year Period

Pursuant to …;

Approving the orientation, objectives, and tasks of science and technology for the 2006-2010 period the

Mainly for the five-year period from 2006 to 2010

_____________

PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Pursuant to the Law on Science and Technology dated June 9, 2000;

On the basis of Decision No. 272/2003/QĐ-TTg dated December 31, 2003 of the Government approving the Strategy for the Development of Science and Technology in Vietnam until in 2010;

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Science and Technology.

Pursuant to …;

Article 1. Approving the orientation, objectives, and main tasks of science and technology for the five-year period from 2006 to 2010 with the following main contents:

I. ORIENTATION

1. Strengthening research in social sciences and humanities, particularly fundamental issues serving the cause of industrialization, modernization of the country and the process of economic integration at the international level; developing and perfecting the theoretical system about the path towards socialism in Vietnam, providing sufficient scientific evidence for the formulation of policies, guidelines, and policies of the Party and State.

2. Strengthening basic research in natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, focusing on applied research oriented towards meeting the needs of economic and social development and areas where Vietnam has strengths.

3. Enhancing domestic research and development capabilities, mastering advanced technologies, quickly improving the competitiveness of key products, the growth rate and quality of enterprises and the entire economy.

4. Extensively applying appropriate technological and scientific advancements in rural and mountainous areas, especially in particularly difficult regions, to leverage regional strengths, create jobs, increase income, and improve people's living standards.

5. Concentrating investment in developing a cadre of scientists and technologists adequate in number, strong in quality, reaching international standards. Accelerating the modernization of scientific and technological infrastructure to reach average advanced levels in the region.

6. Continuing to invest heavily in scientific research and technological development to serve national defense and security.

II. OBJECTIVES

1. Increasing the scientific and technological potential of the country to reach average advanced levels in the region by 2010. Increasing the scientific and technological content in Vietnamese branded products, creating fundamental changes in productivity, quality, and efficiency in some important economic sectors.

2. Providing timely and comprehensive scientific evidence for the process of industrialization and modernization of the country, serving the development of a socialist-oriented market economy and successful integration into the regional and global economies.

3. Improving the level, quality, and effectiveness of domestic research projects, increasing the number of scientific works reaching international standards equivalent to those of countries with average advanced levels in the region.

4. Focusing on developing basic technology and product technology to enhance the competitiveness of key products. Allocating 50% of the tasks of national-level key science and technology programs for direct application and service to production and business. The remaining tasks will serve the improvement of the ability to select, absorb, master, and improve technologies to be applied after 2010.

Developing the technology market, ensuring that the value of technology transactions reaches an average annual growth rate of 10%.

5. Making significant progress in the application and development of high-tech, modern techniques, and new technologies directly serving the implementation of the strategy for the application and development of high technology and the formation of some high-tech industries.

Accelerating the construction schedule to soon put into operation the Hoa Lac High-Tech Park. Strengthening investment attraction and scientific research and high-tech development activities, completing the construction of the Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park by 2010.

Forming a high-level cadre of scientists and technologists capable of organizing research and solving major national science and technology tasks at the international level; operating effectively some national key laboratories. Building approximately 100 research groups to seek technological secrets as a basis for forming and developing science and technology enterprises.

III. MAIN TASKS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Social Sciences and Humanities

Implementing basic research in the fields of social sciences and humanities, management sciences. Researching to clarify new issues about development models and the path towards socialism. Developing a synchronized socialist-oriented market economy system in Vietnam. Forecasting global and regional trends to serve the development of socio-economic strategies, ensuring national defense and security in the context of international integration. Providing scientific evidence for the comprehensive development of human beings and Vietnamese culture, managing social development during the period of national industrialization and modernization.

2. Natural Sciences

Concentrating on basic research in certain fields where Vietnam has strengths such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, mechanics, life sciences, earth sciences. Particularly paying attention to basic research tasks oriented towards application to support the process of selecting, absorbing, mastering, and improving advanced technologies imported from abroad, eventually leading to the creation of Vietnamese technologies.

3. Science and Technology

a. Information and Communication Technology

Researching and enhancing the application level of information and communication technology to match regional and international standards in fields such as postal telecommunications, banking, finance, tourism, trade, energy, transportation, national defense, and security, etc.

b. Biotechnology

Widely applying biotechnology in agricultural, aquaculture, pharmaceutical, and environmental protection production. Researching and developing product technology to build the biotechnology industry. Focusing on researching, mastering, and applying some high technologies in the field of gene decoding, producing new-generation vaccines, and stem cell technology.

c. Advanced Materials Technology

Focus on researching and applying advanced material technologies to produce steel, special alloys, polymer and composite materials, electronic and photonic materials.

Research nanomaterial technology and master medical and biological material technology, production technology for raw materials serving the manufacture of advanced materials.

d) Mechanical manufacturing technology - automation

Apply integrated technology, develop intelligent robot technology, parallel robots. Research design and manufacturing technology for mechanical-electronic control systems; develop simulation techniques, virtual modeling techniques, digital control technology in mechanical, textile, leather shoe industries, etc.

Initially implement some new research directions such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS).

d) Technology in the energy sector

Research and apply new forms of energy, renewable energy, energy-saving and efficient technologies. Research technological solutions for safe and effective exploitation of traditional energy sources.

Develop manufacturing technologies for energy machinery equipment such as: power generation equipment sets, electrical transmission systems, high-voltage electrical equipment.

Research and apply radiation energy and issues related to the construction, management, and safe operation of nuclear power plants.

e) Technology for preserving and processing agricultural products and food

Research and apply small and medium-scale pre-processing technologies, post-harvest preservation technologies, advanced processing technologies to enhance quality, added value, and competitiveness of agricultural products and food, especially certain export-oriented products with advantages and prospects such as rice, coffee, tea, cashew nuts, rubber, seafood, meat products, vegetables, flowers, fruits, vegetable oils.

g) Space technology

Research and apply remote sensing technology, global positioning technology to serve information and communication, natural resource investigation and management, environmental monitoring, disaster prevention, land use planning and territorial zoning, marine fishing, transportation vehicle management, national defense, security, and international integration.

Build design and manufacturing capabilities for some ground stations and flying devices to lay the foundation for the formation of the space technology industry and the development of information and communication technology.

VI. IMPLEMENTATION

1. The Minister of Science and Technology shall:

- In the second quarter of 2006, conduct a summary of the implementation of key national science and technology programs from 2001 to 2005.

- Take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated agencies, provincial people's committees under central cities to decide on the list, objectives, contents, plans, and guidelines for implementing key national science and technology programs from 2006 to 2010 to achieve the main direction, goals, and tasks of science and technology as stipulated in Article 1 of this Decision.

- Take the lead and coordinate with the Central Theoretical Council to decide on the objectives and contents of social science research programs on political theory, ideology, and Party building.

- Guide ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated agencies, provincial people's committees under central cities to implement the main science and technology goals and tasks as stipulated in Article 1 of this Decision according to current state regulations.

- Regularly urge, inspect, supervise, and periodically report to the Prime Minister on the implementation of science and technology tasks and key national science and technology programs.

2. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-affiliated agencies, chairpersons of provincial people's committees under central cities are responsible for building and organizing the implementation of five-year and annual plans of their ministries, sectors, and localities in accordance with the main direction, goals, and tasks of science and technology as stated in Article 1 of this Decision, which serves as guidance from the Ministry of Science and Technology; they are responsible for the effectiveness of state budget investment in science and technology of their ministries, sectors, and localities.

Article 2. This Decision takes effect fifteen days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

Article 3. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-affiliated agencies, chairpersons of provincial people's committees under central cities, and related agencies are responsible for enforcing this Decision./.