Businesses to work with universities on high-tech development of key industrial products

Nguyen Ky Phung, deputy director of the city’s Department of Science and Technology, said HCM City had issued policies on key industrial products that would support research and technology development, commercialisation of research results, technology transfer, and incubation of innovation projects.

The city had also strengthened innovation activities in enterprises, focusing on linkages between businesses and research institutes.

“The aim is to develop products that meet international quality standards,” he said.

More than 95 per cent of businesses are small and medium sized enterprises with limited resources, according to the official.

Experts said the government, research institutes and enterprises should work together to commercialise research results and help businesses apply high-technology to their products and services.

Large businesses must play a leading role in creating technology platforms for other businesses to follow, he said.

In addition, businesses should work with universities on developing school curricula related to these needs.

Nguyen Phuong Dong, deputy director of the Department of Industry and Trade, said that many enterprises faced challenges using high-tech because they lacked capital or highly skilled staff.

“Businesses need the support and coordination of many agencies,” he said.

Tran Quoc Toan, deputy general director of Dien Quang Company, said that research at universities was often not practical and could not be commercialised.

Dien Quang Company, however, had been working with the HCM City University of Technology with the support of the Department of Science and Technology to develop an intelligent public lighting system using LEDs, he said.

During the workshop, state agencies, scientists and businesses signed six cooperation agreements on research programmes to promote the development of the city’s key industrial products.

At the end of last year, the HCM City People’s Committee issued a decision on the city’s key industrial products and potential industrial products for the 2018-20 period.

Key industrial products include precast metal products; electrical equipment products; products made of plastic and rubber; processed food products; beverage products; electronic and IT products; and ready-made apparel.

In addition, potential industrial products include medicines, pharmaceutical chemicals and medicinal products.

The conference, held by the city’s Department of Science and Technology, was attended by representatives of universities, research institutes and businesses in the city.