At the National Forum for Developing Digital Technology Enterprises 2020 held on December 23 with the participation of more than 1,000 delegates, experts and digital technology enterprises, Minister of Information and Nguyen Manh Hung delivered a speech that highlighted the meaning, mission, and strategic vision as well as possible solutions of the “Make in Vietnam” thinking.

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung said: "2021 promises to be a year of strong development for Vietnam's digital technology enterprises, a year with many Make-in-Vietnam products." Photo: Trong Dat

Without Make in Vietnam, Vietnam cannot become a developed country. Without Make in Vienam, we cannot go out to the world. Without Make in Vietnam, Vietnam cannot be resilient. Without Make in Vietnam, Vietnam cannot be strong and prosperous, he said.

One year ago, at the first National Forum for Developing Digital Technology Enterprise, the Make in Vietnam program, the spirit of Make in Vietnam, was introduced, showing the aspiration and pride of Vietnam.

The first Directive issued in 2020 - Directive 01 of the Prime Minister - is on the development of Vietnamese digital technology enterprises. After a year, over 13,000 digital technology businesses were born, up 28% compared to a year ago. Now, we have a community of over 58,000 businesses. What a record number!

One year ago, we only dared to think of the highest number of 6,000 digital technology businesses a year but in the first year, 13,000 new firms were established. The target of 100,000 digital technology enterprises by 2030 can be achieved by 2025.

Make in Vietnam: time to tell the Vietnamese story

Make in Vietnam is a slogan calling on Vietnamese to take action, to promote Vietnamese design, Vietnamese creativity, and Vietnamese products. Instead of outsourcing and assembling products, let’s design and manufacture Vietnamese products. Let’s solve the problems of Vietnam, and from the Vietnamese cradle, Vietnamese products will go global.

We have heard a lot, have been told a lot, maybe too many, foreign stories for Vietnamese people. Maybe it's time to tell the Vietnamese story. Make in Vietnam is telling Vietnamese stories. Every Vietnamese citizen, every business should “Make in Vietnam” and tell your Vietnamese story. Vietnamese people telling Vietnamese stories to Vietnamese people will inspire and encourage Vietnamese to do it. We have a lot of Vietnamese stories, so let's tell them and have more of them.

It has also been a big surprise that Vietnam was able to rapidly develop digital anti-Covid-19 products and transform life into the new normal state: from nCovi, Bluezone, CoMeet, online learning platforms, remote medical consultations and remote accounting platforms to small and medium business management software...

Perhaps Vietnam has led the world in creating digital platforms during the Covid-19 pandemic. If we had not mastered the technology, if we had not pursued the “Make in Vietnam” spirit, we wouldn't have done so. Quick reactions are vital in this very unpredictable era.

In 2020, under the spirit “Make in Vietnam”, Vietnamese cybersecurity firms mastered up to 90% of Vietnam's network security product ecosystems. The mission of becoming a powerful country in cybersecurity to protect Vietnam's prosperity in cyberspace is also a focus of Make in Vietnam.

Another surprise of 2020 is that Vietnam became the fifth country in the world to master 5G technology, and manufacture 5G infrastructure equipment and 5G smartphones.

Make in Vietnam: Mastering technology

The Prime Minister issued the National Digital Transformation Program in June 2020. The mission of Vietnam's digital technology business and “Make in Vietnam” is to perform digital transformation, to build a digital Vietnam, to transform Vietnam from the real world into the virtual world. This is a long journey of many decades. Therefore, Make in Vietnam needs a long-term vision and periodical strategies.

To perform “Make in Vietnam”, we must master technology. The solution to Vietnam's technology mastery is open technology. With a latecomer like Vietnam, if we want to go first, we must stand on the shoulders of others.

The first Vietnam Open Summit is Vietnam's commitment to develop and master digital technologies based on open standards. This is also the strategy: Open to develop and master Vietnamese technology, to perform “Make in Vietnam”. Open technology is the way that every company, regardless of its business field, can become a technology company. Every company needs to be a tech company!

For a Vietnamese digital technology business development strategy, the indicators measuring this strategy will guide us on the way. The Viet Solution contest, the national award for digital products, will encourage us. From now on, we will have the Day for Vietnam Digital Technology Enterprises (December 12).

2021 promises to be a year of strong development of Vietnam's digital technology enterprises, a year with many Make in Vietnam products.

Performing “Make in Vietnam” helps to solve Vietnam’s problems, to help Vietnam develop, to go abroad, to conquer the worldand to contribute to the development of humanity, to master technology, to protect Vietnam, to make Vietnam strong and prosperous.

Trong Dat

2020 – the year of Vietnam’s national digital transformation strategy

The government considers the development of telecommunication infrastructure and IT as one of its top priorities.

Local technology enterprises must regain the market

"Vietnam's overall economic growth rate is below 10%. The growth target for digital technology enterprise should be set at 15-20% and even more," said Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam at the National Forum for Developing Technology Enterprises.