VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Science and Technology (MST), the watchdog agency in the field, cannot give the exact figure about the number of technologies transferred since the technology transfer law took effect in 2007.

However, the ministry said the number of transferred technologies registered with MST had been very modest, because of the gap between scientists’ inventions and businesses’ demand for such  technologies.

An MST report showed that the ministry has granted 254 technology-transfer certificates since 2007, including 217 certificates granted to foreign-invested enterprises’ contracts, 37 certificates to contracts between institutions and individuals and 11 state-owned enterprises’ contracts.

Dr. Bui Van Quyen, assistant to the MST Minister, noted that figures did not truly reflect the reality, estimating that these are just equal to 1/5 or 1/6 of the number of contracts.

Quyen said the law stipulates that technology transfer registration is a compulsory requirement for transfer-restricted technologies.

Prior to 2007, all the technology transferred from overseas to Vietnam worth VND500 million and more had to be registered at the appropriate agencies.

Quyen noted that nearly 100 percent of the scientific research works by Vietnamese scientists recognized as “excellent” have never been brought to life.

All of the presidents of the members of the HCM City University of Technology have all promised to transfer all technologies invented by the schools’ scientists, lecturers and students free of charge. However, this has not helped increase the number of technologies transferred.

Nguyen Huu Hoa, assistant to general director of the Southern Plant Seeds JSC, noted that Vietnamese technologies are not “attractive” in the eyes of Vietnamese businessmen.

Hoa said the company once received technologies transferred by several institutes and universities worth VND5 billion, but the inventions were not useful and the products were not favored in the market.

Meanwhile, Hoa noted, businesses cannot maintain close contacts with scientists after contracts and payments were made.

“They (the scientists) do not take responsibility for commercial development and they do not intend to continue research to upgrade their inventions,” he noted.

Nguyen Manh Hung from the HCM City Plastic Rubber Association noted that businesses and scientists need to work together to solve the questions raised by businesses. However, he said scientists just do whatever they want and try to sell whatever they have, not the technologies businesses want.

As a result, Vietnamese businesses, small and limited in financial capability, still have to spend big money to buy expensive foreign technologies.

Mai Thanh