Science, technology, innovation, digital transformation must be measured by concrete growth results: PM Le Minh Hung

The Central Steering Committee for the Development of Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation (referred to as the Steering Committee) held an online thematic meeting on September 28 to discuss the contributions of science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation to socio-economic development and review work results for the third quarter of 2026.

Vu Hong Van, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Dong Nai CPC, Head of the City National Assembly Delegation; Nguyen Van Ut, Deputy Secretary of the CPC, Chairman of the City People's Committee; and members of the CPC’s Standing Board attend the online meeting. Photo: Cong Nghia

The meeting was chaired by Politburo Member and Prime Minister (PM) Le Minh Hung, Head of the Steering Committee; Politburo Member and Standing  Member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee; Politburo Member and Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang, Permanent Deputy Head of the Steering Committee; Member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy PM Ho Quoc Dung, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee; and Member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan, Permanent Member of the Steering Committee.

Ton Ngoc Hanh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Dong Nai CPC and Chairwoman of the City People's Council, and members of the CPC’s Standing Board attend the online meeting. Photo: Cong Nghia

Attending the conference at the Dong Nai City Party Committee (CPC) venue were Vu Hong Van, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Dong Nai CPC, Head of the City National Assembly Delegation; Ton Ngoc Hanh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the CPC, Chairwoman of the City People's Council; Nguyen Van Ut, Deputy Secretary of the CPC, Chairman of the City People's Committee; members of the CPC’s Standing Board; members of the City Steering Committee for the Development of Science, Technology, Innovation, and Digital Transformation; and representatives of departments, boards, and agencies.

Politburo Member and PM Le Minh Hung, Head of the Steering Committee, delivers the opening speech at the meeting. Photo: Cong Nghia

In his opening remarks, PM Le Minh Hung emphasized that 2026 is the first year of implementing the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, which sets a growth target of 10% or higher. The country's GDP grew by 8.8% in the first six months of 2026; therefore, decisive efforts are needed in the final six months to achieve growth of nearly 12% and meet the annual target. Traditional drivers such as investment, consumption, and exports remain important. However, growth cannot rely solely on capital and low-cost labor, as this will not deliver sustained double-digit growth. An effective solution is to boost labor productivity, which can only come from science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation.

Science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation must no longer serve as supporting drivers but must become the primary and direct drivers, with their effectiveness measured by concrete growth results, particularly through direct contributions to higher productivity and the economy’s greater competitiveness.

Delegates from Dong Nai City attend the online meeting. Photo: Cong Nghia

The Government leader specifically noted that the number of documents, research projects, or platforms should not be used as metrics. Instead, performance should be measured by labor productivity, digital technology revenue, added value, and contributions to the GRDP of each locality and the country's GDP. Each task must answer four questions: How much does it contribute to growth? Who is responsible? Where are the resources? When will results be achieved? At the same time, the focus must shift from e-Government to the digital economy and digital society, while the feasibility of implementing each target under the Politburo's Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, dated December 22, 2024, on breakthroughs in the development of science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation must be reassessed, particularly the share of the digital economy in GDP.

Following the PM's directions and the Steering Committee's report, representatives of ministries, sectors, localities, and major domestic enterprises presented papers clarifying the effective contributions of science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation to socio-economic development and proposing solutions for the coming period.

Concluding the meeting, PM Le Minh Hung acknowledged the positive results achieved in institutional consolidation, digital infrastructure development, and the implementation of Project 06. He also frankly pointed out major bottlenecks, including the backlog of tasks, unsynchronized data sharing, slow disbursement of funds, and cybersecurity risks. Accordingly, the PM ordered resolute efforts to fully address the delays and prevent any new overdue tasks from arising. Leaders of agencies and localities must not "delegate entirely" to specialized departments but must directly provide direction and take responsibility for progress.

Regarding key tasks, the PM called for breakthroughs in database interoperability and the urgent completion and connection of 100% of key national databases, including those on health, education, social security, and land, with the National Data Center, while ending the practice of requiring citizens and businesses to resubmit paper documents. In parallel, he requested the promotion of the commercialization of strategic technologies by maximizing the "triple helix" model involving the State, research institutes and universities, and businesses.

Ministries and sectors should proactively "commission" solutions to specific problems in order to create technological products that practically serve management and market development. At the same time, information security discipline must be tightened, with agencies required to complete the approval of dossiers and implement cybersecurity measures at the required level in October 2026.

Leaders of departments and agencies of Dong Nai City attend the online meeting. Photo: Cong Nghia

Assigning specific tasks, the PM directed the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Finance to urgently remove all institutional barriers, finalize policies to support full-time digital transformation staff, flexibly reallocate slow-disbursing capital, and resolve the 37 currently overdue tasks. The Ministry of Public Security is to take the lead and coordinate with specialized ministries to accelerate the cleansing and synchronization of core databases with the VNeID system and the National Public Service Portal to eliminate paper-based administrative procedures entirely. The Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and agencies are to establish special mechanisms to attract foreign direct investment into large data centers linked to electricity planning, while ensuring the highest standards of safety and cybersecurity across the entire system.

By Cong Nghia – Translated by Minh Hong, Thu Ha