Difficult situation for Vietnamese scientists: research results have not been widely put into practice

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the conference "Develop a synchronous, efficient, modern and integrated science and technology market". Photo: Nhat Bac

At the conference, Prof. Acad. Chau Van Minh, President of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, stated that the current situation of scientists is not bold enough to embark on the path of commercialization, so the research results have not been widely put into practice. Prof. Acad. Chau Van Minh said: Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) is an agency under the Government, performing basic research functions in natural sciences and technological development; provide arguments for the management of science and technology and the formulation of policies, strategies and plans for economic and social development; training high-level science and technology human resources for the country.

Prof. Acad. Chau Van Minh, President of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology spoke at the Conference. Photo: Nhat Bac

In order to promote the commercialization of research results and intellectual property, VAST has issued four technology application and deployment programs: 1) Technology Development Program with the following output requirements: Inventions and utility solutions granted by the National Office of Intellectual Property; 2) Experimental production project with the output of technological process tested at pilot scale (in cooperation with enterprises); 3) Commercial product development program with outputs that are licensed and commercialized products; 4) Projects of cooperation projects with ministries and localities to solve urgent problems ordered by ministries and local branches.

These programs support research scientists to solve problems and challenges of enterprises, ministries, branches and localities. Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology has established Tran Dai Nghia Award to honor scientists with outstanding research works and directly deploying applications that bring about effective socio-economic development.

In recent years, besides achievements in scientific publications in prestigious international journals, VAST has always ranked first in the number of patents and utility solutions and accounts for a large proportion of Vietnam, there are about 40-50 inventions and utility solutions are granted every year. In particular, in 2021, units under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology have been granted 63 patents by the National Office of Intellectual Property for inventions and utility solutions, accounting for nearly 20% of the market share for inventions and utility solutions in Vietnam is owned by Vietnamese people. Many high-tech applied researches have been carried out at the Institute. In the past 10 years, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology has transferred 120 products and technologies to businesses and localities and now there are more than 250 technologies that can be introduced to businesses for transfer. Especially continuously in 2 years 2020 and 2021, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology received the award "Leading innovation in South Asia and Southeast Asia" (category of government research organization) of the world's leading scientific database organization Clarivate, UK.

Although many efforts have been made and some outstanding application results have been achieved, many technologies are ready to be transferred, but VAST has not been able to fully promote its strengths in application and commercializing intellectual property because there are still many difficulties and challenges. From the Institute's practice, challenges can be divided into 3 groups as follows:

Firstly, difficulties and challenges from scientists: In fact, scientists have only 2 options to commercialize their scientific and technological research results. One is technology transfer to businesses. Second, start your own business. Most scientists choose the option of transferring technology or handing it over to the host organization for the transfer without choosing the option of starting a business by themselves due to the nature of scientists who are passionate about researching and discovering new problems and do not have enough capacity and experience in the business field, so they are not confident enough to do it.

Regarding the general theme, our Government strongly encourages the development of innovative enterprises. However, the characteristics of this type are high risk (usually only 3-5% success), may fail many times and are often closely tied to the creator of the technology. After failing, these scientists are very unlikely to return to their scientific research path for various reasons. Meanwhile, at present, there is no policy to ensure the use of scientists when launching unsuccessful innovative enterprises. Therefore, scientists have not yet boldly embarked on the path of commercialization and the research results have not been put into practice.

Secondly, the challenge from the business side: when domestic enterprises come to work, they are often only interested in the technology that has been completed and ready to be put into production, but are less interested in purchasing laboratory-scale technology and pilot scale to continue to invest in development because there are many risks. While with the facilities of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology in particular and of research units in the country in general, it is currently difficult to create ready-made technology on a large scale for transfer. Not many businesses have actively invested funds to order domestic scientists and research agencies to solve their specific problems because of risk aversion and lack of information. Some businesses do not really believe in technologies created by scientists and research institutions in the country but still choose to buy foreign technology. Information about technology products introduced by scientists and research agencies in the country and enterprises is still limited because the database is quite fragmented and not synchronized. The intermediary organizations that act as a bridge for scientists and businesses are weak in capacity, lack of support on mechanisms and policies, so their ability to support commercialization is limited, and at the same time lacks linkages with regional and international network.

Thirdly, limitations and challenges from the management agencies: Starting from the actual operation of the VAST, there are 4 specific points as follows:

The first is: The results of science and technology tasks funded by the state budget are inconsistently handled by the instructions. For example: As a result, if intellectual property is not registered, according to the 2017 Law on Management and Use of Public Property, if the task is to use 100% of the budget, the entire profit will belong to the Government. For IP protected results, the implementation of the Intellectual Property Law 2022, which stipulates that scientists are entitled to 15% to 20% of profits when commercializing research results. Meanwhile, the Law on Science and Technology 2013 stipulates that scientists are entitled to at least 30% of profits when commercializing research results. It can be seen that these inconsistent regulations make it difficult to apply in practice.

The second is: The valuation of assets formed from the results of scientific and technological research under the 2012 Price Law and Decree 70/2018/ND-CP is difficult to implement even for units with the appraisal function, making it difficult to commercialization of research results. In some cases, the lead agency and the author may even be criminally responsible for the loss of state property under the 2015 Penal Law.

The third is: Some industry regulations are not suitable, causing difficulties in the application and implementation of research results (for example, according to Circular 35/2018/BYT of the Ministry of Health guiding the implementation of the Law on pharmacy, only allows clinical trials of drugs of pharmaceutical chemical origin when the raw materials are produced on the production line meeting GMP standards while there is no research facility meeting this standard in Vietnam.

The fourth is: Scientific products are difficult to participate in public procurement because there are no incentive and priority policies in public procurement.

In order for research results to be more quickly accessible to the market and facilitate scientists to deploy, apply and commercialize scientific results and intellectual property, VAST proposes 5 request:

1. Request state management agencies to review and uniformly adjust regulations and legal documents related to commercialization of research results and intellectual property such as: Law on Science and Technology, Law Technology Transfer, Law on Management and Use of Public Property, Law on Intellectual Property...

2. Develop policies to encourage and protect scientists when assigned to manage and run innovative enterprises. There are specific policies so that scientists who have participated in the management and operation of innovative enterprises after 3 to 5 years can return to work at the Institute/University, scientific research agencies (including unsuccessful case).

3. In order for a S&T product to be put into practical application, a scientist has to go through a multi-step process from ideation, approval of research topic, to laboratory research, to pilot-scale production testing, industrial scale production. These activities undergo evaluation in many review and acceptance boards and are often interrupted. Therefore, it is necessary to have a policy to invest in long-term science and technology tasks that link scientists to complete technological products.

4. Develop a mechanism to promote the connection of Institutes/Schools with businesses, in order to detect problems, find solutions, create technologies suitable for businesses, have policies to encourage and support businesses participating in investment, order science and technology tasks.

5. Have policies to encourage and give priority to the purchase of equipment, technology, etc. which are scientific products created from domestic research in public procurement.

Translated by Phuong Ha
Link to Vietnamese version