UEH - TMU National Scientific Conference: Research on the Current Status of the Policy System and Innovation Capacity of Vietnamese Enterprises

18 Aug, 2026

On August 13, 2026, at Campus A, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), in collaboration with Thuongmai University (TMU), hosted a National Scientific Conference themed "Research on the Current Status of the Policy System and Innovation Capacity of Vietnamese Enterprises." The conference gathered scholars, experts, regulatory authorities, and representatives from the business community to exchange scientific arguments and practical insights. The event aimed to refine policy mechanisms and boost the innovation capacity of Vietnamese enterprises in the context of digital transformation.

An overview of the National Scientific Conference "Research on the Current State of the Policy System and the Innovation Capacity of Vietnamese Enterprises"

The conference was a key activity within the framework of the national science and technology task "Improving the Policy System to Enhance the Innovation Capacity of Vietnamese Enterprises in the Context of Digital Transformation", code KX.01.02/21-30 under the KX.01/21-30 Programme; while also connecting with the task "Renewing the Mechanisms and Policies for Using the State Budget to Develop Science, Technology and Innovation in Vietnam".

On the UEH side, the conference was attended by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bùi Quang Hùng - President of UEH; Dr. Đinh Công Khải - Vice President of UEH; Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Đông Phong - Chairman of the UEH Strategy Council; Prof. Dr. Sử Đình Thành - Chairman, UEH Academic and Scientific Council; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Thị Bích Nguyệt - Chairwoman, UEH Alumni Association and Principal Investigator of task KX.01.02/21-30; Dr. Trần Anh Hoa - Vice Rector of COB; together with representatives of UEH member colleges, departments, schools and institutes, and members of the research team.

On the side of TMU - the co-organizer of the conference - attendees included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hà Văn Sự - Vice Rector; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Thị Nguyệt - Senior Lecturer and Principal Investigator of task KX.07.01/21-30; MSc. Trương Quang Minh - Head of the Department of International Business; together with lecturers participating in the research.

On the side of the National Economics University, attendees included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Thanh Hà - Chairman of the Advisory Council; Dr. Trịnh Mai Vân - Deputy Head of the Research Management Office.

From government departments, agencies and guest organizations, the conference was honoured to welcome: Mr. Nguyễn Đức Huy - Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trần Quốc Trung - Vice Rector of Foreign Trade University Campus II in Ho Chi Minh City.

The conference also welcomed the following speakers: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vương Đức Hoàng Quân - Ho Chi Minh City Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution; Dr. Nguyễn Thanh Nhân - Institute for Circular Economy Development, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Hồng Thắng - School of Public Finance, UEH; MSc. Trương Quang Minh - Thuongmai University; Dr. Phạm Thị Hồng Phượng - Centre for Service Development and Science and Technology Infrastructure Utilization, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Đỗ Thị Hải Ninh - School of International Business - Marketing, UEH.

In addition, the conference drew the participation of representatives of specialist divisions and departments under ministries, provincial departments and agencies; scientists and experts in economics, business, public administration, science and technology, innovation and digital transformation; along with representatives of a number of enterprises, lecturers and research team members from participating universities.

Delivering the opening and keynote framing remarks, Dr. Đinh Công Khải - Vice President of UEH emphasized the imperative of developing science, technology, innovation and digital transformation in this new period, in the spirit of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated 22 December 2024 of the Politburo. "We do not only need to increase resources; more importantly, we must renew the way those resources are used. We should be concerned not only with the number of science and technology programmes and tasks, but far more with their results, their impact and the ability to translate research findings into practical value" - Dr. Đinh Công Khải shared.

Dr. Đinh Công Khải delivers the opening remarks of the conference

Delivering the framing remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hà Văn Sự - Vice Rector of Thuongmai University emphasized the significance of the two institutions jointly carrying out national science and technology tasks: "Improving the mechanism for using the state budget for science and technology and enhancing the innovation capacity of enterprises are two sides of the same issue: if the mechanisms for allocation, management and disbursement remain obstructed, public resources will struggle to translate into genuine innovation capacity within enterprises". The conference therefore focused on identifying institutional barriers, assessing the current state of Vietnamese enterprises’ innovation capacity, and proposing policy recommendations that can be implemented in practice.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hà Văn Sự delivers the framing remarks of the conference

Opening the plenary session, chaired by Dr. Đinh Công Khải and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hà Văn Sự, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vương Đức Hoàng Quân - Ho Chi Minh City Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution presented the paper "Renewing the Mechanisms and Policies for Using the State Budget to Develop Science, Technology and Innovation: International Experience and Lessons for Vietnam".

The paper synthesized international experience in designing public funding mechanisms for science, technology and innovation, drawing out implications for improving the mechanisms of budget allocation, management and use towards greater efficiency, transparency, flexibility and an orientation to outcomes.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vương Đức Hoàng Quân presents his paper at the conference

Continuing the plenary session, Dr. Nguyễn Thanh Nhân - Institute for Circular Economy Development, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City analysed public-private partnership (PPP) mechanisms in investment for the development of science, technology and innovation, highlighting the potential to mobilize social resources for research and development while identifying the institutional conditions needed for this model to work effectively in the Vietnamese context.

Dr. Nguyễn Thanh Nhân presents his paper

Building on the issues raised in the plenary session, the conference continued with two parallel thematic sessions focusing on two major groups of issues:

- Session 1: Renewing the mechanisms and policies for using the state budget to develop science, technology and innovation in Vietnam

- Session 2: Research on the current state of the policy system and the innovation capacity of Vietnamese enterprises

In the first session, chaired by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hà Văn Sự and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Thị Nguyệt, the papers focused on clarifying the bottlenecks in managing and using the state budget for science, technology and innovation. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Hồng Thắng - School of Public Finance, UEH presented issues in state budget management along with recommendations for improvement, while MSc. Trương Quang Minh - Thuongmai University approached the topic from the perspective of institutional barriers affecting the efficiency of resource allocation and use.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Hồng Thắng presents the paper "State Budget Management for Science, Technology and Innovation Activities: Barriers and Recommendations for Improvement"

MSc. Trương Quang Minh presents the paper "Institutional Barriers in the Allocation and Effective Use of the State Budget for Science, Technology and Innovation in Vietnam"

The second session, chaired by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Thị Bích Nguyệt, focused on assessing the current state of Vietnamese enterprises’ innovation capacity and the ability to connect actors within the innovation ecosystem.

Dr. Phạm Thị Hồng Phượng - Centre for Service Development and Science and Technology Infrastructure Utilization, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City analysed the issues currently facing enterprises’ innovation capacity and proposed groups of solutions to remove existing barriers.

Dr. Phạm Thị Hồng Phượng presents her paper

From an ecosystem linkage perspective, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Đỗ Thị Hải Ninh - UEH presented the paper “Promoting Institute - University - Enterprise Cooperation to Enhance the Innovation Capacity of Vietnamese Enterprises”, clarifying the role of higher education institutions and research institutes in connecting knowledge, research, human resources and the innovation needs of the business sector.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Đỗ Thị Hải Ninh presents her paper at the conference

Building on these in-depth papers, the discussion session clarified the gap between policy design and effective implementation at the enterprise level, while emphasizing the need to establish a scientific basis for measuring policy impact and ensuring equitable access to support mechanisms, particularly financial and investment policies for innovative enterprises.

Delegates exchange views and hold discussions at the conference

The National Scientific Conference "Research on the Current State of the Policy System and the Innovation Capacity of Vietnamese Enterprises" contributed scientific and practical grounding to the process of improving the mechanisms and policies for developing science, technology and innovation in Vietnam.

Built on close cooperation between UEH and Thuongmai University, together with the participation of scientists, experts and business representatives, the conference not only created value for academic research but also affirmed the commitment of the two institutions to work alongside management agencies and the business community in enhancing national competitiveness in the digital era.