Speeding up Sci-Tech Application in Business

Hau Giang province has made efforts to accelerate science and technology application in production development and effectively utilized locally advantageous products, said Mr. Pham Truong Giang, Deputy Director of Hau Giang Department of Science and Technology, in an interview granted to our reporters.

What solutions and activities has the Department of Science and Technology advised and carried out to make science and technology a driving force for socioeconomic development of the province?

The science and technology sector of Hau Giang province has actively applied scientific and technological advances to production and achieved good outcomes recently. The production value of goods, especially agricultural, forest and aquatic products, has increased significantly; the productivity of crops and livestock has been markedly raised; the quality of products has been impressively improved; and especially, production scale and methods have reached higher levels. As a result, the added value per area unit has largely looked up, while the work performance is higher than in previous years.

This result comes from the Department's increased work assignments for subordinated science and technology bodies and localities to work out urgent issues and requirements for sectoral development. Scientific and technological tasks, when put into practice, show that results are consistent with actual situations and invested for scale-up and replication. Agricultural research projects account for a relatively high proportion, with many showing high feasibility. The Department of Science and Technology has launched and organized regular contests to find young talents, and discover research ideas and initiatives from students. In addition, the department is implementing the Hau Giang Science and Technology Development Project to 2020, with a vision to 2030, consolidating Party and State guidelines and policies on science and technology; and promulgating locally based science and technology policies.

What do you think about the scientific and technological potential of the province, and scientific and technological innovations and applications of local enterprises in recent years?

Currently, the province is home to six science and technology organizations: Information, Science and Technology Application Center (Department of Science and Technology); the Quality Assurance and Testing Center (Department of Science and Technology); Construction Quality Accreditation Center (Department of Construction); Information and Communication Technology Center (Department of Information and Communications); Southern Union of Economic and Urban Sciences, Mekong Institute of Circular Economy and Sustainable Development; and LV Incubation Co., Ltd.

These organizations operate to provide scientific and technological services like applying and transferring scientific and technological achievements; scientific and technological assurance, testing and services. The certified personnel of these six scientific and technological organizations total 484 people, including 36 with doctoral degrees, accounting for 7.4%; 116 with Master's degrees, accounting for 24%; 325 with university degrees, accounting for 67.2%; four with college degrees, accounting for 0.8%; and three with other qualifications, accounting for 0.6%.

Over the past time, the province has intensified communications and information on mechanisms and policies for science and technology enterprises in various forms, to call for enterprises and cooperatives to join programs supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology to renew technology, apply scientific and technological advances to production and business, and gradually form science and technology enterprises. 

Particularly, the Department of Science and Technology always pays attention to enhancing the capacity of its affiliated units to receive and master many technological processes, scientific and technical progress to bring scientific and technological applications into life.

Would you mind describing some remarkable scientific and technological activities for businesses?

In the past time, all action programs and plans are aimed at supporting enterprises (including cooperatives) to innovate production technology; supporting application of advanced quality management systems such as ISO 9001, 14000, 22000, 50001, 17025, SA 8000, HACCP, VietGAP and GlobalGAP; applying product traceability system; certifying product traceability system; promoting organic farming practices and green productivity; applying quality and productivity improvement tools (Kaizen, 5S, Six Sigma and statistical tools), industry-specific quality productivity improvement tools and newly applied management system standards; supporting enterprises to obtain national and international product certifications and win national quality awards; and providing knowledge on traceability and advanced quality management systems such as ISO 9001, 14000, 22000, 50001, 17025, SA 8000 and HACCP.

Thank you very much!

Source: Vietnam Business Forum