The explosion of Covid-19 Pandemic has been influencing on many aspects of economical and social life, causing the interruption of supply chain and circulation of global commerce. “For the first 9 months of the year 2020, our country has witnessed 70,000 enterprises to stop operating temporarily or permanently, affecting to 31 million labors”, stated by Dr. Nguyen Van Than, the President of Vietnam Association of Small and Medium Enterprises  at the conference.

Therefore, in the current context, enterprises need to save cost, as well as improve the effectiveness of activities to maintain minimal operation. To do that, they need to put effort in ensuring the quality of goods and services, meeting the requirements of customers; at the same time, increase the productivity and effectiveness of activities.

Dr. Nguyen Van Than, the President of Vietnam Association of Small and Medium Enterprises  at the conference.

Mr. Nguyen Van Than stated further, with the explosion of Covid-19 pandemic, we have to implement social distancing, enterprises (including SMEs) had adapted quickly, changed business form, actively applied science and technology to survive. Even, some enterprises had a flair for taking chance to maintain business activities and develop themselves.

Having the same opinion, Mr. Le Xuan Dinh, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Science and Technology, stated in the opening of the conference that a lot of enterprises had quickly conducted researches and implemented technological applications to increase the ability to approach customers, change business strategies, move structure of products to be more suitable with the context; in particular, conducting research for investment in lines of equipment for producing medical devices, biological products to support the prevention of the pandemic, etc.

Mr. Le Xuan Dinh, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Science and Technology spoke the opening remark of the conference. 

This indicates that science, technology and innovation are the key to help enterprises overcome difficulties in the context of Covid-19 and create chances for development. The Industrial Revolution 4.0 has brought chances of development for Vietnam, but also challenges in the effort to create a huge transformation in productivity. In the context that CPTPP, EVFTA agreements have just been implemented, the chance for external investment is expanded. To do that effectively and create the competitive advantage for Vietnam, Science-Technology and innovation is the key point to improve the productivity and quality, save the cost, reform the administrative regulations, optimize the production process.

If considering science, technology and innovation is the key factor for the development of the country in the next period, the investment for this activity is necessary. It is the transformation of development of the national innovation system with enterprise-centered.

With the speech “Boosting productivity and capability for SMEs on the foundation of science, technology and innovation”, Dr. Ha Minh Hiep – Deputy Director General of Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality - also mentioned this topic. According to that, the national innovation system with enterprise-centered, in which the role of SMEs is extremely essential, will be the key factor to increase the internal productivity.

Dr.Ha Minh Hiep, Deputy Director General of Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality delivered the paper at the conference. 

At the conference, he gave more information about the National Program to support enterprises to improve productivity and quality of products and goofs in the period 2021-2030. The target of the program is to support enterprises to improve productivity and quality of products and goods (productivity and quality) on the basis of applying the solutions regarding standards, technical requirements, management system, tools to improve productivity and quality, contribute to the increase of proportional of total factor productivity (TFP) in economic growth, improvement of productivity, quality, efficiency and competitiveness of the economy.

The general plan to boost national productivity on the basis of Science, technology and innovation conducted by Ministry of Science and Technology with the support from the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) and Korean Development Institute. According to that, improving the capability of absorbing technologies of SMEs is one of four main key factors to improve productivity of Vietnam.

The general plan to boost national productivity on the basis of Science, technology and innovation was presented at the conference. 

They are all the supporting programs appreciated by the Vietnamese government, expected to bring values for SMEs in improving productivity and quality, increasing the competitive ability in internal and world market.

In the framework of the conference, the signing ceremony of  Memorandum Of Understanding between Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality and the Vietnam Association of Small and Medium Enterprises took place.

The experts in improving productivity supported enterprises to approach the path of improving productivity, digital transformation and smart production for SMEs – from mindset to actions. According to that, the experts discussed how to approach to support enterprises transform into smart production; system and tools to support productivity improvement, approach smart production in the era of Industrial Revolution 4.0. The representatives of enterprises which supply solutions discussed about technological solutions, digital transformation and smart production for SMEs.

The panorama of the conference. 

According to a survey from Vietnam National Productivity Institute, 43% of the enterprises concern about science and technology innovation. However, although many SMEs want to approach innovation, they do not know where to start. Therefore, the conference is expected to be the bridge between managing organizations, enterprises supplying solutions and Vietnamese SMEs to listen and provide solutions for difficulties; concurrently, bring innovative mind set when Industrial Revolution 4.0 are strongly explosing globally.

300 participants attended and  over 36 thousand people watched the conference on a live steam on VnExpress.net 

Over 36 thousand people watched the conference on a live steam on VnExpress.net 

Mai Linh