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| Party General Secretary Tô Lâm speaks at the conference on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo |
HÀ NỘI — Party General Secretary Tô Lâm on Thursday called for a decisive shift from policy design to delivery in Việt Nam’s push on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation, warning that 2026 must mark a move from groundwork to measurable results.
Speaking at a year-end review of the Central Steering Committee on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation, the Party leader said the coming year would be critical as Việt Nam begins implementing resolutions adopted at the 14th National Party Congress.
“2025 laid the groundwork and built momentum; 2026 must be the year of acceleration,” he said, urging ministries and local governments to prioritise outcomes over procedures and measurable impact over progress reports.
The conference, held at the Party’s central headquarters and linked online to officials nationwide, reviewed a year that saw a surge of new laws, decrees and regulations aimed at removing long-standing bottlenecks in decentralisation, public-private partnerships, controlled policy pilots and the commercialisation of research.
Officials said funding for science, technology, innovation and digital transformation had been strengthened, with allocations set at 3 per cent of the State budget.
Core national platforms, including the population database, the national public service portal and the VNeID digital identification system, had been rolled out and were beginning to show results, particularly as the country transitioned to a two-tier local government model.
Authorities also said wider use of online public services and simplified administrative procedures had saved citizens and businesses substantial costs while improving transparency and the efficiency of state administration.
The Party General Secretary warned against treating digital transformation as a box-ticking exercise, calling for ‘serious self-correction’ where projects have stalled or failed to deliver.
Looking ahead, he said the Party’s central leadership would soon issue two strategic resolutions: one to reshape Việt Nam’s development model around science and technology, and another to mobilise resources for sustained double-digit economic growth.
Together, they would place innovation and digital transformation at the core of the country’s long-term strategy rather than as optional policy tools.
“This is no longer a choice, but a mandatory requirement for fast and sustainable development,” he said.
Under the theme ‘Breakthrough action, spreading results,’ the leadership called for a shift in how progress is measured – from plans to products, from activity to impact.
Ministries and provinces were told to take direct responsibility for delivery, with results to be reflected in performance evaluations, commendations and accountability reviews.
The General Secretary also urged tighter focus on a number of core priorities, including national digital and data architecture frameworks, strategic technologies and high-quality technology talent.
Agencies were instructed to define clear roadmaps, allocate resources and accelerate work on 11 groups of strategic technologies, while raising digital skills across society.
Ministries were ordered to complete all implementing regulations for laws passed in 2025 by the end of the first quarter of 2026, ensuring legislation takes effect without delays caused by missing guidance.
Beyond governance, General Secretary Tô Lâm stressed that digital transformation must translate into concrete applications for citizens and businesses.
Public satisfaction, he said, should be the benchmark of success, with reforms linked to administrative streamlining, online public services and more efficient local government operations.
He also highlighted the need to concentrate resources on strategic technologies and commercialisation, promoting closer links between the state, universities and businesses.
High-tech parks, innovation hubs and smart cities were described as testing grounds for new technologies with the potential to scale nationwide.
The state, he added, should act not only as a regulator but also as an early customer, creating initial markets for new technologies and research outcomes to help firms move from laboratories to commercial deployment.
Cybersecurity and digital sovereignty were flagged as non-negotiable foundations of growth, alongside a warning about waste. Large-scale investment, he said, must be tightly controlled to avoid financial losses, wasted resources or missed opportunities.
The leadership also called for a transparent, data-driven monitoring system to publicly track implementation of Politburo Resolution 57 on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation, allowing businesses and the public to scrutinise progress in real time.
The General Secretary said the resolution marked the start of a new phase for Việt Nam’s development.
“The foundation has been laid. Now the task is to turn policies into products, ideas into value, and ambition into results,” he said. — VNS
