Australia invests another $11M in Vietnam innovation program

The additional funds for the Aus4Innovation program were announced at the Australia-Vietnam Innovation Partnership Day event, which was held Friday to mark 50 years of official diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The total budget for the 10-year program, scheduled through 2028, now stands at $22.2 million.

Aus4Innovation is delivered through a partnership between the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, and Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology.

The program has explored emerging fields in technology and digital transformation, piloted new models for partnerships between public and private sector institutions, and strengthened Vietnamese capabilities in the realms of digital foresight, scenario planning, science commercialization and innovation policy.

Andrew Goledzinowski, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, said at the innovation day event that while Australia and Vietnam are at different stages of development, the countries share an ambition to base future growth on science and technology, and the potential for increased international cooperation between the two countries is high.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski speaks at a ceremony of the Australia-Vietnam Innovation Partnership Day in Hanoi, June 30, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Tung Dinh

“As our two countries are working towards upgrading our relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, we will continue to deepen our cooperation in trade and investment, defense and security, and knowledge and innovation,” he said.

Huynh Thanh Dat, Minister of Science and Technology, said the Aus4Innovation partnership with Australia has delivered tangible, significant results that are having “substantial positive impacts” on the lives of the Vietnamese people.

“With the introduction of the Strategy for the Development of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in Vietnam until 2030, the Vietnamese government has affirmed the pivotal role of STI in addressing emerging economic, societal and institutional challenges.”

He said the ministry is working hard to meet goals set by the Strategy.

“We will build on the accomplishments of today to achieve much more in the next five years.”

Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat (C) and Deputy Minister Bui The Duy (R) inspect a sea cucumber produced under an Aus4Innovation program that was exhibited at the Australia-Vietnam Innovation Partnership Day in Hanoi, June 30, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Tung Dinh

CSIRO’s Executive Director of Growth Jonathan Law said the next phase of the Aus4Innovation program would build upon the solid foundations already established.

“Over the next five years, the program will put a stronger focus on areas of Vietnam’s priorities, such as resilient agriculture and food, as well as introducing appropriate interventions for the digital era, including responsible artificial intelligence.”

Law said the program will also work on deepening research linkages and private sector connections between Australia and Vietnam.

After five years in operation across 37 provinces in Vietnam, the program has laid the foundation for 82 partnerships between Australian and Vietnamese universities, research agencies, high-tech businesses, and policy makers. It has established a pool of 875 trainers and experts through capacity building activities, demonstrated innovative solutions for socioeconomic challenges, contributed to national policies on science, technology and innovation, and developed platforms to enable collaboration in innovation across research institutes and businesses.