Việt Nam aims to be top ten regional biotechnology manufacturing hub

The sector is projected to contribute up to 7 per cent to the nation's gross domestic product (GDP), as growth and investment in the sector are anticipated to increase by 50 per cent.

Plans are in place to turn Việt Nam into one of Asia's top ten manufacturing hubs in terms of biotech production and smart biotech services by 2030.

As part of a comprehensive plan, Việt Nam's biotech sector is set to play a key role in the country's economic and technological landscape. The sector is projected to contribute up to 7 per cent to the nation's gross domestic product (GDP), as growth and investment in the sector are anticipated to increase by 50 per cent.

By 2030, domestically produced biotech products will replace half of the imported products, positioning the country as a major player in the global biotech market. By 2045, Việt Nam will have established itself as a leading hub for smart products and services, powered by a thriving biotech sector. This sector is projected to make up 10-15 per cent of the nation's GDP, reflecting its critical importance to the national economy.

The plan, officially known as Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW dated January 30, 2023, was signed off by Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng on behalf of the Politburo.

The resolution notes that the current level of biotech development in Việt Nam has not reached its potential, and the domestic capacity has not met the country's socio-economic development. Some sectors are falling behind compared to the regional and global levels.

Part of the reason is a lack of understanding from the authorities on the importance of biotech development, a lack of suitable mechanisms to help attract social resources into the sector, and the insufficient connections between scientists, research institutes, and enterprises in biotech R&D, the resolution writes.

The Politburo has identified biotechnology as an important driving force in transforming growth models and restructuring the economy. Việt Nam needs to unleash the potential of regions and localities, focusing on some key areas, to take advantage of the country's rich biodiversity.

Enterprises will be key to the development of biotechnology, and there must be “breakthrough mechanisms and policies” to facilitate the investment of all economic sectors – especially the private sector – into this field.

To that end, committees and units must fully grasp the Party’s policies and guidelines and the State’s laws on biotech development and application. They must also continue fine-tuning laws, mechanisms and policies in the field and effectively apply biotech to production and daily lives.

As the modernisation efforts of labs and evaluation centres must be expedited, three national-level biotech centres – north, central, and south – will soon be operational.

Several control centres will be built according to international standards for disease surveillance, prevention and control.

The resolution supports mechanisms and policies for technology incubators, scitech business incubation, and businesses with high levels of biotech application.

There must also be consideration towards a model of training biotech human resources from the general education level to university and post-university levels, with strengthened ties between biotechnology enterprises, employers and biotech human resource training institutions.

Party units are also required to build a contingent of competent human resources, increase infrastructure investment and step up global cooperation in the field – especially in terms of technology transfer, biological economics, resource management and sustainable socio-economic management – with countries with advanced biotech sectors.

Specific tasks were also assigned to Party committees and organisations, the Party Delegations to the National Assembly and the Government, the Việt Nam Fatherland Front and socio-political organisations, and the Party Central Committee’s Commission on Information and Education.