Promoting local science, technology and innovation

The Ministry of Science and Technology has just announced the Local Innovation Index 2024. This is the second year that localities have been evaluated using this comprehensive index to know their local growth model based on science, technology and innovation.

According to Resolution 02/NQ-CP dated January 5, 2024 of Goverment Regarding the main solutions to improve the business environment and enhance national competitiveness in 2024, this index will be Science and technology Annual announcement.

The assessment results of the first year (2023) and this year show the consistency and similarity between the innovation index results and the socio-economic development status of localities. The localities in the leading group are concentrated in the Southeast and Red River Delta regions, while the localities in the bottom group are concentrated in the Central Highlands and the Northern Midlands and Mountains.

After the first year of announcing the innovation index, many localities have actively studied the meaning, content, and calculation methods of each component index, organized research, analyzed the results to issue and implement policies to promote strengths and overcome weaknesses that the results of the 2023 local innovation index have pointed out. To date, more than 30 localities have issued plans to improve the local innovation index.

However, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology, the rankings between localities are only relative and are not the main purpose of the annual assessment, because each locality has different conditions, characteristics and development orientations.

This index aims to provide scientific basis and evidence on strengths, weaknesses, potential factors and necessary conditions for socio-economic development based on science, technology and of each locality, thereby helping local leaders identify and select policies, orientations and solutions suitable for the local socio-economy based on science, technology and innovation.

Therefore, the implementation and application of the local innovation index is an important contribution to the implementation of Resolution 57-NQ/TW recently issued by the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Politic issued on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation to bring the country to strong development in the new era. It can be seen that the input pillars of the local innovation index framework such as: Institutions; human capital and research and development; infrastructure... are also the contents mentioned in the resolution to resolve the remaining problems.

Therefore, provinces and cities need to identify participation in the development and implementation of local innovation indexes as a key task to implement Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW. Localities need to promptly use the results of the assessment of the local innovation index in 2024 in the direction, management, planning and implementation of measures and solutions to promote socio-economic development based on local science, technology and innovation.