General Secretary To Lam has emphasized that 2026 must mark a decisive transition for Vietnam  -  from the “starting and warming-up” stage in 2025 to the “acceleration” phase, with the national motto for the year defined as “Breakthrough action, spreading results.”

This morning, the Central Steering Committee for Science, Technology, Innovation, and Digital Transformation held a national conference to review 2025 performance and outline directions for 2026. The event was connected online to multiple locations across the country.

General Secretary To Lam, who also serves as Head of the Steering Committee, presided over the meeting.

From ‘doing’ to ‘doing thoroughly’

In his closing remarks, General Secretary To Lam stressed that 2026 is the first year of implementing the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress  -  a year carrying particularly high demands as Vietnam works toward its two centennial goals.

At the beginning of the new term, the Party Central Committee will issue two strategic resolutions: one on transforming the national development model based on science, technology, and innovation, and another on mobilizing strategic resources to achieve double-digit growth.

These directions underline the essential, foundational role of science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation as the driving forces for fast and sustainable national development.

The General Secretary reiterated that the guiding principle for 2026 is “Breakthrough action, spreading results.” While 2025 completes the “starting and warm-up” stage, 2026 must immediately move into “acceleration.”

The decisive factor, he said, will be execution capacity, action discipline, and measurable outcomes.

Each ministry, sector, and locality must shift from plan-based to goal- and product-based work; from progress reporting to performance reporting; from “doing” to “doing thoroughly.”

He urged all central and local agencies to internalize this spirit, allocate sufficient and timely resources for infrastructure, data, strategic technologies, and high-quality human resources, while ensuring tight control and efficiency in investment.

The General Secretary called for accelerating the development of concrete applications and products serving socio-economic progress and citizens’ needs. Every policy, platform, and public service must center on people and businesses, using their satisfaction as the measure of success.

He emphasized the need for substantive implementation over formality  -  ensuring tangible, practical results.

Mr. To Lam also directed that digital transformation must go hand in hand with administrative reform and streamlined local governance. He highlighted the goal of efficient two-tier local administration, reducing administrative procedures, and expanding online public services.

He further stressed concentrating resources on strategic technologies and commercializing innovations. The synergy between the state, academia, and businesses must serve as the core engine of an innovation ecosystem.

According to him, developing high-tech zones, innovation centers, and smart cities should be prioritized as experimental and transformative spaces, fostering application and diffusion. Investment should focus on strategic technologies that provide long-term competitiveness.

The state, he said, must act as both facilitator and pioneer  -  removing obstacles while becoming the first “customer” to place orders for new scientific, technological, and digital products and solutions. This will create the initial market for research outcomes and innovations, energizing enterprises, institutes, and universities.

2026 must be a year of breakthrough action

The General Secretary underscored that cybersecurity, information safety, and digital sovereignty are prerequisites for sustainable development.

He requested all relevant agencies and localities to urgently study and implement the Party Secretariat’s Directive on strengthening cybersecurity and data protection across the political system.

Regarding the fight against waste, he warned that large-scale investments, while aimed at major goals, must remain efficient  -  otherwise they risk creating massive waste in finances, resources, human talent, and even opportunities. Preventive measures must be put in place early.

The Government, he said, must accelerate comprehensive digital transformation across all fields  -  digital government, digital economy, and digital society. Plans and programs for 2026 must be completed by January 10, 2026.

The General Secretary also stressed the need to establish evaluation metrics and ranking mechanisms to publicly and regularly disclose performance results of agencies and localities in implementing Politburo Resolution No. 57.

All progress and results, he noted, must be data-driven and tracked in real time through the Resolution 57 Monitoring and Evaluation System, with some data made public for citizen and business oversight.

He concluded that by the end of 2025, Vietnam will have built a solid institutional foundation. The year 2026, therefore, must be one of breakthrough action  -  shifting from foundations to results, from policies to products, and from ideas to tangible value for citizens and enterprises.

Tran Thuong