The draft political report of the 14th National Party Congress clearly identifies science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation as the driving forces for development. 

The draft action program of the Central Committee to implement the Resolution is concretized with many highly strategic schemes and programs. Among them, the draft  mentions the development and implementation of a digital human resource development program to equip workers with comprehensive digital skills, meeting the requirements of developing the digital economy and digital society.

However, when assessing limitations and weaknesses, the document also made an observation relevant to the current situation: science, technology, and innovation have not yet become the main driving forces for industrialization, modernization, and national development.

Macro vision

From a macro perspective, the Party’s establishment of a new growth model, economic restructuring, and acceleration of industrialization and modernization - using science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation as the main drivers for the 2026-2030 growth targets - is a strategic step. 

It outlines a new development phase with a high level of digital knowledge, flexibility, and resilience to geopolitical and geoeconomic volatility amid intense global competition in technology.

The goal of “striving for an average GDP growth rate of 10 percent per year during 2026–2030” reflects the determination of all citizens, ensuring the nation does not fall behind in institutional reform, international strategic partnership promotion, and especially the development of the private sector, education and training, and a Vietnamese culture that is advanced and rich in national identity.

Although only two months remain before the Congress, what the Party Central Committee and local authorities have accomplished over the past year in restructuring organizational apparatus shows clear indications of new development pathways and greater potential for key sectors and industries that Vietnam must further unlock.

Challenges

Digital transformation and green transformation are two sides of the same process: one focuses on speed and efficiency, while the other emphasizes qualitative transformation. If policies and institutional capacity continue improving and new production forces are effectively harnessed, Vietnam will be well-positioned to reach major milestones, such as the 100th anniversary of the Party and the 100th anniversary of the nation, with impressive achievements in the economy, culture, and society.

However, several challenges remain. The quality of digital human resources is still limited; resources are not yet optimized and the spirit of proactive advancement is inconsistent across localities. Additionally, gaps persist in the relationship between the State, the market, and society; inequality risks could rise and population aging as well as declining development motivation may occur.

The HCMC Party Committee’s Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commissions conducted an online quick survey on public awareness and expectations regarding the implementation of Resolution 57, dated December 22, 2024, on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation.

Among 5,780 responses, 92.3 percent rated the Resolution as very important (49.4 percent) or important (42.9 percent). This shows that people recognize the Resolution not only as a central-level guideline but also as a strategic lever capable of unlocking resources and creating new development momentum for the city.

However, 70.9 percent of respondents believe that institutions and policies (related to finance, public procurement, and research result transfer) remain inadequate, slow to change, and unable to meet the needs of research, innovation, and technology pilot testing. The shortage of high-quality and evenly distributed human resources is also considered one of the top three challenges, with a rate of 48.3 percent.

Making digital transformation a true driving force

Digital transformation must move in parallel with green transformation toward sustainable development. The pillars of digital government, digital economy, and digital society must be developed evenly to optimize the potential created by new mechanisms, policies, technological capabilities, and available resources.

Digital infrastructure, digital platforms, and data must be considered essential factors that require priority investment to remove current bottlenecks before the country can advance toward more complete models and processes.

In particular, ensuring information safety, cybersecurity, and personal data protection must receive adequate attention. The alarming figures on online scams and data leaks are undermining public trust in the digital transformation process, demanding stronger action from authorities and deeper awareness among users.

Human resources for digital transformation require breakthrough policies for recruitment and talent attraction, bringing in outstanding individuals to lead transformation across different sectors and fields. This has long been a major bottleneck involving multiple stakeholders and long-term evaluation, making it difficult to resolve in the short term.

Thu Hang