Huynh Kim Tuoc, managing director of the Saigon Innovation Hub's (SiHub) Start-up Support Centre under the HCM City Department of Science and Technology, speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA) Tuoc said that at a recent workshop in Ho Chi Minh City on promoting theestablishment of technology transfer offices (TTOs) in universities, which wasco-organised by SiHub, Australia's University of Technology Sydney (UTS) andSingapore's leading incubator fund Expara.
The workshop attracted a large number of domestic and foreign experts, andrepresentatives of universities in the southern provinces and cities toexchange, discuss and assess the current situation, advantages, difficultiesand challenges as well as propose effective models and solutions that bringpractical benefits from the establishment of technology transfer offices atuniversities.
Over the past 50 years, Vietnam has focused its resources on training andresearch, but has not developed commercialisation of research and inventions.
SiHub now has about 300,000 technology research projects at universitiesnationwide and a network of 100,000 technology firms based around the world, Tuocsaid.
“The commercialisation of the universities’ inventions and products in thecountry is expected to be developed in the future”, he said.
The centre focuses on promoting the development of existing potential intechnology development at universities, he said.
It is choosing universities to consult, build processes and organise apparatusto establish technology transfer in order to commercialise research andinvention that bring economic value.
Douglas Abrams, founder and CEO of Expara, said Vietnam has great potential forhigh quality human resources and entrepreneurial spirit that can makesignificant contributions to the country's technology development.
Intellectual assets from universities and research institutes are thefoundation to support start-ups, he said.
“The role of universities is to connect potential ideas, build strong teams,and interact with businesses to successfully conduct commercialisation,” hesaid.
Nguyen Diep from UTS said the university’s technology transfer model is beingdeployed to many partners.
“The number of inventions of universities in Vietnam is still very low comparedto universities in Thailand and Singapore, but they have a lot of potential,”he said.
Experts pointed out many challenges of technology transfer andcommercialisation such as the science and technology ecosystem does not have aclear orientation, with low connectivity and interaction.
They agreed that local universities need to be more active in participating intechnology transfer activities, promote both quantity and quality ofinventions, and build a technology transfer ecosystem with the participation ofbusinesses.
It also needs to enhance the legal framework, develop technical and financialinfrastructure, and promote creativity and innovation capacity, capacity inmanagement and investment in universities, they said.
Many successful models of commercialising university research were introducedat the workshop, such as TTO of TNG Holdings Vietnam and the Saigon High-TechPark's High-tech Business Incubation Centre.
On this occasion, SiHub, UTS, Expara and universities in the southern regionsigned cooperation agreements to promote technology transfer activities in thefollowing years./.
VNA
