Summary of EU-Vietnam Research and Innovation Community Meeting

On 21 May 2024, the EU Delegation to Vietnam (EUD), the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) Vietnam and EURAXESS ASEAN organised the EU-Vietnam Research & Innovation Community Meeting. It was a timely event, coinciding with the the 65th anniversary of establishment of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam (MOST), the Vietnam National Day of Science and Technology (18 May 2024), and the 1st anniversary of the EU-Vietnam Scientific Diaspora Meeting.

The meeting took place at the Institute of Physics, Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology, and attracted over 200 policy makers, business representatives, researchers, academics, and scientists from various disciplines (onsite and online).

H.E. Bui The Duy, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, and H.E. Julien Guerrier, EU Ambassador to Vietnam, graced the meeting and delivered the opening remarks. They underscored the strong commitment of Vietnam and the EU to fostering bi-regional partnerships in research and innovation.

The EU and Vietnam enjoy a diverse and deep collaboration in the field of research and innovation. This was shown during the presentations on Vietnam’s engagement in Horizon Europe and the many bi-lateral research cooperation programmes and mechanisms between Vietnam and EU Member States. Presentations were made by Science Attaches and Experts from the following EU Member States:

• Mr Pierre Du Ville, General Delegate of the General Delegation Wallonia-Brussels in Vietnam
• Mr Denis Fourmeau, Scientific and University Cooperation Attaché, French Embassy in Vietnam
• Professor Marco Abbiati, Science Counsellor, Italian Embassy in Vietnam
• Ms Patricia Sánchez Pacheco, Representative of CDTI in Vietnam, Spain Office for Science and Technology (online)

All presentations are available for download on this webpage.

As part of the programme, audience members also joined two lab tours that offered a glimpse into the cutting-edge research and practical applications that are shaping the future of our economies. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dinh Van Trung, Director of the Institute of Physics, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology,  invited the guests to explore the facilities at his institute. As a contribution from the ASEAN research community, Associate Professor Dr Johan Sukweenadhi guided the participants through an online lab tour at the Department of Plant Biotechnology, University of Surabaya (UBAYA) in Indonesia.

The last programme element was an enriching panel discussion on the topic “Synergizing Research & Business Collaboration: Driving the Circular Economy”. The panel focused on the role of conducive policy frameworks and innovative research collaborations that facilitate the transition to a circular economy in the EU and Vietnam. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) act as key drivers towards the circular transformation of our economies. The discussion therefore put a special emphasis on existing research collaborations and business initiatives by SMEs, with examples from the food & agriculture sector. The five speakers, representing the policy, start-up and research sector, were:

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dinh Van Trung, Director of Institute of Physics
• Ms. Vu Thi Tu Quyen, Deputy Director General of ICD, MOST
• Mr. Pierre Du Ville, General Delegate of the General Delegation Wallonia-Brussels in Vietnam
• Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Minh Tan, Founder of SMoJEVA, and Assoc. Prof. in Chemical Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology
• Mr. Khuat Quang Hung, EuroCham Green Growth Sector Committee Vice Chairman cum Head of the Circular Economy Working Group

The meeting ended with a networking reception. As a next step, EURAXESS ASEAN will launch a survey for Vietnamese and European researchers, scientists and innovators to gather expectations and suggestions for further building up and nurturing the EU-Vietnam Research and Innovation Community.