Process of selecting breakthrough initiatives in science and technology development, innovation and digital transformation

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung has just signed and issued Decision No. 2266/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister promulgating the Process of selecting breakthrough initiatives according to the Strategic Action Plan to implement Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and national digital transformation.

Camera production at Sunny Opotech Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Yen Binh Industrial Park. Photo: Hoang Nguyen/VNA

This process regulates the registration, reception, selection, recognition, assignment of tasks and implementation of breakthrough initiatives nationwide. The process is deployed centrally on the Science and Technology Initiative Portal, ensuring data connectivity via application programming interface (API) with relevant information systems.

Applicable subjects include: Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities; scientific and technological organizations, enterprises, research institutes, universities; social organizations and individuals at home and abroad who have proposed breakthrough initiatives according to Plan No. 01-KH/BCĐTW.

According to regulations, breakthrough initiatives need to ensure the following requirements: Novelty and creativity (having outstanding differences compared to existing solutions); breakthrough (solving bottlenecks and major challenges in terms of institutions, technology, resources or development models); feasibility (ensuring feasibility in terms of technology and resources and having a clear implementation roadmap); impact and spread (having the potential to create positive, far-reaching influences and contributing to the implementation of key indicators (KPIs) of the Strategic Action Plan); resource mobilization ability (having the ability to strongly attract resources from society).

The process of selecting breakthrough initiatives is implemented online, including 4 steps. Step 1: Proposing initiatives (all organizations and individuals submit proposals online through the Science and Technology Initiative Portal).

Step 2: Screening and submitting to the Steering Committee ( Ministry of Science and Technology presides over checking the validity of the dossier and making a preliminary assessment based on the prescribed criteria. For breakthrough initiatives with valid dossiers, the Ministry of Science and Technology will establish an Evaluation Council within 3-5 working days, organize meetings or collect written opinions from Council members and ministries, branches and localities directly related to the breakthrough initiative. The maximum time limit for completing the consultation, synthesis and screening is 14 working days. For initiatives that meet the criteria, the Ministry of Science and Technology will synthesize and submit them to the competent authority for consideration and decision; for initiatives that do not meet the criteria, the Ministry of Science and Technology will reject them and send a written response to the proposing organization or individual. Based on the Council's assessment results, the Ministry of Science and Technology will prepare a Submission with a list of initiatives identified as breakthrough and strategic, and submit them to the Central Steering Committee for consideration. review and decide. For breakthrough initiatives with invalid dossiers, the Ministry of Science and Technology will refuse to evaluate and notify the organization or individual through the Science and Technology Initiative Portal).

Step 3: Review and Approval (The Central Steering Committee - through the Standing Agency, the Central Party Office - presides over the review of proposed initiatives submitted by the Ministry of Science and Technology, with in-depth consultation with the 57 Chief Engineers and the National Advisory Council, before making a final decision and announcing the addition to the list. The maximum review completion time is 30 working days from the date of receipt of the Submission).

Step 4: Assign tasks and organize implementation (after approval, the Central Steering Committee assigns the Government to direct relevant agencies to concretize the initiative into programs, projects and organize implementation depending on the scale and nature. The assigned agencies periodically report progress to the Central Steering Committee (through the Ministry of Science and Technology).

Preliminary screening criteria (Round 1 - at the Ministry of Science and Technology): Relevance (consistent with the country's policies and strategic orientations); breakthrough (clearly demonstrating new, creative, breakthrough elements, solving important problems); feasibility (having a scientific and practical basis for implementation); non-duplication (no overlap in content with approved tasks)

Evaluation and recognition criteria (Round 2 - at the Central Steering Committee): Fully meeting the preliminary screening criteria; potential impact (capable of creating great influence and spreading widely); urgency (solving priority and urgent problems); implementation capacity (enterprises and organizations in Vietnam have enough capacity and resources to implement); ability to mobilize social resources (highly attractive to attract non-budgetary investment).

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/quy-trinh-xet-chon-sang-kien-dot-pha-phat-trien-khoa-hoc-cong-nghe-doi-moi-sang-tao-va-chuyen-doi-so-20251015174858749.htm