Science and technology seen as key driver in digital era

In a report presented at the congress on October 17, Tran Anh Tuan, director of the Hanoi Department of Science and Technology, said science and technology, innovation and digital transformation are the major drivers that will enable Hanoi to break through in the new era. He described Hanoi as the nation’s hub of intellect and creativity, and argued that as traditional drivers such as agriculture and industry reach their limits, technology and innovation are the keys to raising the capital’s competitiveness and ensuring sustainable development.

Quoting Party  General Secretary To Lam, Tran said Vietnam has no option but to treat science and technology, innovation and digital transformation as the top breakthroughs and the principal drivers for changing the development model.

Hanoi has led the country on innovation indices for 2023-2025 and is a frontrunner in digital and green transformation, digital government and smart governance. With a concentration of research institutes, universities and a high-quality workforce, the city is well placed to become a regional innovation hub.

Tran proposed five strategic groups of measures to realize Hanoi’s development vision: to renew leadership thinking and build a digital government that serves residents and businesses effectively; to adopt breakthrough policies for science and technology and intellectual property protection while encouraging innovation; to develop large-scale data centers, ensure information security and build AI infrastructure; to reform training for high-tech human resources and strengthen connections among government, universities and industry; and to promote a culture of innovation and launch the “Digital Citizen of the Capital” initiative.

Two-tier local government: a breakthrough in administrative reform and public service

In a report regarding the two-tier local government, Nguyen Ngoc Viet, secretary of the Party Committee and chairman of the People’s Council of Dong Da Ward, said implementing a two-tier local government model is a breakthrough in administrative reform and institutional organization toward a modern, people-centred administration.

He noted operational challenges remain, including differences in public-service culture and reluctance to change; uneven technology infrastructure; the absence of shared data repositories; and lingering paper-based or cumbersome procedures.

Drawing on implementation experience, Nguyen proposed five priority measures: raise the quality of civil servants; intensify training in urban management, digital transformation and smart governance; review and complete the legal framework, especially the Law on the Organization of Local Government, to grant substantive powers to commune- and ward-level authorities; accelerate administrative reform and digitization of records; build shared data platforms to make procedures more convenient for residents; strengthen the role of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organizations to broaden grassroots democracy and social cohesion; and enhance feedback and field monitoring to adjust policies to real conditions.

Nguyen acknowledged that designing a two-tier government is difficult and operating it effectively is even harder, but argued that with innovative thinking and the courage to try unprecedented solutions, the city can achieve a major breakthrough, all for the people’s well-being.

The two reports at the 18th Hanoi Party Congress reflect a comprehensive rethink of governance and development for the capital. With coordinated action from political bodies, businesses, researchers and creative youth, Hanoi aims to become a leading regional centre for science, technology and innovation, contributing to Vietnam’s aspiration of becoming a prosperous, developed nation by 2045.

Hanoi Party Congress opens with strategic roadmap for 2025–2030

VOV.VN - The 18th Congress of the Hanoi Party Committee for the 2025–2030 term opened at the National Convention Centre, bringing together 550 delegates representing nearly 500,000 Party members from 136 Party organisations in the capital city.