“Luxury Travel for Tech Experts: Elevating Your Business Trips with Premium Airline Tickets and 5-Star Hotel Stays.”

On August 22, the Department of Science and Technology, in collaboration with the Center for Communication, Data, and Digital Technology (Hanoi People’s Committee Office), organized a seminar titled “Perfecting Innovation Policies – Shaping the Future of a Smart Capital.”

In the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the global digital transformation trend, innovation has become a pivotal driver for sustainable development. As the country’s leading political, cultural, educational, and scientific-technological center, Hanoi has determined to take robust and systematic steps to keep up with the trends and emerge as a leader.

Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology, Nguyen Viet Hung, shared that to concretize the Capital Law (2024) and the central government’s major policies, Hanoi is urgently finalizing six draft special resolutions on science, technology, and innovation.

These include resolutions detailing specific policies for the city’s science, technology, and innovation development; regulating the mechanism and policies for investing in and supporting the innovation and startup ecosystem; piloting a regulatory sandbox; establishing the Hanoi Technology Exchange Center; approving the project to set up the Hanoi Venture Capital Fund; and founding the Hanoi Innovation Center.

This “hexagon” of breakthrough policies aims to shape institutions, invest in infrastructure, develop human resources, and perfect the innovation and startup ecosystem in the capital.

One of the essential topics discussed at the seminar was talent attraction policies. Mr. Nguyen Viet Hung mentioned that one of the six draft resolutions focuses on attracting and valuing experts, scientists, and talented individuals in the field of science and technology.

Accordingly, Hanoi plans to reference salary levels for experts based on income in their home countries, international norms, or salaries for equivalent positions in 100% foreign-owned organizations or businesses in the same field.

Additionally, experts will be supported with travel and accommodation expenses during their work and participation in scientific conferences and workshops, including round-trip business-class airfare, visa fees (if applicable), local transportation in Hanoi or the event location, and accommodation in 4-5-star hotels or rented apartments (for stays over one month) with a maximum support of VND 50 million per month.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Huynh Dang Chinh from Hanoi University of Science and Technology, the key is to have mechanisms that encourage young researchers and university lecturers to engage in startups. “It’s not just about financial support but also about legal mechanisms to protect intellectual property rights and facilitate the commercialization of research results,” he emphasized.

Regarding the Venture Capital Fund, Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Finance, Do Thu Hang, stated that the fund cannot follow the old path of merely preserving capital. The nature of science and technology is to embrace risk. The city commits to contributing up to 49% of the charter capital, with seed money of about VND 600 billion, to activate social resources and attract long-term private investors. The operation mechanism will involve hiring professional management units to ensure transparency and flexibility while maintaining openness.

The delegates shared the view that the tripartite model of collaboration between the government, academia, and investors is crucial. However, the current bottleneck lies in the loose coordination mechanism, while finance and human resources also need simultaneous attention…