Vietnam strengthens science and technology cooperation with Belgium and Luxembourg

Belgian experts introduce the results of cooperation in the field of science and technology between the two countries in recent times.

From June 26-30, the Working Group of the Ministry of Science and Technology led by Mr. Ly Hoang Tung - Director of the Department of International Relations visited and worked in Belgium and Luxembourg to promote bilateral cooperation in the field of science and technology.

In Belgium, the delegation held the 6th meeting of the Belgian-Vietnamese Joint Committee on Scientific Research and Development with the Belgian Science Policy Agency (BELSPO).
Since the 5th meeting in 2016, this event has been resumed after the end of the COVID pandemic and is expected by both sides to continue developing cooperation between Vietnam and Belgium in science, technology and innovation.

The Belgian side introduced the prospects of science policy, priorities for science, technology and innovation development, including the Southeast Asia-European Union (SEA-EU) Joint Funding Programme within the framework of the EU Research and Innovation Programme (Horizon Europe).

Belgian experts presented the results of recent cooperation in the field of scientific research between Belgium and Vietnam with funding from the French-speaking Belgian Community and the Research and Development Fund of Flanders (FWO) for the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development of Vietnam (NAFOSTED).

Belgian universities and research institutes, together with Vietnamese universities, carry out many cooperation projects in the fields of agriculture, industrial wastewater treatment, new materials, climate change response, etc.

For his part, the representative of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam informed about the developments in scientific research, promoting creativity and innovation in Vietnam, as well as the implementation of conclusions since the 5th Joint Committee meeting.

Speaking to a reporter from the Vietnam News Agency in Brussels, Ms. Brigitte Decadt, an expert from the BELSPO International Cooperation Department, expressed her satisfaction with the cooperation between the two sides in the field of science and technology over the past 20 years.

The two sides have launched many cooperation projects in this field, creating standards for Vietnamese export goods to enter the European market, such as shrimp, or jointly creating new materials from bamboo fiber combined with polymers and many other innovative projects.

Ms. Brigitte Decadt also said that the two sides also actively cooperate in solving water pollution problems, seawater desalination, nature protection...

These are strategic projects with rich data sources and high results, opening up many prospects for connecting with European research programs for broader, longer-term cooperation, even with countries facing the same problems as Vietnam.

View of the meeting of the Vietnam-Belgium Joint Committee on Science and Technology

In Luxembourg, the Vietnamese delegation worked with the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Economy to exchange information and learn about innovation and creativity in this European country, which is currently one of the world's leading countries in science and technology.

According to Mr. Ly Hoang Tung, both Belgium and Luxembourg are strong in science and technology, especially key technologies of the fourth scientific revolution.

Therefore, in the coming time, Vietnam will continue to promote cooperation projects in these scientific fields, especially in artificial intelligence, information and communication, and automation. Vietnam also hopes to promote the signing of scientific and technological cooperation agreements with Luxembourg in the coming time.

The visit and working session of the Ministry of Science and Technology Delegation is within the framework of activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam-Belgium and Vietnam-Luxembourg.

According to VNA