Baria-Vungtau province has a great potential for economic development, especially in the area of the sea-based economy. Furthermore, BR-VT now becomes the biggest center of petroleum and electricity industries in Vietnam. In the past several years, BR-VT’s economy has displayed a high and continual growth, which improves significantly people’s material and spiritual life and consequently helps the province’s infrastructure and society change for a better. This remarkable result is partly contributed by the achievements of the province’s scientific and technological activities.
Most achievements in scientific and technological activities in the past five years, period 2001-2005 can be classified in the following areas:
1. The province has implemented 7 scientific and technological programs, 6 of which are practical research programs and one is on assisting enterprises. The total 85 scientific themes and projects have been carried out, 19 of which belong to social and human sciences. The basic surveys on natural conditions, natural resources and environment are divided into 19 scientific themes and projects. The research program for agricultural and rural development is composed of 25 themes and projects. In the area of health care education, 10 projects have been carried out. The program for trade promotion and tourism development consists of 3 projects. There are 11 research studies related to technical applications in the production and industrial processing. The program on assisting enterprises which aims at strengthening private enterprises’ abilities to respond to the transition economy focusses on four specific issues: upgrading technologies; clean production; environmental protection; application of modern management measurements and updating the knowledgeable assessment for the transition and competitive market economy.
The results of research activities in the past 5 years have provided important information, timely and reliable data for provincial party and people’s committees and other provincial authorities such as: department of planning and investment, department of agriculture and rural development, department of fishery, department of transportation, department of health, department of education, department of industry, department of culture and information, department of commerce, department of labor, war invalid and social affairs, department of construction, department of resources and environment, department of interior, department of science and technology etc. in planning the social-economic development strategies of the province and other branches yearly. These data are also essentially needed for projecting the development plan in the period of 2006-2010 as well as for many investment projects throughout the province.
Some research themes and projects which produced outstanding results can be briefly mentioned in the following. The basic surveys on natural conditions of marine and coastal environment of the province are essentially important for the planning of the aqua-culture development project, the Go Gang – Long Son plan, the port development project, the environmental management project for protection of the coastal areas, and bridge construction projects. The application of Stabiplage technology as an anti-erosive measurement for Loc An coastal area has initially produced positive results. Projects related to agriculture and fishery sectors have significantly contributed to the improvement of product quality and yield over the last 5 years. The introduction of biotech-enhanced seeds and animal seedstock having good properties in terms of high quality, better yield, pest resistance together with the application of new sciences and technologies in husbandry and farming sectors such as hybrid Sind cows, hybrid Bach Thao goats, super lean meat pigs, hygienic vegetable production, high quality fruit trees, hygienic aquaculture etc. have greatly enhanced the socio-economic development in the agricultural and rural areas, and hence help to improve sustainably the farmers’ living conditions, especially for people living in the remote areas. Projects related to social sciences and humanities also have effectively contributed to the project planning, the policy making process, the personal training and education, the monuments conservation activities and the tourism promotion. Recently, a valuable work of the researchers in social science and humanities has been published in a book titled “Adresses of Baria-Vungtau Province”, which is considered of high value with respect to its scientific and cultural contributions. The book consists of 1.127 pages and was first published in 2005 by the department of science and technology.
Some projects which are financially supported by the department of sience and technology originated commonly from the need for scientific researches to solve the local problems or technology transfer adopted from inland and abroad over the last 5 years. Considerable advancement has been made from these projects, for example project of oil sludge treatment for the oil tanker in Vietnam (2002). Based on the results of this successful project, company Song Xanh extends its investment to build a plant and signed a contract with Petrovietso and other companies related to petroleum industry to treat completely the companies’ solid waste, which is considered as a main problem of the region for a long time. Another project is dealing with the manufacturing and upgrading technologies for a cashew nut processing plant in Xuyen Moc district (2003). Study on the development of small scale commercialized system for freshwater prawn seed production and cultivation (2002) has been successfully implemented by many smallholder farmers. The regional development plan for hygienic vegetable production (2001-2003) has now extended upto an area of 150 ha and extends in all districts of the province. The agro-forestry model integrated with Bach Thao goat raising (2001 - 2004) is effectively contributed to the poverty reduction for the farmers living in mountainous and remote areas. The experiment of the new technology Stabiplage as preventive measures against coastal erosion without building dikes and revetments was first implemented in 2005 and has proven to be quite effective. This method has been successfully applied for Loc An rivermouth area, where the geographical and oceanographic struture is too complex to be able to apply with traditionally preventive methods.
Project on assisting enterprises thanks to the party and state’s attentions on the international and regional integration policy has promoted enterprises in terms of expanding the production capacities, improving the integration abilities and enhancing the competitiveness of domestic goods. The department of sience and technology has been assisting the provincial people’s committee in design and implementation of the approved plan focussing on four main objectives as follows:
- Asssisting enterprises in upgrading technologies, equipments and product qualities.
- Improving the knowledge about intellectual property protection, trade marks, integration and competition.
- Application of quality management according to international standards (ISO-9000, ISO-14000, HACCP, SA 8000 etc. ).
- Clean processing, reduction of environmental pollutions and promotion of energy efficiency.
The program has been largely recognized by many departments, branches and companies throughout the province. More than 400 people actively participate in many training courses and advanced level classes. 53 companies were financially supported through this program for upgrading technologies and equipments, clean processing, reduction of environmental pollutions, application of modern management to meet international standards. After attending these courses, participants have changed significantly their managerial viewpoint and apply effectively scientific and technological advances to production. Some enterprises have now produced high quality export products which are awarded vietnamese trademark certificates.
2. In the fields of environmental protection, application and development of information technology, some results have been achieved that help to improve awareness of the environmental importance to workers, to local people and especially to businessmen. The economic growth puts ernomous pressure on the environment and exposes to a high potential for pollution. Although the environmental problem of Baria-Vungtau province is very complicated, efforts have been made over the last 5 years that helps to improve the environmental protection substantially. A striking example was a successful rescue operation to prevent the oil spill caused by a ship collision at Ganh Rai Bay in September, 2001, although many difficulties had to be faced.
The use of information technology in the public administration is strongly increased. About 40 local area networks (LAN) and 10 wide area networks (WAN) were established to connect almost provincial departments and branches throughout the province. Many practical softwares are introduced to local authorities and companies in the province. Nearly 1500 employees of provincial authorities have been regularly trained to enhance the ability of using information technology in their works. The development project is therefore running progressively step by step.
3. The province’s scientific and technological potential now attains a higher level. The personel staff significantly increases and now reaches to a number of 17000 persons having bachelor’s degrees or higher degrees from colleges or universities (average 20 academics/1000 inhabitants). Among them there are 140 masters and 61 Ph. D.. Over the past 5 years the number of academic persons has increased to 7000. The infrastructure for science and technology activities has continuously been improved. The budget for the scientific and technological activities is 50 billion dongs during the past 5 years, and increases yearly. The branch of public and internal communication has also been renovated and developed.
4. Activities in the field of goods quality control, standardization, safety radiation control, and intellectual property protection are increasingly improved and intensified, which efficiently protect the comsumers’ interests and communities’ health. Other activities have been successfully implemented including technology creativity contest, contest on informatics for non-professionals in order to encourage workers of all levels actively engaging in the movement for working creatively.
5. During the past period, collaboration with other provincial departments, national center, institutes, universities and international agencies in scientific and technological research has been intensified, that plays an important role in attraction of human resources, training, knowledge transfer, project realization and thereby promotes the development of science and technology in the province.
The above achievements over the past 5 years lay a groundwork for promotion of the scientific and technological research in Baria-Vungtau, which contributed significantly to the success of the province’s general goal. However, it should be noted that these activities had many weaknesses and limits as follows:
The organizational system and scientific policies are slowly renovated, that builds a wall against the research and development activities. Therefore, the scientific and technological potential is not fully used.
The province’s scientific and technological capacity is still small because of limiting financial sources. Although investment has increased recently, but it is not enough to support requirements of all research and development projects and to attract highly qualified persons working in the province.
In reality, provincial departments and branches haven’t seriously taken the responsibility to develop science and technology. Likewise, many enterprises haven’t been fully aware that science and technology are an important survival factor for the companies to cope with the challenges in a competitive environment and international integration.
- Researches are generally carried out in small scales. The realization of their results into practical production or commercial scales is very limited. Scientific and technological projects are, therefore, still far from the main target of being a key role for the socio-economic development.
- Scientific and technological activities at the district level remain underdevelop.
Strategies for S&T (scientific and technological) activities in the next period 2006-2010
From a pratical point of view, S&T research is required from the needs of the socio-economic development, its results must be quickly applied into practical production and daily life. Based on the orientation and the socio-economic development plan for BR-VT province in the period 2006-2010, S&T activities must continue to enhance the positive results gained in the past and reduce the disadvantages encountered. The strategies for S&T development in the years to come are as follows:
- The S&T potential needs be strengthened by means of quantative and qualitive improvement of human resources; increasement of financial investment by diversifying the investment capital sources; development of infrastructure for S&T activities; improvement of existing research units and variation of research fields and methods; development of S&T communication through establishment of practical projects.
- S&T projects should be continuously carried out to meet the province’s socio-economic development strategies.
- Science and technology transference should be intensified in modern sciences and appropriate technologies that are practically adapted to agricultural and rural conditions, particularly in some specific fields such as: breeding technology, product preservation and post harvest processing, instensive cultivation, product quality improvement. In parallel, measurements to retain the traditional technology, utilization of land and resources in a sustainable way, industrial development and services should be considered.
- Researches focussing on application of appropriate technologies for improving product quality serve to increase competitiveness of small and medium enterprises. Incentive policies should be built up to provide favor conditions for enterprises in acquiring new knowledges and advanced technologies from foreign countries. Researches conducted by companies are encouraged to make significantly breakthrough in some branches that are considered as dominant advantages in locality.
- Measures for supporting the development of high technology and using bio-technology, information and communication technology, new material, automation technology should be implemented. Researches will focuss on using efficiently natural resources and protecting environment toward a sustainable development.
- Renovation of structural organization and S&T management in the provincial and district levels has to be continued. The linkage of S&T researches with economic activities will enhance the efficiency of S&T activites in the next period.
9 preliminary S&T research programs of the province in the period of 2006-2010
1. Research program in social sciences and humanities related to education and training
2. Research program for efficient utilization of natural resources, environment protection and disaster prevention.
3. Research program for development of marine based-economy and national defense security.
4.Research program for application and development of information technology
5.S&T program on assisting enterprises in strengthening competitiveness and international integration
6.S&T program for promotion of agricultural and rural industrialization and modernization.
7. S&T program for serving, care and protecting the public health
8 S&T program for development of local industry
9. S&T program for development of tourism and services./.
(Dr. Truong Thanh Cong)
