Ho Chi Minh City: Biotechnology has not met practical needs

Although there are many efforts to promote, but the biotechnology industry (Biotechnology) of Ho Chi Minh City has not achieved the desired results.

Report of Assoc. Phan Minh Tan, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology on the results of the biotechnology program in Ho Chi Minh City in the 2006-2009 period, stated as above.

Assessing the biotechnology program of Ho Chi Minh City, Associate Prof. Dr. Phan Minh Tan said that since the beginning of 2006, the program has implemented 76 scientific and technological projects / projects, the number of approved projects / projects , inspection is 60 and acceptance is 26 topics. In which the ratio of science and technology projects / projects applied after acceptance is not only increasing but also tends to decrease each year.

Stem cell research at the University of Natural Sciences - Ho Chi Minh City.(Photo: TH)

Compared to the southern provinces, Ho Chi Minh City is one of the few localities where biotechnology development programs are developed. The acceptance results from the program reached about 60-83% applied in practice, initially creating a number of high-tech biotechnology products such as veterinary vaccines, kits for testing. In particular, bacteria, human viruses and human viruses on this basis contributed to the formation of a number of biotechnology companies in the city.

However, according to Associate Professor Phan Minh Tan, the results achieved by the program are not commensurate with the role of biotechnology in the economic and social development of Ho Chi Minh City. Although Ho Chi Minh City has made great efforts to promote the Biotechnology Center; High-tech Agricultural Zone and cooperation program between the city and domestic and foreign science and technology organizations (Genetic Engineering Center - Cuba and University of Tsukuba - Japan).

Mr. Tan said that one of the reasons for the biotechnology industry in Ho Chi Minh City as well as the southern provinces has not developed and met the practical needs is because the investment in research is still spreading and the initial budget little investment. Resulting in the results are both modest and incomplete.

Even some of the technologies and products obtained cannot become goods to go into production practice. Many research results are ineffective because the long study period, and the economic efficiency of the research results have not been correctly evaluated is also one of the obstacles that biotechnology in the South and Ho Chi Minh City is encountered.

In the direction of resolving the above situation, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Minh Tan frankly proposed to increase the program investment budget and product-oriented investment. At the same time, it is necessary to clearly define specific objectives and objects to focus on medium and long-term investment capital to acquire specific technologies or products in conditions where the capital source is still limited.