Vietnam has great potential in medicinal materials but not yet effectively exploited and used. Identify the cause and find out the solution is the main content that is strongly exchanged between delegators in the second Industrial Forum organized by Vietnam – Korea Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST) on the afternoon of 27th March, 2019 at Ministry of Science & Technology (MOST).
In the Forum there were Vice Minister Pham Cong Tac; MOST former Vice Minister Tran Viet Thanh; Dr. Kum Dongwha, President of VKIST; Mr Ha Sung Do, Director General of Gangneung Center; Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), together with many scientists, enterprises from Vietnam and Korea.
Overall view of the Forum
“Gold mine” but no substantial exploitation
Delegators that participate in this annual Forum have the same judgement: The potential of medicinal plants source and knowledge of using medicinal materials of Vietnam is vast but have not been effectively applied.
Representatives from Traphaco and Nam Dược (two successful enterprise when expoiting the medicinal materials source of Vietnam) both asserted, to achieve success there needs to be cooperation between research institutes and enterprises before bringing the research products into the market. The typical result of the successful research institute – enterprise connecting model are the two products Hoạt huyết dưỡng não and Boganic of Traphaco… The revenue of these 2 products reachs approximately 400 billion dong/year.
Another cause has been pointed out by former Vice Minister Tran Viet Thanh, that is the protection of Intellectual Property (IP) for medicinal material products. Former Vice Minister advised: the protection of IP needs to be awared because there were many lessons happened causing loss for both scientists and enterprises. Whereby, for each research result that can be commercialized, consideration in registration for protection of IP before publishing the article is recommended.
Assoc Prof. Dr Le Mai Huong, Institute of Natural Products Chemistry (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology) admitted that this is a lesson for herself and the research group. Earlier, the group has published 1 international publication, after that, the research information was widely used even before the product gets sold on the market. “There’s an implicit honour but we failed in the Intellectual Property issue”- Assoc. Prof. Lê Mai Hương shared.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Mai Huong, Former Vice President of Institute of Natural Products Chemistry enunciated at the Forum.
Representative from Traphaco directly shared, medicinal materials enterprises really need technology renovation, approaching better extraction technology to be able to guarantee the quality of products.
In reality, there is a gap to bring scientists and enterprises together. This issue is also shared by Prof. Dr. Sc. Tran Van Sung, Institute of Chemistry (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology): Scientists are hesitating because they do not know how to introduce their technology, hence creating hesitation. Enterprises are not “passionate” with the solicitation of Vietnam Technology.
There are many causes and restrictions to close this gap. Therefore, in the Forum, there are many opinions that, for S&T products to be applied in real life, need the presentation of many Parties such as scientists, enterprises, investors, the Government needs to take the role “Conductor” to harmonize the relations of these Parties.
VKIST - “Connecting bridge” between scientists and enterprises
With the participation of experts in medicinal plants from Gangneung Center, VKIST organized this Forum to support and become the connecting bridge for companies, enterprises operating in biotechnology field of Vietnam to meet and exchange of success experience and discuss about difficulties and challenges. The Forum received great support from enterprises operating in the medicinal products field of Vietnam such as Nam Duoc Joint Stock Company, Traphaco Joint Stock Company, VabioTech.
In the Forum, Vice Minister of Science and Technology Pham Cong Tac proposed that speakers, representatives of enterprises to give opinions, debating in order to solve the difficulties that companies/enterprises are currently facing in similar situations; while in the meantime actively exchange cooperation with partners to grow together.
Vice Minister of Science and Technology Pham Cong Tac enunciated at the Forum
The Vice Minister also emphasize: With the role of state management in Science, Technology and Innovation, MOST will accompany with enterprises and researchers to search for solutions, orientations of policies, step by step bringing biotechnology application directly into production, developing socio-economy following guidelines of the Government.
Enunciated at the Forum, Dr. Kum Dongwha, President of VKIST indicated, VKIST will join hands with enterprises to provide technology solutions and is the connecting bridge helping Vietnam enterprises to have access to advanced technologies, creating market leading products.
Mr. Kum Dongwha, President of VKIST enunciated at the Forum.
As a prove, in the Forum the MOU Signing Ceremony took place between Korea Academy of Science and Technology (KIST) and Traphaco Joint Stock Company of research and creating products from medicinal plants, with the hope that in the future, many research on medicinal plants of Vietnam will create commercialize products with high economic value from this “handshake”.
The MOU signing ceremony between Korea Academy of Science and Technology (KIST) and Traphaco Joint Stock Company
Delegators took picture at the Forum.
VKIST is a Public S&T agency under MOST, established through a cooperative project between Vietnam and Korea Government, with the mission "Become a leading organization in researching applied science and developing advanced technologies related to industries and stable economic growth".
In 2018, VKIST organized the First Industrial Forum with the topic: “Technological demand in the automatic production process of medium and small enterprises in Vietnam”. With great support from associations in electronic and automation industries, the Forum attracted more than 90 delegations, therein mainly from private sector. The industrial forum focus on the demand of medium and small enterprises in Vietnam, creating opportunities for enterprises to exchange, discuss about their own demand in the production and automation process.
