Speaking at the National Forum on Digital Economy and Digital Society Development on December 20, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung emphasized that a digital society is a space where citizens are empowered through digital technology.

According to Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung, Vietnam is entering a phase of strategic acceleration to realize its aspiration for rapid and sustainable development. The core issue today is how to ensure that the digital economy and digital society truly become new spaces for development, rather than merely digitizing existing models.

The digital economy currently still relies largely on the digitization of traditional activities. Although its share of GDP is growing rapidly, domestic value added remains low and heavily dependent on cross-border platforms. Therefore, the next phase requires a shift from digitizing the old to creating new development spaces, where data, digital platforms, digital enterprises, and digital citizens together become drivers of growth.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung, and Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung attend the Forum. Photo: Nhat Bac

He stressed that an important task is to design the structure of the national digital economy rather than taking a fragmented approach through individual digital transformation projects. The Government needs to redesign the economic structure based on layers of digital infrastructure, including telecommunications, the internet, cloud computing, data, artificial intelligence, digital platforms, and digital services.

Within this structure, data is considered a new means of production, digital infrastructure a new tool of production, and regulations on science and technology, safety, and cybersecurity a new operating framework. The State must play the role of chief architect, shaping the structure so that the market can operate efficiently and restructuring the entire economy from production and distribution to consumption.

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung believes that data, artificial intelligence, and computing capacity should be regarded as foundational production capabilities, equivalent to electricity, water, and telecommunications. Next-generation network operators should not only provide connectivity but also deliver core digital capabilities, becoming the backbone of the national digital space through data center systems and cloud computing.

At the same time, e-government needs to transition to a model of data-driven and predictive governance. Artificial intelligence can handle complex systems beyond human capacity, helping to design and assess policy impacts more quickly and accurately. The digital market should place enterprises at its center, creating demand that enables Vietnamese businesses to grow from the domestic market and expand globally. Similarly, the digital society must be people-centered, with digital trust as its foundation.

According to the Minister, a digital society is not one where all activities are moved online, but one in which each citizen is empowered through digital technology, including the right to access information, public services, lifelong learning, and participation in social governance. In a digital society, citizens are not merely beneficiaries but active participants in policymaking; authorities are not only regulators but also providers of data-driven public services.

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung speaks at the Forum. Photo: Nhat Bac

Data is enriched through the process of exploitation

Major General Nguyen Ngoc Cuong, Director of the National Data Center, stated that data does not deplete like traditional resources but can be enriched through use and exploitation. The National Population Database not only serves administrative management but also creates a unique digital identity foundation, enabling secure online public services, reducing procedures, and enhancing national competitiveness.

Currently, the National Population Database contains data on 107 million citizens and is connected with many ministries, sectors, and localities, contributing to savings of more than VND 4 trillion in social costs. However, a representative of the Ministry of Public Security noted that three bottlenecks still need to be addressed: the fragmentation of sectoral databases, an incomplete data ecosystem as VNeID has not yet truly become a super app, and the lack of a clearly defined data economy model suitable for Vietnam.

The Ministry of Public Security proposed building an open data ecosystem to serve enterprises and innovation, elevating VNeID into a national digital platform, and completing the national data architecture along with related legal documents.

Earlier, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assessed that the digital economy and digital society are two fields that are “two but one, one but two,” with a mutually reinforcing relationship. Developing the digital economy aims to innovate growth models, restructure the economy, and enhance productivity and competitiveness; meanwhile, the digital society focuses on inclusiveness and humanity, improving quality of life, ensuring equal access to services, and narrowing development gaps.

The Prime Minister said the forum’s objective goes beyond summarizing and evaluating, aiming instead to discuss, analyze, and propose breakthrough solutions for developing the digital economy and digital society in the coming period. He called on delegates to frankly and objectively assess Vietnam’s development status using specific data, clarify its position in the global technology value chain, and share experiences, lessons learned, and effective models in digital economy and digital society development—especially from leading technology corporations and pioneering localities—for broader replication.

Son Ha