Appropriation of Biotechnology in Vietnam

I. Context:
- Role of Biotech for development has got widespread recognition among developing countries, including Vietnam
- In Vietnam, there are many official documents and policies of the government on development of Biotech. Biotech development and application in Vietnam is mainly intended for:
+ Agriculture
+ Healthcare
+ Environment
- In the context of a latecomer economy, there is a necessity for comparison and mutual learning between Vietnamese communities working on biotech and other partners, national and international.
- There are several similar activities related to biotech innovation study that has been conducted. Some of them are relevant to Vietnam context. First of all, one should mention IDRC supported UNU-MERIT (formerly UNU-Intech) study on biomedical innovation activity. This study is conducted in several countries in Africa and Asia like Tanzania, Vietnam, Malaysia. However, this study is very much on general issues and sector mapping rather than looking at specific features of university research and commercialization.
- Besides, Sweden-Vietnam research cooperation program has a Biotech sub-program. Similarly, this has focused very much on technical aspect and strategy for Biotech development.
- In wider context, there are other activities such as Toronto university-based study of 6 countries on biotech in developing world that includes Cuba, China, Brazil, Korea, South Africa, and Egypt. These are relevant experiences on biotech development in the resources-scarced conditions of developing countries. Still, this study has no university feature.
- In this overall context of university related study, there is a need for new and more specific research on issue of biotechnology appropriation in Vietnam. This research should have a focus on university research and its commercialization. More specifically, technology transfer activities in biotech and bioscience from university to commercial and/or social users will be a core component of the research. This project should complimentary other on-going activities.
- Also, the study would pay more attention to social and economic aspect of institution framework (non-technical issues). For this purpose, the study would pursue some international comparative analysis of innovation in biotechnology for development.

II. Research issues and questions

The proposed study will focus on turning bioscience/biotech R&D in universities via third mission activities into products to serve communities/society. Issues of technology transfer process from biolab to bioproducts are investigated in terms of mechanisms, difficulties, solution.

The study has following research issues and questions: (i) what is the status of technology transfer (or research commercialization) problems in university; (ii) what are the mechanisms; (iii) what are the institutional problems and that influence the technology transfer process; (iv) what are the specific issues of third mission in biotech: serving human community in healthcare, in agro-based food provision, etc. such as provision of free public goods versus ownership.

The study also produces policy recommendations in general and in each specific context in particular: toward a specific bio-innovation system. Some comparative analysis with selected neighboring country context could be provided: what can we learn from each other.

III. Methodology:

In the framework of limited financial and time constraints, the study opts for a case study methodology. It would design a study framework by selecting 1 or 2 case studies (university or R&D institution with technology transfer to serve the third mission), each in healthcare and agricultural sectors.
The study would design a uniform questionnaires or check-list to be used in coordinating with other country team for the sake of comparative perspective on application of Biotech in the transitional economy context. However, this component would be done outside this country study, depending on research interests of relevant partners.
Comparative perspective will be mainly done via second source data of other existing or on-going studies.

IV. Activities:
- Conceptual design and division of labor: May 2007
- Study in country context: case study based + desk works: June-August 2007
- Writing: September-December 2007
- Some comparative works with Thailand or China (2008)
- Workshop: presentation of findings and discussion for revision (2008)
- Publication (2008)