The Hanoitimes - Vietnam has over the past 15 years had 500 sci-tech innovation projects that have been applied in production, boosting business activities, improving productivity, quality and saving production costs, said the Vietnam Fund for Scientific and Technological Creations (VIFOTEC).

The information was delivered at a meeting on April 19 to review the 15-year contest holding for sci-tech creativity and present the innovation awards of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan expressed the wish that the competition organiser would encourage a wider variety of contestants.

He asked ministries, agencies and local authorities to set up mechanisms for supporting the VIFOTEC as well as facilitating application of innovative ideas in life and production.

With contest for advanced, innovative ideas held every year, the VIFOTEC has so far involved many organisations and individual scientists in the research and application of science and technology for the cause of national industrialisation and modernisation.

This year, awards went to 39 winners for technical creativity in the main categories such as information technology and telecommunications, mechanics and automation, materials technology, environmental protection technology, energy saving technology, and applied biology.

Of the award winners, four won first prize, 10 second prize, 12 third prize, and 13 consolation prize.

Nearly 2,000 scientific and technological projects have joined the competition since the first VIFOTEC contest was held in 1995.