The Hanoitimes - Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan has urged localities to attach the development of science and technology to their social economic development plans so they can be implemented effectively from next year.

Nhan also highlighted inefficient investment and the lack of social participation in science and technology as other reasons, adding that investment in the sector was small in comparison to countries such as the US, the UK, Germany, Russia and the Republic of Korea.

The nation's science and technology sector has never enjoyed such favourable conditions for development as it has today, with a series of policies and support from the Party and Government, especially the national strategy for the science and technology development for 2011-20, he said.

The strategy, issued in April last year, defines targets, missions and solutions for the development of the sector until 2020. o­ne important part of the strategy is to bring some fields up to international and regional standards by that year.

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan said that the strategy is to get the sector to move alongside general development. It also urges the sector to carry out reforms and train appropriate human resources to meet development demands, he added.

The conference was attended by nearly 400 participants representing ministries, sectors, localities, research institutions, enterprises and organisations nationwide.