The Make in Vietnam Digital Technology Product Awards 2021 has been launched to honor typical digital enterprises under the Make in Vietnam strategy and support them exporting digital technology's innovative products, services, and solutions.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Phan Tam (L) and Vice Chairman of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hoang Quang Phong (R) kicks off the Make in Vietnam Digital Technology Product Awards 2021 on June 18. Photos: Phi Nhat

Speaking at the launching ceremony held via online video in Hanoi on June 18, Deputy Minister Phan Tam underlined after a year of implementation, this award has had a good spillover effect. Many awarded products have helped the government, agencies, businesses, and people to carry out digital transformation. 

"Product development is the way for Vietnam to master technology and products, and catch up with other countries in research and development and new technology application," Tam said.

The effect from the award

Especially, many technology enterprises have offered digital solutions for the fight against Covid-19 and sustainable development in the new normal.

Most of the awarded products in 2020 have been highly appreciated among the business community and have helped businesses boost their performance as well as improving their chance to receive new investments. 

Pham Kim Hung, founder and CEO of Base.vn, the Vietnamese Software-as-a-Service platform, one of the awarded products in 2020, said this award has a meaningful impact on the growth of the company.

"One of the great things about the Make in Vietnam Awards that I am extremely grateful for is that it highlights the value of core technology in developing digital products and solutions for business problems," he told The Hanoi Times. "And I know that many businesses also wish to win the Awards." 

Hung believed that along with digital transformation, the Make in Vietnam strategy and the idea of launching the Digital Product Awards will encourage Vietnamese technology businesses to develop digital products for the Vietnamese and international markets.

An overview of the online launching ceremony of the Awards 2021.

Besides Base.vn, akaBot (a robot process automation platform owned by FTP Software), after winning the first prize of Excellent Digital Product last year, has brought the company a growth rate of 300% in revenue and doubled the number of customers in 2020, according to Bui Dinh Giap, founder, and CEO of akaBot. Its products are available in nine international markets.

This year, the company targets to achieve doubled revenue growth compared to 2020. "Our ambition is to become the No. 1 robot process automation provider in Vietnam in the banking-finance industry in the future," Giap told The Hanoi Times. “The Make in Vietnam Awards are likely a launchpad to help us win more achievements.” 

Another awarded product, Vinbrain's DrAid (Al-powered platform) is effectively supporting hospitals in the Covid-19 hotspots of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh. Voso.vn - Viettel Post's e-commerce platform helped more than 3,000 farming households sell more than 2,000 tons of lychee harvested from the northern provinces of Hai Duong and Bac Giang in June.

Deputy Minister Phan Tam urged local enterprises to promote their advantages, actively innovate products, services, and solutions. "The enterprises need to have confidence in Vietnam's ability to solve problems and thereby dominate the domestic market."

“Digital technology enterprises should focus on applying open technology, including open-source code and open data then contribute to the world’s technical knowledge,” Tam said.