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VINACOMIN Prioritizes R&D
Many of the 1,000 sci-tech research projects have received prestigious sci-tech awards such as Vietnam Fund for Supporting Technological Creations (VIFOTEC) Award and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Award, producing hundreds of products and helping increase productivity, protect natural resources and ensure working place safety. These are impressive results in sci-tech activities in 2006-2010 of the Vietnam National Coal, Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Limited (Vinacomin). Vietnam Economic News' Lan Phuong spoke with Phung Manh Dac, the Vinacomin deputy director general.
Can you tell us the results that Vinacomin has obtained in sci-tech activities in 2006-2010?
In the past five years, the corporation has outlined development strategies and plans until 2015 with a vision to 2025. Base on those strategies and plans, scientists, officers and institutes under the corporation have proposed and implemented sci-tech research projects and applied the results of those projects to the reality.
Specifically, the corporation has implemented 10 key sci-tech research programs with total cost of VND2 trillion such as mechanizing and modernizing coal and mineral mining sites, developing technology for sifting and intensively processing coal and minerals, designing and producing electromechanical equipment, reducing harmful influences of mining sites and guaranteeing working place safety, exploiting and using coal and minerals, developing new energies and materials, saving energy and promoting information technology, studying exploitation technology in special conditions, developing cleaner production models, improving management capability and enhancing sci-tech research ability for the corporation officers and combining the projects of the corporation with sci-tech research programs of the government.
Many sci-tech research projects of the corporation have been highly appreciated and received noble sci-tech awards such as the VINAALTA self-propelling supporting system under the project of producing self-propelling supporting system used at coal beds with 35 degree slope in Quang Ninh Province. The self-propelling supporting system has received the VIFOTEC 2009 first award. The research project on studying, building and producing coal sifting technology with suspension roaster and auto-generating suspension has won golden cup at the fair of Techmart Vietnam ASEAN plus Three.
To support sci-tech research projects, the corporation has established a sci-tech fund to provide capital for scientists to carry out research projects and trial production projects and apply those projects to the reality. Businesses who want to have loans and their applications are approved by the assessment council will be provided with capital. Many research projects have been sponsored by the fund. For example, the project on mechanizing coal mining technology by the Institute of Mining Science and Technology has been provided with nearly VND40 billion. The project on studying coal sifting technology by suspension technology has been given more than VND11 billion without any interest within three years. After three years, those projects have to return 70 percent of their loans.
All research projects are aimed at producing high efficiency in business and production activities. How have the results of those projects been applied to the reality?
The corporation always tries to produce technology and equipment based on practical demand. However, it is very difficult to make producers understand the benefits of those products, buy them and use them effectively. Therefore, before realizing research projects, we always make careful survey to guarantee that our products really meet businesses' demand. Products have to under strict quality assessment procedures. In reality, our products have been used effectively in companies under the corporation thanks to cheap price, high quality. For example, the VINAALTA self-propelling supporting system used in Vang Danh and Nam Mau mining sites has produced high efficiency, helping businesses to lower labor force. The product has local content of 50 percent and 70 percent cheaper than imported one. The sifting technology which has been applied in Mao Khe, Nam Mau and Deo Nai mining sites has operated smoothly.
To promote the results in sci-tech activities obtained in the past five years, what are the targets of the corporation in the coming time?
In the coming time, the corporation will strive to enhance sci-tech research capability to meet the international standards until 2015-2020. In addition, qualified scientists will be trained. The corporation will focus on producing new technology to strengthen the corporation competitiveness. .
In reality, we will have to face many difficulties in coal and mineral mining. Therefore, first, the corporation will pay attention to make detail plans on sci-tech activities, then assign tasks to each scientists. Scientists and businesses will work together to manufacture high quality product to meet practical demand./.