The workshop focused on exchanging and sharing: International experiences on innovation in socio-economic development; Positioning PII in promoting innovation activities to serve socio-economic development; decomposing the PII index in PII development in Can Tho City and the Mekong Delta region; Can Tho PII - Socio-economic development model based on science, technology and innovation. In addition, the workshop also included a discussion of some comments on high-scoring indexes as well as an assessment of low-scoring indexes and potential indexes that can be developed to help improve Can Tho City's PII index and the Mekong Delta region.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc He - Vice Chairman of Can Tho City People's Committee emphasized that the PII announcement event of the Ministry of Science and Technology on March 12, 2024 affirmed its role and position. The position of the science and technology sector in the process of socio-economic development. Accordingly, Can Tho City was honored to be in the top 5 localities with the highest index in the country with a score of 49.66 and was the locality with the second highest innovation output ranking in the country, just behind Hanoi. In particular, indicators of human resources for research and development (98.73 points), patent/utility solution applications (100 points), plant variety registration applications (100 points), the industrial production index (reaching 93.51 points) and the number of OCOP products with 4 stars or higher (reaching 77.07 points) are 5 strong points of the city. The results achieved from the PII index help the city have more basis to evaluate the overall socio-economic development model based on the potential of science, technology and innovation, and at the same time more closely identify the strengths and weaknesses and potentials need to be exploited and promoted in the future.

The workshop is an opportunity to strengthen the connection between managers, scientists, research experts, businesses and business support organizations in the Mekong Delta region in assessing the current situation and potential for localities to build policies. Appropriate socio-economic development policies based on science, technology and innovation of each locality.