Small firms get competitive   Sedge products are manufactured at Thanh Hoa Company in the northern province of Ninh Binh's Yen Khanh District. The Ministry of Science and Technology is implementing a programme to help small and medium-sized enterprises become more competitive. - VNA/VNS Photo Tran Viet HCM CITY (VNS) - A programme to help small and medium-sized enterprises enhance technologies and management to improve their competitiveness has been unveiled. The programme beginning this month would be conducted by the Business Association of High-Quality Vietnamese Goods and the Ministry of Science and Technology. The two would carry out annual studies of technology reform at SMEs, Vu Kim Hanh, chairwoman of the association, said. They would organise seminars and communications programmes to provide businesses with more information about the Government's policies for developing science and technology and for SMEs, she said. The programme is expected to help create close links between companies and the National Office of Intellectual Property, enabling the former to understand the importance of IP rights and the resolution of IP-related issues. Technology fairs and exhibitions would be held to develop the technology market, and the two entities would help companies raise capital to enhance their technologies. A club for innovative and creative businesses would be established to enable members to share their experiences and information about research and development, she said. She warned that enterprises are set to face increasing competition because of the country's international integration, making the need for improving technology and management urgent. Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan said "enterprises are the centre of science and technology innovation in the country. "They are also a place for application of advanced technology to improve production and efficiency for the sake of society." They would perish without innovation, he warned. A survey by the Business Studies and Assistance Centre of more than 100 enterprises found that most of them considered research and innovation to develop new products a key factor in business development. But less than 20 per cent of them actually had a research and development department, it found. - VNS