DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION IN UNIVERSITIES TO MEET LOCAL SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEEDS

Science, technology, and innovation are core missions of universities, especially in the current context where local development needs serve as a primary goal and a key outcome of science, technology, and innovation activities. This paper synthesizes and analyzes the latest policies of the Party and the State on science, technology, and innovation, assesses the current implementation status in selected universities through surveys, legal document analysis, and comparison with notable recent studies, and proposes solutions for advancing science, technology, and innovation in universities to meet local socio- economic development needs. The findings reveal that university science, technology, and innovation activities remain constrained by limitations in management mechanisms, human resources, infrastructure investment, and linkages with enterprises. Based on these insights, the paper proposes four key groups of solutions: (1) improving mechanisms and policies to promote science, technology, and innovation; (2) developing high-quality human resources associated with research and technology transfer; (3) increasing targeted investments in research infrastructure; and (4) strengthening collaboration with businesses. These solutions aim to build a practical science, technology, and innovation ecosystem within universities and promote sustainable local development. Keywords: Local socio-economic development; science, technology and innovation; universities