Vietnam and Japan officially established foreign relations in 1973. In 2023, the two mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Experiencing different historical periods, from contacts, relations, partnerships, and cooperation to strategic partners, comprehensive strategic partnerships, the Vietnamese and Japanese relationship is moving towards a new situation. Looking back on 50 years of Vietnamese and Japanese relations, besides multi-dimensional achievements in most fields, especially in economy, trade, and investment, in science and technology cooperation, the relationship also achieved remarkable results. Nevertheless, quantifying that result is quite challenging and seems to be in the context of one-way interaction (through Japanese aid - ODA)? How did the knowledge and technology transfer take place in the trend of equality and mutual benefit? How has Vietnam received (through receiving capacity, absorptive capacity) and transformed/digested the transfer to develop the country, from serving industrialization and modernization to improving endogenous capacity, technological capacity, innovation capacity, national innovation system (NIS) and R&D commercialization? The purpose of the paper is to reexamine the technology transfer in the past five decades (especially the first two decades of the twenty-first millennium) in some typical aspects (especially about attracting Japanese FDI). The paper also seeks to provide useful insights into assessments aiming to guide the philosophy of science, technology, and innovation in the next period, towards an era of more equal, effective, and substantive cooperation, contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity between the two countries.
