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Hanoi (VNA) – Science, technology and innovation are expected to be defined by the 14th National Party Congress as the central pillars of a new growth model, underpinning Vietnam’s drive towards double-digit, sustainable growth while lifting productivity, growth quality and overall economic competitiveness, according to member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung.
Talking with the press, Hung said the most significant achievement in recent years has not been a single technological success, but a fundamental shift in awareness, mindset and ways of doing. Vietnam has established a new framework in which science, technology, innovation and digital transformation are judged by outcomes, with socio-economic effectiveness as the core benchmark. Research, application and commercialisation are now aligned within a single logic of addressing real development challenges, rather than operating as separate or fragmented processes.
This shift has delivered tangible results across three major fronts. Institutionally, reforms have focused on removing bottlenecks to help science and technology move more swiftly into everyday life and production and business activities. At the same time, digital infrastructure and digital governance capacity have improved markedly, earning growing international recognition. Innovation capacity and the start-up ecosystem have also strengthened, contributing to a more competitive national profile.
According to the minister, the most valuable gain of the 2021–2025 period lies not in headline figures but in the momentum created, as innovation has taken root within enterprises, digital transformation has become embedded in the economy’s operations, and results-based governance is gradually taking shape as a new norm.
Highlighting a defining feature of the Politburo’s Resolution 57, Hung underscored the move from process-based management towards governance centred on objectives and final outcomes. The Resolution also stresses the importance of pilot mechanisms and the acceptance of controlled risks, recognising that innovation cannot occur without a willingness to experiment.
The Resolution also sets a target of allocating at least 3% of annual state budget expenditure to science, technology, innovation and digital transformation, with a gradual increase over time, alongside a shift from detailed spending controls to results-based funding. It further aims to raise research and development spending to 2% of GDP, with more than 60% coming from social sources, reflecting the view that science can only thrive when nurtured by market demand and disciplined by real-world results.
In 2025, the Ministry of Science and Technology took the lead in drafting, revising and submitting ten laws on science, technology and innovation to the National Assembly, a move seen as crucial to removing long-standing institutional constraints. These laws do more than expand the legal framework, as they open up new development space for science and innovation, with Vietnam even taking the lead globally in areas such as the laws on artificial intelligence and digital transformation.
Enterprises have been firmly positioned at the heart of the innovation ecosystem, with clearer rights and incentives encouraging greater investment in research and development and long-term commitment to innovation. At the same time, procedures for technology commercialisation have been streamlined, shortening the path from laboratories to the market and turning knowledge into products, services and added value.
Another major breakthrough has been the establishment of legal corridors for new technologies and business models through controlled sandbox mechanisms, allowing enterprises and start-ups to test innovations legally, within defined limits and under risk supervision, before scaling up.
Hung emphasised that innovation can only be sustained when capital flows are effectively unlocked, with the State playing a catalytic role in creating mechanisms and initial momentum. Vietnam has therefore focused on improving its legal framework to facilitate transparent and well-regulated inflows of private, venture and international capital into the innovation start-up ecosystem, including through the establishment of national and local venture capital funds backed by State resources.
By clearly identifying priority areas, the State is also guiding capital more effectively. Vietnam has defined 11 groups of strategic technologies that support national self-reliance, meet large market demand and offer long-term competitive advantages. With a clear strategic direction and consistent policies, investors are more inclined to commit long-term capital rather than pursue short-term returns.
Looking ahead, he said that achieving double-digit growth while ensuring sustainability will require continued institutional reforms, the development of legal frameworks for key sectors and the expansion of controlled pilot mechanisms. Vietnam must remain steadfast in pursuing self-reliance by mastering core technologies, prioritising areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, unmanned aerial vehicles, advanced materials and new energy, while gradually developing space and quantum industries as new growth poles shaping future competitiveness.
Further priorities include a fundamental overhaul of the management and financing of national science and technology programmes, with results as the primary yardstick, stronger use of intellectual property and standards as development tools, and accelerated investment in modern science, technology and digital infrastructure, ranging from national shared data platforms and high-performance computing centres to advanced laboratories and modern postal and telecommunications networks.
Ultimately, the minister stressed that a vibrant science, technology and innovation ecosystem must be built around talents. Strong mechanisms are needed to attract and retain top experts, effectively implement the “triple helix” model in which enterprises are central, research institutions form the backbone and the State acts as the enabler, and further unlock capital for innovation, particularly through public–private venture funds./.
