Science, technology, innovation and digital transformation - the role of VUSTA
The forum held on May 18 demonstrated that Vietnam’s science and technology community possesses the intellectual capacity, practical experience, and aspiration needed to translate resolutions into concrete action and help propel the country into a new era of growth driven by knowledge and technology.
On the morning of May 18 in Hanoi, the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) organized a forum marking Vietnam Science, Technology and Innovation Day (May 18) under the theme “Science, technology, innovation and digital transformation - the role of VUSTA in shaping a new growth model”. The event was held in a hybrid format, both in person and online, connecting provincial and municipal VUSTA members nationwide.
Overview of the forum
Vietnam Science, Technology and Innovation Day 2026 took place in a particularly significant context as the country enters an accelerated phase in implementing Politburo Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation. At the commemorative event, two major enterprises provided financial support to VUSTA. HTC International Telecommunications Joint Stock Company donated VND 1 billion, while Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City contributed VND 500 million to support scientific research activities across the VUSTA system.
Dr. Sc. Phan Xuan Dung, President of VUSTA, delivers the opening remarks at the forum marking Vietnam Science, Technology and Innovation Day, May 18, 2026
In his opening remarks, Dr. Sc. Phan Xuan Dung, President of VUSTA, stated that VUSTA currently comprises 126 member associations, including 92 national professional associations and 34 provincial and municipal VUSTA unions, along with 575 science and technology organizations. The entire system brings together approximately 3.7 million members, including 2.2 million intellectuals, accounting for 32.5% of the country’s total intellectual workforce.
Dr. Sc. Phan Xuan Dung also highlighted Vietnam’s position on the global innovation map, citing the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which announced in Geneva that Vietnam ranked 44th out of 139 countries and economies in the 2025 Global Innovation Index. He delivered a direct message to the country’s intellectual community: “We must be determined that, with the collective intellect of the Vietnamese people, there is nothing we cannot achieve”.
Prof., Academician Chau Van Minh, Secretary of the VUSTA Party Committee, and Dr. Sc. Phan Xuan Dung, President of VUSTA, present flowers in appreciation to sponsors at the ceremony receiving support for science, technology, and Party-building activities on May 18, 2026
Five breakthroughs for a new growth model under Resolution No. 57-NQ-TW
Speaking from Hai Phong, Dr. Bui Thanh Tung, President of the Hai Phong Union of Science and Technology Associations, delivered an in-depth presentation analyzing Vietnam’s emerging growth model. He noted that the fundamental transformation lies in shifting from a growth model driven by natural resources and low-cost labor to one based on the knowledge economy, circular economy, and innovation, closely linked with digital and green transitions.
Dr. Bui Thanh Tung identified five key breakthroughs outlined in Resolution No. 57 that VUSTA should closely follow. First is the new vision of production resources, in which data is recognized as a strategic resource, while core technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and semiconductors serve as key development pillars. Second, for the first time, policies that accept risk-taking and time lags in scientific research have been institutionalized, creating a more open legal framework for breakthrough ideas and innovation. Third is an ambitious financial target: the digital economy is expected to account for at least 30% of GDP by 2030; research and development spending is targeted at 2% of GDP; and at least 3% of annual state budget expenditure is allocated to science and technology.
The fourth breakthrough focuses on building a strong enterprise ecosystem, aiming to develop 5-10 digital technology companies on par with those in advanced economies, attract global technology corporations to establish research centers in Vietnam, and position universities as hubs of the startup ecosystem. The fifth is enhancing national digital capacity through nationwide 5G coverage, with the goal of placing Vietnam among the top three countries in Southeast Asia and among the world’s top 50 in digital competitiveness.
Overview of the forum at VUSTA headquarters in Hanoi, with a live online connection to the Hai Phong Union of Science and Technology Associations. Dr. Bui Thanh Tung presents a paper on the new growth model on the occasion of Vietnam Science, Technology and Innovation Day, May 18, 2026
Assessing the role of VUSTA, Dr. Bui Thanh Tung affirmed that the organization should serve as a “strategic bridge” in the new growth model, undertaking three key functions: mobilizing intellectual resources and providing policy consultation and critique; promoting technology transfer and innovation; and advancing green and sustainable economic development. He also proposed that VUSTA prioritize renewing its membership structure, establish mechanisms to attract young intellectuals and science and technology professionals working in enterprises, and support youth intellectual clubs as well as specialized science and technology clubs among students and pupils.
Avoiding institutional bottlenecks in innovation
Representing the Vietnam Digital Communications Association, Mr. Nguyen Quang Dong, Member of the Standing Committee and Director of the Institute for Policy and Media Development Studies, shared the practical contributions of the organization since its establishment in 2011 under Decision No. 68/QD-BNV of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Association currently has five specialized committees and 16 affiliated units, focusing on three main areas: contributing to institutional and policy development, developing the science and technology market, and training digital human resources.
Dr. Nguyen Quang Dong, Standing Committee Member of the Vietnam Digital Communications Association, presents a paper on institutional policy contributions and human resource development in science and technology at the form held on May 18, 2026
On the institutional front, Dr. Nguyen Quang Dong noted that the Vietnam Digital Communications Association is directly involved in editorial boards and drafting committees for two major legislative initiatives: the Law on Artificial Intelligence and the Law on Digital Technology Industry. The Association has also contributed to several important draft laws, including the amended Law on Science, Technology and Innovation, the Law on Digital Transformation, the Law on Data, the Law on Personal Data Protection, and the Law on E-Commerce.
In terms of market development, the Vietnam Digital Awards (VDA), organized by the Association, has been held for 8 consecutive editions, honoring more than 450 agencies and organizations with outstanding achievements in digital transformation. The Association also maintains the annual VDA Conference, connecting over 1,000 technology enterprises in southern Vietnam, and organizes specialized forums on digital publishing and digital content. In 2025 alone, its training center conducted nearly 80 courses for young professionals and students in artificial intelligence, big data, cybersecurity, and semiconductors, in cooperation with the National Innovation Center and major corporations such as Samsung and FPT.
Dr. Nguyen Quang Dong cited a concrete example of institutional bottlenecks affecting international scientific cooperation. He noted that obtaining approval for an international workshop can still take 3 to 4 months under the fastest procedures. He proposed that VUSTA advocate for a 50% reduction in administrative procedures in the science and technology sector, and promote greater inclusion of young experts, as most professionals in AI and emerging technologies are currently aged 25-30 and are not yet fully integrated into the association system.
An integrated ecosystem for one million Vietnamese enterprises
Dr. Sc. Nghiem Vu Khai highlighted a fundamental bottleneck in Vietnam’s research, technology transfer, and commercialization ecosystem. He pointed out that the linkage between the State, scientists, and enterprises remains weak, resulting in many research outcomes failing to reach production and the market. Mechanisms for piloting and commercializing technologies also remain slow to reform.
Dr. Sc. Nghiem Vu Khai, former Deputy Minister of Science and Technology and former Vice President of VUSTA, speaks at the forum marking Vietnam Science, Technology and Innovation Day, May 18, 2026, highlighting the fundamental bottleneck in the linkage among the State, scientists, and enterprises in innovation implementation
According to Dr. Sc. Nghiem Vu Khai, the solution requires simultaneous and coordinated action, including the improvement of institutional frameworks to enable pilot mechanisms for new business models and technologies; the development of national shared digital and data infrastructure; investment in high-quality human resources in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and data governance; and the strong promotion of the “three-party cooperation” model among the State, scientists, and enterprises.
Dr. Le Anh Hung, Director of the Institute for Science and Innovation under VUSTA, presents a paper on the ecosystem supporting enterprises in productivity improvement, digital transformation, and sustainable development on May 18, 2026
Dr. Le Anh Hung, Director of the Institute for Science and Innovation under VUSTA, provided concrete data on the enterprise sector targeted by the proposed ecosystem. As of the end of 2025, Vietnam had approximately 1.02 million active enterprises, of which more than 97% were small and medium-sized enterprises, contributing around 45% of GDP and generating employment for over 16 million workers. Labor productivity in 2024 reached VND 221.9 million per worker (equivalent to USD 9,182), still relatively low compared to regional standards.
He identified the biggest “bottleneck” in enterprise digital transformation not as a lack of technology or capital, but the absence of a clear implementation roadmap, leaving many businesses uncertain about where to start and resulting in fragmented resources and limited effectiveness. He proposed that VUSTA should shift toward a coordinating and leading role across the entire ecosystem, ensuring effective linkage of the right actors, resources, and timing. The proposed model operates on three interconnected levels: the national level, which provides the policy framework through key resolutions (57, 59, 66, and 68); the sectoral level, which delivers services and coordination; and the enterprise level, where practical solutions are implemented.
Overview of the roundtable discussion
At the roundtable discussion, speakers conveyed three consistent messages to the incoming leadership, which were repeatedly emphasized and reinforced across presentations.
First, VUSTA should take a more proactive role in advocating for the revision of legal regulations that are no longer fully aligned with the operational needs of professional associations, including administrative procedures, financial mechanisms, and conditions for international cooperation, in order to fully promote its role as a bridge between policymaking and production realities.
Second, VUSTA needs to substantially rejuvenate its membership structure by attracting a younger generation of experts and scientists under the age of 30, who are increasingly leading developments in emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, big data, and semiconductor technologies.
Third, VUSTA should accelerate digital transformation across its entire system, including the digitalization of management operations, application of artificial intelligence in governance, and the development of a comprehensive digital transformation program for its network of 126 member organizations.
Delegates attending the forum take a commemorative photo
After 43 years of development, VUSTA has established a strong foundation with millions of members spanning from the central to local levels nationwide. The May 18 forum demonstrated that Vietnam’s science and technology community possesses sufficient intellectual capacity, practical experience, and aspiration to turn policy resolutions into concrete actions, propelling the country into an era of growth driven by knowledge and technology.
