Resolution 57 drives Vietnam’s shift towards an innovation-driven economy

By positioning science, technology, innovation and digital transformation at the centre of national development, the resolution is laying the foundations for stronger technological self-reliance, higher productivity and more sustainable long-term growth.

Rather than treating science and technology as a standalone sector, Resolution 57 identifies innovation and digital transformation as cross-cutting drivers of economic development, public administration, national defence, social progress and international integration. Its objective is not simply to digitalise existing systems but to create new productive forces, modernise governance and strengthen Vietnam’s technological competitiveness in an increasingly technology-driven world.

Eighteen months into implementation, one of the Resolution’s most significant achievements has been a shift in development thinking. Science, technology, innovation and digital transformation are now recognised as strategic pillars supporting productivity growth, institutional reform and national competitiveness. The emphasis has gradually moved from issuing policies to delivering measurable outcomes through new technologies, new products and greater value creation.

The importance attached to Resolution 57 was reflected in a nationwide conference reviewing its first 18 months of implementation. The recently held event demonstrated the coordinated engagement of the entire political system and reaffirmed the Resolution as one of Vietnam's defining development strategies for the coming decade.

From policy implementation to measurable outcomes

Addressing the conference, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam stressed that implementation of Resolution 57 must become more decisive, substantive and effective. Success, he emphasised, should no longer be measured by the number of legal documents issued or administrative procedures completed, but by tangible improvements in governance, technological capability, business performance and people's daily lives.

This reflects a broader transition in Vietnam’s development approach, from completing assigned tasks to building national capacity. Ministries, sectors and localities are increasingly expected to demonstrate concrete results through technologies mastered, databases interconnected, administrative procedures simplified, social costs reduced and productivity improved.

Science, technology, innovation and digital transformation are therefore no longer responsibilities confined to specialised agencies. They have become core priorities across all levels of government, with leaders expected to drive implementation and replicate successful models while encouraging innovation and protecting those willing to take responsible risks for the public interest.

Institutional reform accelerates digital transformation

Institutional reform has emerged as one of the clearest outcomes of Resolution 57. Over the past 18 months, Vietnam has accelerated revisions to legal frameworks designed to unlock resources for science, technology, innovation and digital transformation.

To date, competent authorities have issued six laws, five government decrees, three resolutions and three prime ministerial decisions, alongside numerous guiding documents that collectively provide a more comprehensive legal framework for innovation-driven development. In an increasingly competitive global environment, institutions are becoming strategic assets that strengthen national competitiveness rather than simply regulatory instruments.

Alongside legal reforms, Vietnam has continued building shared digital infrastructure across the political system. Prime Ministerial Decision No. 1132/QĐ-TTg, issued in June 2026, established common standards for digital platforms across state agencies, helping reduce fragmented investment while promoting interoperability, data sharing and more efficient digital governance.

Administrative reform has also gained momentum through Project 06, Vietnam’s national programme on developing population data, digital identity and electronic authentication to support national digital transformation. The National Population Database now contains records for approximately 107 million citizens and has been connected to 15 ministries and 34 localities, processing more than 2.1 billion identity verification requests.

Meanwhile, around 67 million citizens have registered accounts on Vietnam's national digital identity application VNeID, which now integrate 50 public services. The National Public Service Portal provides approximately 4,700 online administrative procedures and processed around 11.5 million online applications in 2025, helping save an estimated VND4 trillion in administrative costs.

Together, these developments illustrate that Vietnam’s digital transformation is moving beyond technology deployment towards a more fundamental transformation of governance, public services and citizen engagement.

Building technological capability for long-term growth

Resolution 57 has also injected fresh momentum into the development of Vietnam’s digital economy, technology enterprises and innovation ecosystem. Beyond improving governance, the resolution seeks to strengthen domestic technological capability, enhance industrial competitiveness and gradually move Vietnam higher up global value chains.

By the end of May 2026, Vietnam had 963 certified science and technology enterprises, 20 science and technology exchanges and 37 innovation centres operating across 26 provinces and centrally governed cities. At the same time, fully online public administrative services accounted for more than half of all eligible procedures, reflecting continued progress in digital government.

The digital economy has likewise maintained strong growth. In 2025, it generated 14.02% of GDP, equivalent to approximately US$72.1 billion, highlighting the increasingly important role of technology-based industries in Vietnam's economic transformation.

Perhaps more significant than these figures is the country's growing ability to master core technologies. Vietnamese enterprises are increasingly moving beyond technology adoption towards technology creation in strategic sectors.

In AI-powered surveillance systems, companies including MK, Hanet, BKAV, CMC and VNPT have developed around 65% of core technologies domestically, with localisation rates exceeding 50%. Viettel has mastered approximately 85% of core 5G technologies while continuing to expand its portfolio of high-tech defence products.

Vietnamese enterprises have also made notable progress in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies. Companies such as Realtime Robotics, Viettel and CT Group have developed more than 70% of core UAV technologies, established domestic production capacity and begun exporting selected products to the United States.

Digital infrastructure has expanded rapidly alongside these advances. Nationwide 5G coverage now reaches 91.9% of the population, serving more than 22.4 million subscribers. Several large-scale data centres have entered construction or operation, while more than 4,200 graphics processing units (GPUs) have been deployed to support artificial intelligence research and applications.

To support long-term technological development, Vietnam has also identified 11 strategic technology domains and 35 priority technology product groups, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, cloud computing, blockchain, 5G and future 6G networks, robotics, advanced materials, biotechnology, cybersecurity, aerospace and rare-earth processing. Concentrating resources on these strategic technologies is expected to strengthen Vietnam's technological autonomy and support the country's next stage of industrialisation.

Research universities become innovation hubs

While government policies provide the institutional framework, research universities are expected to become key drivers of Vietnam’s innovation ecosystem by generating new knowledge, developing core technologies, commercialising research and supplying highly skilled talent.

Among them, the Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) is playing an increasingly strategic role. Beyond educating engineers and scientists, the university is contributing to research and technology development in priority sectors identified under Resolution 57, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, advanced materials, clean energy, aerospace and cybersecurity.

At the national conference reviewing Resolution 57, HUST President Professor Le Anh Tuan proposed five policy recommendations aimed at accelerating innovation and technology commercialisation.

The first focuses on strengthening Vietnam’s advanced materials industry, a critical foundation for strategic sectors such as semiconductors, electric vehicles, renewable energy, aerospace, biomedical engineering and defence. To achieve this, the university called for greater investment in modern laboratories, research infrastructure and talent development while promoting closer collaboration between universities and industry.

HUST also recommended simplifying administrative procedures governing publicly funded research. More flexible financial and regulatory mechanisms would enable scientists to respond more quickly to rapidly evolving technologies such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and robotics.

Another proposal is the early introduction of regulatory sandboxes together with public procurement policies that prioritise innovative domestic technologies. Such mechanisms would allow emerging technologies to be tested under controlled conditions while creating initial markets for products developed by Vietnamese universities and research institutes.

To address financing gaps, HUST proposed establishing the national venture capital fund and encouraging universities to develop their own innovation funds. These mechanisms would help bridge the gap between laboratory research and commercial application by supporting technology development, intellectual property protection and market expansion.

Finally, the university advocated policies encouraging university spin-offs and spin-out companies, enabling research institutions to transform scientific discoveries into commercially viable enterprises. Together, these recommendations reflect a broader transition under Resolution 57, from universities serving primarily as educational institutions to becoming innovation hubs supporting national technological development.

Resolution 57 reaches local communities

The impact of Resolution 57 is becoming increasingly visible beyond central policymaking, with many localities translating national objectives into practical solutions tailored to local development needs.

In agriculture, several provinces have adopted digital technologies and smart production models to improve productivity and reduce costs. Ca Mau has expanded intensive recirculating shrimp farming, while Vinh Long has introduced drones, nano-fertiliser technologies and disease-free breeding techniques. Dong Thap has developed digital platforms for pest monitoring and crop management, generating significant savings for rice farmers. Thanh Hoa has accelerated mechanisation in livestock production while expanding digital traceability systems and smart irrigation technologies.

Digital transformation is also reshaping public administration and environmental management. Many provinces have established smart operation centres, automated environmental monitoring systems and digital mapping platforms that improve governance, disaster forecasting and public services.

Health care has likewise undergone rapid digitalisation. The National Electronic Health Book platform now manages nearly 40 million digital medical records, while chip-based citizen identity cards are increasingly integrated into health insurance registration and medical services. Leading hospitals have also expanded the use of electronic medical records under Project 06.

Meanwhile, digital technologies are creating new opportunities in culture and tourism. Several provinces have introduced digital heritage databases, artificial intelligence-powered visitor services and smart tourism applications to enhance visitor experiences while preserving cultural assets.

These examples demonstrate that Resolution 57 is gradually moving from national policy to practical implementation, improving governance, healthcare, agriculture and public services, alongside creating new opportunities for collaboration among local governments, universities and technology enterprises.

Challenges remain

Despite encouraging progress, significant challenges remain. The most fundamental is the gap between policy ambition and implementation. Although awareness of science, technology and digital transformation has increased across government, progress is uneven among ministries and localities. In some cases, digital transformation is still viewed primarily as an information technology project rather than as a comprehensive driver of institutional and economic reform.

Institutional frameworks also need further improvement. Scientific research and technological innovation require greater flexibility than conventional public investment projects, yet existing administrative and financial procedures continue to slow implementation.

Several important policy mechanisms, including regulatory sandboxes, innovation-oriented public procurement, venture capital funds and frameworks supporting university spin-offs, have been proposed but are yet to be fully implemented. Accelerating these reforms will be essential to narrowing the gap between research and commercialisation.

Data governance is another challenge. Although Vietnam has made considerable progress in building national databases, fragmented information systems, inconsistent data standards and limited interoperability continue to constrain the development of artificial intelligence, digital public services and the broader digital economy.

At the same time, demand for highly skilled professionals in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, cloud computing, robotics, biotechnology and cybersecurity continues to outpace supply, highlighting the need for sustained investment in higher education, research and talent development.

Technology enterprises have also called for faster development of AI infrastructure, shared computing resources, stronger data ecosystems and more flexible innovation policies. These recommendations broadly align with proposals from research universities, reflecting growing consensus that institutional reform is as important as technological investment.

From strategic vision to national capability

Looking ahead, the next phase of Resolution 57 will depend less on introducing additional policies than on delivering measurable outcomes.

Addressing the national review conference, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam stressed that success should be measured through practical results rather than administrative procedures. Ministries, sectors and local authorities are therefore expected to translate strategic objectives into concrete projects with clear responsibilities, implementation roadmaps and measurable indicators.

Research universities will continue to play a pivotal role in this process. Institutions such as HUST are set not only to educate future scientists and engineers but also to develop core technologies, commercialise research, nurture technology start-ups and provide the highly skilled workforce needed for strategic industries. Achieving these goals will require sustained investment, greater institutional autonomy, stronger university-industry partnerships and more flexible innovation financing.

Equally important will be continued investment in national data infrastructure, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, cloud computing, biotechnology, robotics and other strategic technologies that will shape future competitiveness.

Eighteen months after its adoption, Resolution 57 has laid the foundations for a new development model in which science, technology, innovation and digital transformation serve as key drivers of national growth. Institutional reforms, digital infrastructure, national databases and expanding technological capability are beginning to generate tangible improvements across government, business and society.

These achievements, however, represent only the beginning. The long-term success of Resolution 57 will ultimately be measured by Vietnam’s ability to develop globally competitive technologies, build innovative enterprises, modernise public services and improve people's quality of life.

In an era increasingly defined by technological competition and innovation capacity, countries capable of creating knowledge and mastering core technologies will enjoy the greatest strategic advantages. Through Resolution 57, Vietnam has established a clear direction towards that future. The next challenge is to transform strategic vision into sustained implementation, ensuring that science, technology, innovation and digital transformation become enduring engines of rapid, sustainable and inclusive national development.

Resolution 57: Vietnam advances domestic AI ecosystem

Vietnam is accelerating the development of a self-reliant and sustainable artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem, with strong backing from the policy framework and leading domestic technology corporations.