Placing Enterprises at Center of National Technology Strategy

An AI and semiconductor event showcases the latest technological innovations

The development of strategic technologies and related application products has become an urgent priority for Vietnam to strengthen self-reliance, increase domestic value creation, and generate new growth momentum for the economy. In an increasingly competitive global technology landscape, the ability to master core technologies is widely seen as a key factor in determining a country’s position in the global economy.

To support the goal of becoming a developed country with a modern industrial base, the Prime Minister has issued Decision 21/2026/QD-TTg on the list of strategic technologies and strategic technology products, along with Decision 808 approving implementation tasks. Together, these policies mark an important shift from identifying priority sectors to implementing development across the full value chain, linking research with market and enterprise demand.

Shifting from technology prioritization thinking to solving market problems

According to Luu Quang Minh, Deputy Director General of the Department of Science, Technology and Engineering under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Decision 21/2026/QD-TTg establishes a new policy framework that replaces Decision 1131 and serves as a guide for investment, research, and technology development activities by ministries, sectors, local authorities, enterprises, research institutes, and universities.

The key feature of the new policy is its approach. Rather than selecting technologies based on global trends, the list of strategic technologies is built around practical challenges facing the economy and the development needs of individual sectors and industries.

This approach is expected to help focus investment resources more effectively, avoiding fragmented investment and trend-driven allocation that fails to create real technological capabilities or commercially viable products.

The approved list identifies several foundational technology areas for priority development, including robotics, quantum technology, cybersecurity, advanced microbiology, new energy, new materials, aerospace technology, and modern railway transport.

These fields have strong potential to generate high added value while creating opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises to participate more deeply in high-tech supply chains, gradually improving competitiveness and reducing reliance on imported technologies.

According to experts, identifying market needs and challenges from the outset not only improves the effectiveness of investment in science and technology but also enables enterprises to take a more direct role in research and product development, rather than serving solely as technology users as in the past.

Delegates watch a technology demonstration at an AI and semiconductor event

Building an innovation ecosystem with enterprises as the core

If Decision 21 identifies the technologies Vietnam should prioritize, Decision 808 is considered a concrete step toward putting those priorities into practice.

Under this approach, strategic technology development will follow an integrated process, from identifying major practical challenges and selecting target products to mastering core technologies, organizing implementation, and commercializing products.

According to Luu Quang Minh, experience has shown that many previous science and technology policies did not achieve the expected results due to the lack of specific implementation mechanisms, unclear responsibilities, and weak links to market outcomes. Decision 808 was issued to address these shortcomings and ensure that strategic technologies are developed in line with the practical needs of the economy.

The most significant aspect of the policy is that enterprises are positioned as the central players in the innovation ecosystem. Beyond being policy beneficiaries, enterprises are expected to invest resources, conduct research, organize production, and commercialize strategic technology products.

Research institutes and universities, meanwhile, are responsible for providing foundational knowledge, conducting basic research, and training high-quality human resources. Ministries, sectors, and local authorities help identify major practical challenges while creating conditions for new technologies and products to be tested and applied.

The coordination among the State, enterprises, research institutes, and universities is expected to create a more integrated innovation ecosystem, helping bridge the gap between research and the market while improving the effectiveness of science and technology investment.

To support this process, the Ministry of Science and Technology has been tasked with developing key infrastructure for strategic technology development, including computing infrastructure and big data systems for artificial intelligence, national laboratories and testing centers, as well as technical standards, regulations, and intellectual property protection mechanisms.

According to experts, this infrastructure will provide an important foundation for turning research results into commercial products more quickly, generating revenue for enterprises and creating added value for the economy.

The shift from isolated support measures to value chain-based development not only helps build domestic technological capabilities but also lays the groundwork for increasing localization, reducing reliance on foreign technologies, and developing new industries driven by knowledge and data.

As Resolution 57-NQ/TW is implemented nationwide, placing enterprises at the center of the national technology strategy is expected to create new growth momentum while opening more opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises to participate in high-tech sectors and global value chains in the years ahead.