Vietnam to identify, focus on 3 strategic technology products

Updated: 10:26, 08/08/2025

The Ministry of Science and Technology has proposed fast-tracking three strategic technology products to foster economic growth.

The products will be selected from a shortlist of six priority technologies: 5G mobile network equipment using the Open Radio Access Network standard, Vietnamese-language large language models and virtual assistants, autonomous mobile robots, blockchain-based traceability platforms, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Edge AI cameras.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) model produced by Z131 Factory under the General Department of Defense Industry was displayed at the 2024 International Defense Exhibition.

The list of six has been submitted to the Prime Minister for approval. They were chosen from a larger list of 11 technology groups and 35 strategic product groups identified in June.

At a press conference Tuesday Hoang Anh Tu, deputy director of the Department of Science, Technology and Engineering, said the initiative would be a pilot program, provide lessons for future projects, inspire innovation, and affirm Vietnam’s ability to master core technologies.

Once the three products are identified, the ministry would roll out development plans for them, including output targets, timelines, financial resources, and policies to support every stage from research and development to commercialization, he said.

The ministry has consulted businesses, research institutes and universities in Hanoi and HCMC to identify technologies, assess their investment scales and evaluate institutional readiness for their development, he added. The ministry has also announced its funding plan, inviting organizations, individuals, and businesses to propose development projects.

The National Foundation for Science and Technology Development is undergoing restructuring to streamline procedures and improve funding efficiency. "Once a task is approved and assigned to a qualified organization, the foundation will immediately release funding for implementation without waiting for the annual budget cycle," Tu said.

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung has repeatedly emphasized at meetings that Vietnam is shifting from being a user of imported technologies to a nation that owns and leads in strategic technologies.

The approach begins with identifying challenges and strategies, moves toward the creation of strategic products, and gradually builds technological mastery, ultimately leading back to basic scientific research.