Instead of starting with research proposals and only evaluating them upon completion, strategic technology development tasks will be formulated around real-world problems, divided into work packages, and screened at result milestones. The new approach directs State resources towards technologies with application and commercialisation potential.

The Viet Nam – Japan Innovation Forum 2026, themed “Building a regional innovation ecosystem: From strategic technology foundations to substantive business-academia collaboration”, was co-organised in Ha Noi on August 13 by Viet Nam’s National Innovation Centre and the Embassy of Japan.

High-quality human resources remain vital for developing strategic technology sectors and enhancing national science and technology capacity.

With only a few days remaining before more than 1 million candidates nationwide sit the 2026 upper secondary school graduation examination and begin registering their university admission preferences, more Year 12 students are opting for fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductor integrated circuit design, data science, clean energy, and biotechnology alongside traditional disciplines.

The issuance of a list of 11 strategic technology groups and 35 strategic technology product groups marks a step towards realising Viet Nam’s ambitions.

In the context of increasingly intense global technological competition, mastering strategic technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors and blockchain has become a vital condition for ensuring national autonomy, data security, digital sovereignty and long-term development capacity.