The construction, which began on November 30, 2024, covers 4.65 hectares in Dong Hoa Ward and includes over 42,000 square meters of floor space.
The facility consists of six above-ground floors, one basement level, and accompanying technical and landscape infrastructure. With a total investment of VND700 billion (US$26.7 million), the project is financed through a loan from the World Bank. It is also the first new building to be constructed on the VNU-HCM urban campus in years, following a prolonged delay due to legal and procedural obstacles.
After nearly 8 months of urgent construction, the project has maintained a steady and accelerated pace, operating around the clock. On average, 180 to 220 workers were deployed during daytime shifts and 120 to 150 during night shifts, with peak periods seeing up to 300 workers on-site in a single day. Several overnight concrete pours required the continuous presence of approximately 50 laborers and 30 to 40 technical staff, working on-site 24/7 to ensure progress and structural integrity.
Once completed, the Innovation Center will serve as a strategic infrastructure hub dedicated to scientific research and technological collaboration. The facility will house cutting-edge laboratories, including a National Shared Semiconductor Laboratory with an estimated investment of VND2 trillion (US$76.3 million) and a biotechnology laboratory system designed for real-world applications in industry and everyday life, with a projected cost of VND320 billion (US$12.2 million). The center will also bring together pilot production workshops and various research and development (R&D) units in partnership with industry, all operating under the umbrella of Vietnam National University–Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM).
