Ho Chi Minh City is accelerating investment in digital infrastructure, introducing special mechanisms, and attracting a series of high-tech projects in fields such as data, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and biomedicine, thereby gradually forming a large-scale technology ecosystem and creating new momentum for technology enterprises at home and abroad.
Creation of a technology ecosystem is accelerated
According to Nguyen Huu Yen, Deputy Director of the HCMC Department of Science and Technology, in 2026, the city will continue investing in digital infrastructure and smart governance, expanding 5G coverage to about 70–80 percent of the population, and developing Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure and smart cameras. At the same time, the city will expand the use of digital infrastructure such as the high-tech park, announce at least one new digital technology zone, and plan a smart city project to attract investors and build a new urban data architecture.
HCMC is also applying special mechanisms to attract technology enterprises, especially in data centers, semiconductors, AI, energy, and emerging technologies. These include policy sandbox initiatives, support for innovative startups, and promoting “order-based” models where enterprises are engaged to solve urban challenges.
In a recent meeting with Real-Time Robotics Vietnam JSC, city leaders agreed to support the company in accessing VND200 billion (US$7.7 million) to build a drone manufacturing plant at Saigon High-Tech Park (SHTP). The company’s products have been localized by about 95 percent, from aircraft frame design and electronic equipment to control software and data analysis systems.
According to Director Lam Dinh Thang of the HCMC Department of Science and Technology, 2026 is identified as a year of acceleration, with synchronized solutions in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation to deliver tangible products contributing directly to the city’s double-digit economic growth target. The focus is on placing enterprises at the center, promoting commercialization of research results, and prioritizing strategic sectors.
Wave of high-tech projects is flowing into Ho Chi Minh City
The push for infrastructure and open mechanisms has enabled HCMC to welcome a series of large-scale high-tech projects. Recently, the city granted investment registration certificates for four strategic projects at SHTP with total capital exceeding US$1.23 billion, focusing on data infrastructure, biomedicine, and smart electronics manufacturing.
Notably, two large-scale data center projects with total investment capital of nearly US$1 billion include the Evolution DC VN HCMC Data Center, funded by a consortium of three Singaporean investors with a total investment of US$508.78 million, and the STARMASON Hyperscale Data Center Complex project, developed by Starmason JSC with a total investment of US$480.26 million.
CEO Darren Webb of Evolution Data Centers said the project will not only enhance data infrastructure but also create a platform for digital growth in HCMC’s new phase.
Meanwhile, the Tam Anh High-Tech Center project by Tam Anh General Hospital HCMC, with US$160 million investment, focuses on biomedicine. CEO Phuong Le Tri of Tam Anh Research Institute expressed hope that the project will help build a modern biotechnology and biomedicine ecosystem in HCMC, expand international cooperation, and attract research resources in vaccines, diagnostics, and advanced treatment.
Projects launched in Q1 2026 highlight a trend toward key technology sectors such as data, AI, biotechnology, semiconductors, and digital infrastructure, aligning with HCMC’s strategy to accelerate science and technology investment.
According to Head Nguyen Ky Phung of SHTP Management Board, the high-tech park continues to play a core economic and technical role for HCMC, with cumulative high-tech product output exceeding US$203.3 billion, including US$185.2 billion in exports. Newly licensed projects further demonstrate the city’s appeal to technology enterprises, especially in semiconductors, AI, energy, and digital infrastructure.
The HCMC Department of Science and Technology reported that the city has allocated VND12,705 billion for science and technology in the 2026 budget, accounting for 4.16 percent of total spending. This resource base will be crucial for developing digital infrastructure, innovation, and strategic technology sectors, laying the foundation for long-term investment by domestic and foreign technology enterprises in HCMC.
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