On June 1, the Ministry of Science and Technology held its regular press conference in Hanoi, chaired by Deputy Minister Bui Hoang Phuong.
According to a report presented at the press conference, in May, the Ministry of Science and Technology continued to implement a comprehensive range of key tasks aimed at improving institutions, advancing science and technology, fostering innovation, and accelerating the national digital transformation agenda. These efforts yielded positive results, contributing to the country’s socio-economic development.
Specifically, high-tech exports accounted for 50.76 percent of total merchandise exports as of the first quarter. According to the 2026 Global Startup Ecosystem Index released by StartupBlink, Vietnam climbed five places to rank 50th globally, its highest position ever.
As of May, the country had 963 science and technology enterprises, 20 science and technology trading floors, and 37 innovation centers across 26 of the nation’s 34 provinces and cities. The proportion of fully online public service applications reached 50.2 percent by May, while the digital economy’s value-added contribution in 2025 was estimated at 14.02 percent of GDP, equivalent to approximately US$72.1 billion. Postal service revenue in May was estimated at VND8.5 trillion (US$323 million), up 30 percent year-on-year compared with the same period in 2025.
Vietnam also recorded 110.5 million mobile broadband internet subscriptions, including 24.29 million 5G subscriptions, along with 25.62 million fixed broadband internet subscriptions nationwide.
Regarding the implementation of Decision No. 21/2026/QD-TTg issued by the Prime Minister on the development of strategic technologies and strategic technology products, Mr. Luu Quang Minh, Deputy Director General of the Department of Science, Technology, and Engineering under the Ministry of Science and Technology, stated that the most significant breakthrough of the new policy lies in its shift in approach.
Specifically, Vietnam is not seeking to follow global technology trends. Instead, the selection of priority technologies is driven directly by the country’s major challenges and the practical needs of specific sectors and industries across the economy. This approach helps avoid technology choices based on short-term trends or fragmented investment that fails to generate products and technological capabilities with tangible practical value.
The list of priority strategic technologies focuses on areas with the potential to deliver breakthroughs in productivity while strengthening national defense and security. These include artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data, cloud computing, semiconductor and specialized chip technologies, and next-generation telecommunications networks.
In addition, fields such as robotics and automation, digital twin technology (a digital model that accurately replicates a physical object), cybersecurity, advanced microbiology, new energy and advanced materials, rare-earth extraction and processing, aerospace technologies, and modern railway technologies have also been identified as strategic priorities.
Mr. Luu Quang Minh emphasized that under this approach, technology development must be closely linked to clearly defined end products. This means that every project must identify a capable implementing entity and demonstrate a viable market for its outputs, thereby avoiding a situation in which scientific research is disconnected from practical demand and real-world applications.
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