Vietnam Targets Global Top 30 in Innovation Driven by National Strategy
Việt Nam has set its sights on ranking among the world’s top 30 in innovation within the next five to 10 years, a highly ambitious goal according to Minister of Science and Technology Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng.
The Minister revealed this critical objective at a recent workshop held in Hà Nội on Thursday, an event organized in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to present the detailed results of the country’s Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025 performance.
To achieve this challenging target, the country is focusing on four strategic pillars, while also counting on concerted support from WIPO and the active engagement of all key stakeholders: ministries, localities, businesses, and society at large.
The event provided the latest analytical insights from the GII 2025 report, covering methodological adjustments, the overall significance of the index, prevailing global innovation trends, and Việt Nam’s future prospects.
In his opening remarks, Minister Hùng stated a core principle: “Innovation in Việt Nam must be innovation for the whole population.”
He strongly underlined that innovation must directly apply science and technology to solve the country’s most practical challenges, thereby nurturing a pervasive spirit of creativity across society.
He stressed the need for it to become a fundamental lifestyle and a mindset for every citizen and organization.
This widespread adoption of a creative spirit, he explained, would fundamentally help shape Việt Nam into a successful “start-up nation” built firmly on the foundation of digital technology.
The Minister emphasized that the GII serves as a comprehensive and invaluable measure of a nation’s innovation health, providing a clear reference point for Việt Nam to continually improve its capacity.
Four Strategic Pillars to Enhance Global Innovation Index Ranking
To fundamentally strengthen Việt Nam’s standing in the GII, Minister Hùng formally outlined four priority areas that demand intensive focus, ranging from overhauling regulatory frameworks to boosting corporate-level research and development.
The first major task involves significantly improving the institutional and regulatory environment necessary for innovation.
Việt Nam must actively remove existing legal and financial barriers, modernize its intellectual property (IP) frameworks, and create stronger incentives for businesses to invest boldly in R&D and new technologies.
As a critical step, by the end of this year, three important laws— on intellectual property, technology transfer, and high technology— will be revised.
These revisions are designed to formally recognize research results as assets that can then be freely traded, accurately evaluated, included in company financial statements, or used as collateral and capital contributions, unlocking crucial funding.
Secondly, there is a clear necessity for greater investment in scientific, technological, innovative, and digital infrastructure.
Việt Nam plans to develop cutting-edge modern research centers, establish advanced laboratories, acquire supercomputing facilities, and build national open data systems to provide the essential foundations required for breakthrough innovation.
Developing a skilled, future-ready workforce is identified as another main priority.
Policies in this area will focus on reforming STEM education and fostering closer, more collaborative links between universities, research institutes, and businesses, while also implementing strategies to attract and nurture top talent from both within and outside the country’s borders.
Finally, promoting innovation within enterprises will be required, ensuring that businesses are at the very heart of the country’s thriving innovation ecosystem.
The State will proactively support these businesses through targeted funding programs, establishment of venture capital funds, use of research commissioning mechanisms, and priority public procurement of new, locally developed products.
Sustained GII Performance and WIPO Collaboration
Việt Nam has already demonstrated sustained, above-par performance in the GII for over a decade due to its governance approach, and it is now leveraging support from WIPO to navigate complex global standards and achieve its top 30 ranking goal.
The Global Innovation Index 2025 report indicated that Việt Nam currently ranks 44th out of 139 economies worldwide.
This performance places it second among all 37 lower middle-income countries and ninth in the broader Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania region.
Notably, Việt Nam has consistently outperformed its income group ranking for over a decade, a feat WIPO Director General Daren Tang praised.
Tang also highlighted the country’s broader vision: to become an upper middle-income industrial nation by 2030 and a high-income economy by 2045, goals where innovation and intellectual property will be the central engines.
A crucial factor underpinning Việt Nam’s sustained performance has been its pragmatic governance approach.
Since 2017, the government has treated the GII not merely as a report but as a direct management tool, continuously introducing targeted measures to improve performance on each specific indicator.
Việt Nam has also wisely localized the GII into a Provincial Innovation Index, enabling regional provinces to conduct self-assessments and engage in constructive competition, while aligning its intellectual property policies closely with the national innovation strategy.
WIPO expert Sacha Wunsch-Vincent provided specific recommendations for Việt Nam to climb further, suggesting the need to invest more effectively in R&D, strengthen science and industry links, proactively move from assembly operations to original production, build a vibrant start-up and growth finance ecosystem, and manage intangible assets strategically to attract greater value.
Experts at the workshop unanimously concluded that true innovation must be deliberately built through robust institutions, advanced infrastructure, nurturing talent, empowering enterprises, and implementing coherent policies.
Việt Nam, they agreed, is now well positioned, thanks to strong political will, support from the scientific and business communities, and backing from international partners like WIPO.
