To turn sea and seabed into a strategic development space of the nation, Vietnam needs to focus on three core strategic priorities, he said.

First, Vietnam needs to build a whole-of-government approach, eliminating fragmentation between agencies and establishing a comprehensive marine spatial governance mechanism. In other words, Vietnam needs to abandon dispersed management model by each sector to eliminate administrative bottlenecks and overlapping.

Vietnam should establish a high-level National Maritime Coordinating Agency, responsible for supervising all activities at sea and resolving jurisdictional conflicts between ministries, sectors and fields.

Vietnam needs to prioritize finalizing the Maritime Security Patrol Area (MSPA), enacting legal framework regulations for designated conservation, commercial, and security zones, while rigorously implementing and enforcing a marine spatial mapping program.

At the same time, the National Maritime Coordination Authority should review and harmonize existing laws. For example, the Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Code should be revised to integrate existing regulations on environment, planning, and fisheries to eliminate legal gaps.

The second strategic priority is to rapidly advance digitalization, automation, and high-tech green infrastructure.

To compete globally, Vietnam must shift from a reliance on marine resource exploitation to building a modern, sustainable Blue Economy.

This transition involves three key elements: (1) upgrading primary deep-water ports into highly automated digital hubs integrated with smart logistics databases; (2) investing in marine technology and seabed data through domestic oceanographic networks, autonomous underwater monitoring systems, and satellite tracking technology; and (3) building multimodal logistics networks by directly connecting seaports to modern rail and inland waterway systems to reduce reliance on overburdened highways.

The third strategic priority is modernizing the offshore wind industry and developing high-value-added emerging sectors within the Blue Economy.

To meet future clean energy demands and capture regional export market share, Vietnam must accelerate the growth of emerging maritime sectors. Vietnam needs to prioritize implementing Power Development Plan 8 (PDP 8), while enacting clear regulations and appropriate tariff mechanisms to attract foreign direct investment for large-scale offshore wind projects.

Vietnam should also restructure its domestic shipbuilding and engineering sector, shifting from low-margin cargo vessels to higher-value segments, such as specialized offshore wind installation vessels, liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, and green retrofitting solutions.

Finally, Vietnam should monetize blue carbon assets by establishing a formal framework for a blue carbon credit market. Preserving mangrove and coastal ecosystems will grant Vietnam additional access to international green finance sources.

Economic development 

In an interview with VietNamNet, Professor Thayer emphasized the need to combine economic development with the protection of national interests. 

To ensure that major maritime infrastructure projects contribute to long-term national security, technological independence, and economic resilience, Vietnam should adopt a "dual-use by design" policy. 

In other words, every major commercial project, whether offshore wind, deep-water ports, or undersea cables, should be engineered from inception to serve both civilian economic development and national defense objectives.

Vietnam can apply four strategies to implement civilian-military dual-use design from the initial planning phase.

The first strategy is to include dual-use infrastructure design requirements into all large projects belonging to Blue Economy. In other words, every key infrastructure needs to be built with technical and structural characteristics allowing support for activities ensuring national security especially in times of crisis.

For example, infrastructure at major deep-water ports such as Lach Huyen or Cai Mep - Thị Vai could be expanded to include reinforced wharves, heavy-lift cranes, and refueling systems capable of servicing both ultra-large container ships and naval logistics vessels.

Offshore wind turbine foundations and offshore substations could double as monitoring platforms by installing dual-use sensors, such as high-resolution radar, automated maritime tracking systems, and underwater sonar arrays. Commercial wind farms could thus be converted into self-financing, permanent maritime surveillance networks by deploying dual-use civilian and defense sensors.

Furthermore, Vietnam should require future investment consortia to build many landing sites for subsea cables along its 3,200-kilometer coastline, backed by rapid-response maritime repair units. Currently, Vietnam still relies on single landing stations for its international internet traffic.

The second strategy is promoting dual-use design by forging strategic partnerships with international consortia to invest in major energy and logistics projects within the Blue Economy, aiming to share geopolitical risks.

Tu Giang - Lan Anh