Under the decree approving the Digital Technology Industry Development Program for 2026-2030, with a vision to 2045, the digital tech industry is identified as a "key driver" for double-digit economic growth and a solid foundation for national digital transformation.

The program states that the private sector is the "most important driving force for digital technology industrial development," while the State acts as a creator, building the legal corridor, planning infrastructure, and creating the market through orientation, orders, and task assignments.

The most notable goal in the program is for the entire industry's revenue to reach a minimum of $300 billion by 2030, with an average growth rate of 12 percent per year for the 2026-2030 period. Of this, the export revenue of digital tech products and services from Vietnamese enterprises is expected to reach at least $55 billion annually, with a minimum average growth of 30 percent per year.

Besides revenue scale, the Government has also set a target of developing 100,000 digital technology enterprises, including at least five companies reaching the level of advanced countries by 2030.

Looking toward 2045, Vietnam aims to establish at least 10 digital technology enterprises with global competitiveness.

The program emphasizes the “Make in Viet Nam” spirit, meaning Vietnamese enterprises mastering technology from research, design and manufacturing to the supply of digital technology products and services, instead of merely outsourcing or assembling products.

One of the priority sectors is semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Under the program, Vietnam will develop a network of key centers and laboratories serving semiconductor chip production, design and testing. At the same time, the country plans to build a National Semiconductor Chip Prototyping Support Center to assist domestic enterprises in chip design, testing and verification.

The State is also expected to support enterprises in purchasing EDA chip design software, sharing IP design libraries, and subsidizing “tape-out” costs. Tape-out is the final stage of the integrated circuit (IC) design process, representing the crucial moment when a chip design is completed, verified, and sent to a fabrication facility for manufacturing, which typically incurs very high expenses. 

In digital infrastructure, the program targets 5G coverage for 99 percent of the population while preparing conditions for 6G testing. Vietnam also plans to put at least six new submarine fiber-optic cable routes into operation, raising total designed international cable capacity to a minimum of 350 Tbps.

Another notable target is the establishment of 16-20 concentrated digital technology parks nationwide, including at least one large-scale hub playing a leading role in key economic regions.

The Government also plans to build at least one shared high-performance computing center to support large-scale AI and digital technology applications.

Regarding human resources, the program targets training and developing more than 3 million workers for the digital technology industry by 2030. The State will support investment in laboratories, tools and software for training, while implementing reskilling and upskilling programs to help workers transition from other sectors into digital technology, as well as shift between different digital technology fields.

Beyond domestic training, the program also mentions special incentive mechanisms to attract technology talent, international experts and scientists to participate in key projects in Vietnam.

To create a market for domestic digital technology enterprises, the Government will support small and medium-sized enterprises in renting or purchasing “Make in Viet Nam” digital products and services for digital transformation through financial vouchers or direct subsidies.

At the same time, Vietnamese technology companies will receive support to participate in international exhibitions such as Consumer Electronics Show and Mobile World Congress to seek export orders and expand into global markets.

The program also introduces support mechanisms for M&A activities in the technology sector. Accordingly, Vietnamese digital technology enterprises, especially state-owned companies, are encouraged to use their Science and Technology Development Funds to acquire or merge with overseas laboratories and R&D centers in order to gain access to core technologies and expand market reach.

In its 2045 vision, the Government aims to turn Vietnam into a leading digital technology industrial hub in the region and among the world’s leading groups.

At the same time, Vietnam aims to attract at least five new projects from the world’s top technology corporations to establish headquarters and invest in research and production in Vietnam.

Du Lam