Ho Chi Minh City: Rising hub for science, technology, and innovation
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam’s leading economic powerhouse, is entering a new phase of development where science, technology, and innovation are central to growth, in line with Politburo Resolution No. 57. With an expanding startup scene, strong high-tech manufacturing, and ambitious research targets, the city is positioning itself as a regional leader in the digital and knowledge economy.
A fast-growing startup ecosystem
In 2025, HCMC’s startup ecosystem continued to mature, ranking among the world’s top 110 startup hubs. In 2026, the city climbed 12 places to 98th in a major global startup ecosystem index—its best result to date. The city is home to nearly half of Vietnam’s startups and has produced three homegrown tech unicorns: VNG, MoMo, and Sky Mavis.
HCMC currently hosts 143 science and technology enterprises—around 20% of the national total. Total factor productivity (TFP) contributes 59% to the city’s GRDP growth, with science and technology accounting for about 74% of TFP growth. These indicators reflect a decisive shift from resource-driven growth to innovation-led development.
Saigon Hi-Tech Park: Engine of high-tech industry
Over more than two decades, Saigon Hi-Tech Park (SHTP) has evolved into a core innovation hub for the city and the southern key economic region. It has attracted major global manufacturers and technology companies, alongside leading Vietnamese firms, creating a vibrant ecosystem of R&D, advanced production, and high-skilled jobs.
SHTP hosts over 160 investment projects with total registered capital exceeding 12 billion USD. In 2025, production value reached approximately 23 billion USD, newly attracted investment totalled 416.5 million USD, and export turnover surpassed 20.53 billion USD. Beyond capital, the park has established R&D centres, training facilities, and incubation programmes that help commercialise “Make in Vietnam” technologies and cultivate high-quality human resources.
Strategic shift to research, talent, and innovation
HCMC is deepening investment in R&D, strategic technologies, and innovation-oriented institutions to build a durable competitive edge. By 2030, the city targets total social expenditure on R&D to reach 2–3% of GRDP, with more than 60% coming from non-state sources. Each year, the city aims to complete and deploy at least 40 city-level science and technology projects and initiate a minimum of 50 new science and technology missions.
The city also plans to raise the share of research outcomes applied in practice within 12 months to over 60%, while ensuring at least 25% of enterprises adopt research results from universities and research institutes. HCMC targets a 60% contribution from TFP to GRDP growth and intends to establish at least five internationally competitive centres for applied research and innovation in priority sectors.
Flagship programmes and priority domains
To achieve these goals, HCMC will focus on interdisciplinary flagship programmes that develop core platforms, strategic technologies, and high-impact products. Priority areas include:
Digital transformation and smart city
- Building shared digital platforms and data-driven governance models
- Strengthening cybersecurity and digital trust
- Developing digital public services and scalable local digital products
Health care and life sciences
- Advancing biomedical technologies, pharmaceuticals, and bioprocessing
- Scaling digital health, telemedicine, and health data platforms
- Developing precision and personalised medicine, genetic technologies, and smart medical devices
- Applying AI in diagnostic imaging and medical data analysis for earlier detection and more accurate treatment
Urban governance and climate resilience
- Flood prevention, tidal control, and climate adaptation solutions
- Waste and environmental monitoring systems
- Energy management, green transport, and urban logistics
- Digital twin models for simulation, forecasting, and real-time city operations
Building capacity and talent for the long term
HCMC’s strategy centres on strengthening the full innovation value chain—from research and prototyping to pilot production and global-scale manufacturing. The city is expanding training partnerships, nurturing entrepreneurship, and aligning vocational and university curricula with industry needs in semiconductors, AI, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and digital services.
By pairing pro-innovation policies with modern infrastructure, the city aims to accelerate technology transfer, support high-growth enterprises, and attract both domestic and international capital into strategic sectors. This approach is designed to turn research breakthroughs into market-ready products faster, while ensuring local firms build competitive capabilities in global value chains.
Outlook
With a solid foundation in science and technology, a thriving startup ecosystem, and a clear roadmap for digital transformation, Ho Chi Minh City is entering a decisive stage. Backed by long-term investment in R&D, high-quality human resources, and innovation-friendly mechanisms, the city is steadily advancing toward its goal of becoming one of Southeast Asia’s leading centres for science, technology, and innovation.
