According to Government news and legal updates, Decision No. 1483/QD-TTg, signed on 4 August 2026 by Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung, sets out a master plan to develop research centres, testing facilities and key laboratories focused on strategic technologies. The Ministry of Science and Technology estimates total investment at around VND10 trillion (about US$383.6 million) through 2030. Of that total, VND500 billion (US$19.2 million) goes to each of eight national key laboratories and VND1.5 trillion (US$57.5 million) to each of four national research and testing centres. As a result, Vietnam is putting capital behind a long-discussed shift from basic research towards commercially relevant technology platforms.
A national bet on strategic technology infrastructure
Under the approved scheme, Vietnam plans by 2030 to upgrade, establish and operate at least eight national key laboratories. Priority fields include digital technologies, next-generation mobile networks, robotics and automation, advanced biology and biomedicine, advanced energy and materials, cybersecurity and quantum technologies, marine and ocean sciences and geosciences, and aviation and aerospace. These fields mirror the ten strategic technology groups identified earlier this year in Decision No. 21/2026/QD-TTg. That decision lists digital technologies, robotics, advanced biology, advanced energy and materials, semiconductor chips, cybersecurity and quantum, marine and underground technologies, aviation and space, and high-speed and urban rail among Vietnam’s strategic technology priorities.
Meanwhile, the same master plan calls for at least four national research and testing centres. Those centres will focus on unmanned aerial vehicles, biology and biomedicine, advanced materials, and high-speed and urban rail. Each national centre and key laboratory must build and maintain close collaboration with at least one innovation ecosystem or cluster of research institutes, universities, enterprises and relevant state agencies, according to Government guidance. This model gives businesses structured access to research, testing and measurement capabilities and speeds the path from laboratory results to commercial products.
The Ministry of Science and Technology has described a new laboratory model that should be in place by the first quarter of 2027. It is built around shared-use infrastructure and open testing facilities. This aligns with the revised Strategy for development of science, technology and innovation to 2030, which emphasises modern research centres, simulation platforms and high-performance computing to support strategic technology products. By anchoring these investments in a clear legal framework, Vietnam positions strategic technology infrastructure as a long-term public good rather than a series of isolated projects.
What does this mean for investors?
A recent survey by the Department of Science, Technology and Engineering under the Ministry of Science and Technology looked at 113 research and testing centres and laboratories nationwide. Over five years, these institutions published 5,508 academic papers but generated only 390 patents and utility solutions and signed 622 technology transfer contracts. Therefore, policymakers see a gap between scientific output and commercial impact. They are using the Vietnam strategic technologies programme to close it.
Recent Government documents go further. A national programme for strategic technologies approved in early August targets mastering at least four strategic technologies and developing and commercialising at least 15 strategic technology products in the 2026–2030 period. At least five of those products must reach regional or international markets. In addition, the broader strategy aims to address 20 major national challenges through focused deployment of strategic technologies, strengthening technological self-reliance and competitiveness. From now to 2030, Vietnam also aims to master at least 10 core technologies that directly support strategic technology products and national priorities, according to official statements. This ambition sits alongside Vietnam’s wider 2030 strategic technologies cooperation plan, which sets the broader diplomatic and industrial context for these investments.
For investors, several signals stand out. First, the lab and testing-centre build-out will create demand for equipment, components, software and data services linked to semiconductors, automation, advanced materials and digital technologies, as flagged in the revised science, technology and innovation strategy. Second, the focus on unmanned aerial vehicles, high-speed and urban rail and aerospace opens niches for foreign and domestic partners in design, testing and certification. Third, the insistence on innovation ecosystems around each facility points to stronger university–industry–state linkages, which tend to underpin deal flow in venture capital and corporate R&D. The country’s broader export momentum — with Vietnam targeting US$550bn in exports by 2026 — adds further commercial urgency to developing domestic technology depth.
Vietnam’s US$383.6 million commitment to strategic laboratories and testing centres marks its quiet transition from being mainly a manufacturing base to becoming an emerging developer of core technologies in its own right. Investors, corporate executives and policymakers should watch how quickly the new laboratories reach operational status by 2027, the quality and volume of patents and technology transfer contracts after 2028, and the extent to which Vietnam strategic technologies start to appear in regional supply chains across chips, advanced manufacturing and rail systems.
Quick answers
Vietnam is investing approximately VND10 trillion (US$383.6 million) by 2030, allocating US$19.2 million to each of eight national key laboratories and US$57.5 million to each of four national research and testing centres.
The eight national key laboratories will cover digital technologies, next-generation mobile networks, robotics and automation, advanced biology and biomedicine, advanced energy and materials, cybersecurity and quantum technologies, marine and ocean sciences, and aviation and aerospace.
Vietnam aims to master at least four strategic technologies, commercialise at least 15 strategic technology products between 2026 and 2030, and get at least five of those products to regional or international markets.
