Digital economy gathers momentum

On March 28, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, head of the Government Steering Committee on science and technology development, innovation, digital transformation, and Project 06, chaired the committee’s second meeting of 2026, held online with its counterparts in 34 provinces and centrally run cities.

According to reports presented at the meeting, progress has been made in advancing strategic technologies and the broader science and technology ecosystem. Key strategic technologies are being reviewed and refined. Notably, the Vietnam Space Center has been inaugurated, and construction has begun on the country’s first semiconductor chip manufacturing plant. Several enterprises have mastered up to 65% of core technologies in areas such as AI cameras, 5G, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The digital economy has continued to expand rapidly. In the first quarter of 2026, the number of digital technology enterprises rose sharply, with an additional 1,394 companies established. Exports of digital technology products were estimated at over 45 billion USD, up 32.2% year-on-year.

Concluding the meeting, the Prime Minister commended ministries, sectors, agencies, and localities for their efforts in advancing science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and Project 06. However, he also pointed out shortcomings, including uneven awareness, fragmented investment, procedural bottlenecks, limited human resources, weak supervision and coordination, and modest outcomes, with digital transformation still at an early stage.

Looking ahead, the Prime Minister urged the Steering Committee, along with ministries, sectors, and local authorities, to implement key tasks decisively and in a coordinated manner in line with the 2026 work program of both the Central and Government Steering Committees, while fully carrying out directives issued by General Secretary To Lam.

Unlocking resources for breakthroughs

The Government will establish a unified command and coordination mechanism to implement the strategic technology development program. It will also review and adjust the functions, mandates, organizational structures, and authority of ministries and sectors in the fields of science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation. Policies will be refined to attract major technology corporations and foster the development of strategic technology products, particularly in semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

“Strategic technology development must follow the principle of keeping pace, moving in step, and moving ahead, while addressing practical challenges and fulfilling Vietnam’s political missions,” the Prime Minister stressed.

He called for accelerated efforts to complete institutional frameworks, mechanisms, and policies, including the drafting and submission of relevant laws to the Government and the National Assembly, alongside implementing regulations to ensure a coherent and responsive legal system aligned with technological advances.

Ministries, sectors, and localities were instructed to promptly develop and issue data architectures consistent with the National Data Architecture Framework and the National Digital Architecture Framework, while launching a nationwide campaign to create, standardize, and clean data.

The Ministry of Science and Technology will take the lead in developing proposals on infrastructure for nuclear energy applications, the low-altitude economy, and the quantum industry.

On implementation, the Prime Minister emphasized stricter discipline and accountability in public service delivery, particularly the responsibility of leaders. The Ministry of Science and Technology, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Government Office, will operate an effective KPI monitoring system and publicly disclose results as a basis for assessing collective and individual accountability, especially that of heads of agencies.

The Prime Minister also called for synchronized solutions to promote the digital economy, digital society, digital infrastructure, and digital citizenship, alongside administrative reform. Key targets include nationwide 5G coverage, effective utilization of low-earth-orbit satellite projects, early commissioning of undersea fiber-optic cables, ensuring progress of semiconductor manufacturing facilities, and facilitating foreign investment in large-scale data centers.

Efforts will also focus on developing and completing major national databases, including those on land, public officials, social security, healthcare, and education, while advancing e-commerce linked with cashless payments, and developing smart cities, smart border gates, and smart seaports.

Regarding administrative reform, ministries and agencies were tasked with reviewing and amending regulations, reducing procedures and documentation requirements, and reusing existing data. The Ministry of Justice will lead efforts to cut administrative processing time and compliance costs by 50%, further reduce 30% of conditional business lines, and eliminate 100% of unnecessary business conditions.

On cybersecurity, the Prime Minister directed the comprehensive deployment of measures to safeguard network and data security, combat misinformation and malicious content, and prevent cyberattacks. Outstanding issues such as unregistered SIM cards, unidentified accounts, and the illegal trade of personal data must also be addressed.

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that with strong political will, coordinated efforts across the political system, and the support of businesses and citizens, breakthroughs in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, administrative reform, and Project 06 will help drive Vietnam toward achieving double-digit economic growth in the coming period.