The launch ceremony was held in Ha Noi to mark Vietnamese Entrepreneurs’ Day on October 13. The event marked an important shift in the approach to managing and developing cultural industries, moving from individual projects towards building an integrated creative ecosystem bringing together the State, businesses and communities.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Viet Nam Cultural Industries Development Network was established to bridge the gap between creative ideas and commercial markets. Going beyond administrative networking, the network is intended to serve as a platform for practical cooperation to address fundamental issues, including copyright protection, digital data sharing, intellectual property development and the expansion of domestic and international markets.

17 major challenges, from creative infrastructure to international branding

At the event, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also announced 17 challenges for 2026. Rather than setting out broad policy orientations, the Ministry introduced 17 “open challenges” closely aligned with real market needs, inviting businesses, investors, artists, research institutes and educational institutions to work together on solutions. These include:

National digital cultural database: Standardising and digitising cultural data and opening a pilot access portal in 2026 for the wider community to explore and use.

Cultural industries marketplace: Developing a platform connecting creators and investors to facilitate the commercialisation of intellectual property assets.

Digital film studio: Establishing shared infrastructure for modern film production, with the Thien Mac Hung Ca project serving as a notable example of derivative products scheduled for development from 2027.

Technology platform for performing arts: Mastering modern stage technologies and implementing the Ky Yen initiative for night-time tourism and activities associated with APEC 2027.

Sounds of Viet Nam: Developing a series of music programmes, including Melodies of Life, in preparation for Viet Nam Culture Day on 24 November 2026, and Endless Inspiration across all 34 provinces and cities.

E-sports arenas: Building two internationally standardised e-sports arenas in Ho Chi Minh City and Hue city.

Made-in-Viet Nam games - Hao khi Dong A and Son Ha Di Luc: Bringing Vietnamese history and culture into the modern gaming world, with releases scheduled for 2027.

Viet Nam. Travel & Visit Viet Nam: Developing an AI-integrated digital tourism gateway under the “1 + 1 + 34 + N” model to connect national tourism data.

Sao Chon: Establishing a credible system for evaluating and recognising Vietnamese cuisine, working alongside Viet Nam iContent in 10 provinces and cities in 2026.

Print-on-demand publishing: Developing personalised and customised book publishing services to open up new markets for the publishing industry.

Cultural Industries Book Collection: Building a community-proposed collection of books on creative knowledge, beginning with The Alchemist.

Men Viet: Elevating traditional fermentation techniques and building a premium Vietnamese liquor brand.

Viet Style: Bringing the Vietnamese ao dai and traditional handicrafts into contemporary fashion and raising their profile internationally.

Pho Flavours: Developing an ecosystem of products, services and experiential spaces centred on the cultural heritage of Vietnamese pho.

Tea Flavours: Shaping the art of Vietnamese tea appreciation and building a tea brand with national standing.

VNSport: Applying a mass-participation sports model to connect people who exercise, sports clubs and businesses, while promoting the sports economy.

Ky Yen - A Magical Feast: Developing a performance combining circus, music, technology, cuisine and immersive experiences, with the aim of establishing a distinctive cultural, artistic and tourism destination in Ha Noi.

Building an integrated cultural ecosystem

Speaking at the event, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh emphasised that Resolution No.80-NQ/TW of the Politburo on Vietnamese cultural development reaffirmed that “historical experience shows that every period of strong national development has been accompanied by flourishing cultural development”.

The Party and the State, with direct guidance from Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, have identified investment in culture as “investment in the country’s sustainable development and the future of the nation”. They have also highlighted the important role of entrepreneurs and set the goal of developing cultural and creative corporations with national and international reach. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism expressed its appreciation for the efforts of the business community in developing cultural industries, the sports economy and the tourism economy in recent years.

According to Minister Lam Thi Phuong Thanh, the new era brings a new mission: to build a cultural industries ecosystem that brings together culture, sports and tourism, with a distinct identity rooted in the traditions and enduring values of the Vietnamese nation over thousands of years of history, while developing internationally competitive brands.

Cultural industries should also turn Viet Nam’s identity and creativity into products, jobs and drivers of economic growth, while nurturing national pride and enhancing the international appeal of Viet Nam and its Make in Viet Namproducts. The strategic direction is to bring culture, sports and tourism together with technology and artificial intelligence, with Vietnamese identity serving as the core value.

Sharing her vision for the newly launched network, Minister Lam Thi Phuong Thanh said the initiative was intended to go beyond a conventional launch ceremony. Rather than simply gathering for a formal event, participants would come together to take action: the Ministry would present challenges and listen to proposals; businesses would put forward solutions; and the parties would identify partners, commit to tasks and agree on deadlines.

“The Viet Nam Cultural Industries Development Network needs to help people with ideas connect with those who have technology, capital and market access. It should also connect businesses with artists, educational institutions and cultural establishments. Each member brings a particular capability, and together they can create products that would be difficult for any one party to deliver independently,” Minister Lam Thi Phuong Thanh said.

On this occasion, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism called on the business community to join efforts to address specific challenges, including transforming heritage into engaging digital experiences; developing performance programmes linked to tourism; building culinary brands; expanding markets for Vietnamese fine arts; introducing personalised publishing services under the “Custom Edition” model; and applying technology and AI to create and distribute cultural products to wider audiences.

Regarding resources for cultural development, Ministry leaders said that from 2026, State funding would play a leading role, backed by a commitment to allocate at least 2% of total annual State budget expenditure to culture, with the allocation increasing gradually in line with practical needs.

At the same time, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is implementing a range of important initiatives to establish a new environment and new drivers for development. These include a target for cultural industries to contribute at least 7% of GDP by 2030 and the development of a Law on Cultural Industries Development, scheduled for submission to the National Assembly in October 2026.

“Right in 2026, we need to deliver our first tangible results: products reaching the market, revenue for businesses, income for creators and more opportunities for the public to enjoy culture. Each cooperation group must clearly identify its products, the people responsible and completion deadlines. The Ministry will work alongside participants, connect resources and address obstacles within its remit,” the Minister said.

From 2026, alongside the policy of allocating at least 2% of total annual State budget expenditure to culture, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism emphasises that success will not be measured by the scale of approved plans, but by tangible outcomes: products with users, creative works with audiences, brands with markets, higher incomes for creators and benefits for communities.