HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam will become an attractive destination for technology talent and innovative startup communities from the region and around the world, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính emphasised at the opening ceremony of TechFest Vietnam 2025 in Hà Nội on Saturday.

The National Innovation Startup Festival 2025 (TechFest Vietnam 2025), themed Nationwide Innovation and Entrepreneurship - The New Growth Engine, is jointly organised by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Hà Nội People’s Committee.

The Prime Minister praised ministries, localities and the TechFest Organising Committee, along with experts, scientists, businesses and international partners, for their contributions to Việt Nam’s startup ecosystem and digital transformation.

He stressed that in recent years, the Party and the State have consistently issued guidelines, mechanisms and policies to promote startups, innovation and digital transformation. The Politburo has promulgated a series of strategic resolutions, including Resolutions 57, 59, 66, 68, 70, 71 and 72, which identify science, technology, innovation and digital transformation as key breakthroughs.

The Government has launched action programmes to implement these resolutions, aiming to build a startup and innovation-driven nation based on advanced technologies, an open institutional framework, seamless infrastructure and smart governance and human resources, and to develop an independent, self-reliant economy with deep, substantive and effective international integration.

As a result, Việt Nam’s Global Innovation Index ranking improved from 71st out of 132 countries in 2010 to 44th out of 133 countries in 2025. Digital platforms have expanded rapidly, with 3G and 4G coverage reaching nearly 95 per cent of the population and 5G being rolled out. The United Nations ranked Việt Nam 71st out of 193 countries in the 2024 E-Government Development Index, up 15 places from 2022.

However, the Prime Minister noted that despite encouraging progress, Việt Nam’s startup and innovation ecosystem still lags behind others in the region due to its later starting point and has yet to fully match the potential and capabilities of the Vietnamese people.

With the overarching goal of improving productivity, quality, efficiency and competitiveness, Prime Minister Chính called on ministries, sectors and localities, particularly the Ministry of Science and Technology, to improve institutions and policies, remove barriers for new business and technology models, accept risks in piloting new models and establish open and transparent risk management and supervision mechanisms.

Resources should also be concentrated on technological infrastructure, innovation centres, shared digital infrastructure and unified platforms supporting enterprises in accounting, taxation, human resource management and finance.

He highlighted several breakthrough tasks, including accelerating digital transformation so that 100 per cent of administrative procedures for citizens and businesses are conducted in the digital environment, independent of administrative boundaries, towards a paperless administration, and developing virtual assistants for agencies and units.

He emphasised the need to establish credit guarantee mechanisms and specialised lending for innovative startup projects based on technology and intellectual property, develop national, local, State-owned, private, academic and public-private partnership venture capital funds and effectively operate a dedicated stock exchange for innovative startups.

He requested the Ministry of Science and Technology to finalise and submit the National Strategy on Innovative Startups by December 2025. Hà Nội was urged to provide strong support for startup and innovation development so that the 'heart of the nation' becomes a hub nurturing new ideas and inventions, enabling enterprises to grow regionally and globally.

Research institutes, universities, science and technology organisations and enterprises should promote startup education from general to postgraduate levels, strengthen training in STEM, innovation and technology management and develop open laboratories, creative spaces and centres supporting the commercialisation of research outcomes.

Cooperation among the State, schools, scientists and investors should be enhanced to promote research, technology transfer and the early application of research results in practice.

For businesses and investors, the Prime Minister stressed the need to fully play their role as the centre of innovation, proactively invest in new technologies and models, participate in incubating and accelerating startups, form leading enterprise ecosystems in strategic technology fields, expand cooperation with domestic and foreign investment funds and contribute to the development of the national venture capital market.

The public, especially the younger generation, was encouraged to promote the entrepreneurial spirit: daring to think, daring to act and daring to accept risks and learn from failure, foster a culture of innovation and equip themselves with technological knowledge and digital skills.

He requested TechFest in the coming years to innovate strongly, elevate itself to regional and international levels, deepen connections with domestic and global ecosystems, attract international resources, investment funds, experts and technology corporations and promote negotiations and investment agreements with technologically advanced countries.

At the event, Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee Nguyễn Duy Ngọc presented insignias honouring three outstanding teams at the Data for Life Hackathon 2025. Senior Lieutenant General Nguyễn Văn Long, Deputy Minister of Public Security and head of the competition’s Steering Committee, also granted vouchers for access to the Innovation Centre.

 

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng presented certificates of merit to 10 exemplary localities developing innovation startup ecosystems in 2025: Hà Nội, HCM City, Đà Nẵng, Hưng Yên, Quảng Ninh, Cần Thơ, Hải Phòng, Bắc Ninh, Khánh Hòa and Huế.

The largest edition to date, TechFest Vietnam 2025 is expected to attract more than 60,000 participants, both in person and online, with the participation of over 20 corporations, 50 investment funds, more than 100 supporting organisations and incubators and delegates from across Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, North America and Europe.

A notable highlight is the transformation from a conference hall event to an open-space event, enabling the public, startups, investors and academic institutions to interact directly throughout the Hoàn Kiếm Lake pedestrian zone. Dialogues and seminars are held in open exchange areas, while technology experiences are offered through hands-on interactive points.

Within the framework of TechFest Vietnam 2025, a national policy forum on international cooperation in investment for innovative startups was held, drawing more than 100 international experts to discuss emerging trends in venture capital, technology commercialisation, human resource development and public-private partnership models.

TechFest also features more than 20 international conferences and specialised seminars on AI, data, fintech, green technology, sports technology, the circular economy and open innovation, along with an exhibition showcasing AI, IoT, robotics, new materials and pioneering technological solutions. — VNA/VNS