Ha Noi leads 2026 Provincial Innovation Index
VGP - Ha Noi topped the 2026 Provincial Innovation Index (PII), maintaining the leading position for the fourth consecutive year, reported the Ministry of Science and Technology on October 4.
Ha Noi scored 63.80 points, followed by Ho Chi Minh City with 58.30 points, Hai Phong 56.33 points, Quang Ninh 55.24 points and Bac Ninh 50.96 points.
The other localities in the top 10 were Hue, Da Nang, Thai Nguyen, Tay Ninh and Hung Yen.
The PII is designed to provide data and evidence for local authorities to assess their innovation performance, identify strengths and weaknesses, and formulate policies and solutions to promote socio-economic development driven by science, technology and innovation.
Ha Noi led in 18 of the 52 component indicators, the highest number among the 34 localities assessed.
The capital's strengths were concentrated in research and development (R&D) capacity and innovation resources, including R&D personnel, R&D expenditure, the number of science and technology organizations, and the proportion of enterprises engaged in R&D and innovation activities.
Ha Noi also ranked first in several innovation output indicators related to intellectual property, including patents, utility solutions, plant varieties, trademarks and industrial designs.
The capital also performed strongly in indicators related to poverty reduction and human development, highlighting its capacity to translate innovation inputs and resources into tangible socio-economic outcomes.
Ho Chi Minh City ranked second in terms of the number of component indicators in which it led, with 12 out of 52, while Quang Ninh ranked third with five.
The 2026 PII results show that localities have different strengths across the innovation ecosystem.
Ha Noi led the Human Capital and Research & Development and Market Development pillars, while Quang Ninh topped Infrastructure. Ho Chi Minh City ranked second in both Infrastructure and Market Development.
Bac Ninh led the Business Development pillar, while Ha Noi topped Knowledge, Creative and Technology Outputs.
The Impact pillar showed a different pattern, with Phu Tho, Bac Ninh and Ninh Binh ranking first, second and third, respectively.
The results therefore go beyond a simple ranking of localities, providing a clearer picture of their respective innovation capacities and areas of comparative strength.
The 2026 PII comprises 52 indicators grouped into seven pillars.
Five input pillars cover Institutions; Human Capital and Research & Development; Infrastructure; Market Development; and Business Development. Two output pillars cover Knowledge, Creative and Technology Outputs and Impact.
Of the 52 indicators, 40 are based on official statistics and government data, while the remaining 12 are collected and submitted by localities together with supporting documentation.
According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, the index is intended to measure the contribution of science, technology and innovation to local socio-economic development.
It also provides local authorities with an evidence-based tool to identify strengths and weaknesses, evaluate innovation performance and design appropriate policies to strengthen innovation-driven growth./.