Viet Nam to allocate US$3.6 bln for development of science, technology, innovation in 2026: Prime Minister
VGP - Viet Nam will allocate VND95 trillion (US$3.6 billion) from the State budget for the development of science, technology, innovation, digital transformation in 2026, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said Sunday.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (standing) chairs the 5th meeting of the Steering Committee on Science, Technology, Innovation, Digital Transformation, and Project 06, Ha Noi, November 15, 2025 - Photo: VGP
Total budget spending on science and technology accounted for 1.37 percent of GDP in 2021; 1.72 percent in 2022; 1.39 percent in 2023; and 1.97 percent in 2024; and 3 percent in 2025.
Pham ordered all ministries, sectors, and localities to focus on completing their respective databases and finish this work this year.
It is vital to complete a seamless, modern, shared digital infrastructure, especially at the grassroots level such as communes, wards, special administrative–economic units, including electricity and telecommunications infrastructures, the Prime Minister stressed.
He emphasized the need to ensure information security, safety, and data protection, particularly the protection of personal data.
The Prime Minister issued a list of 11 strategic technology groups and 35 strategic product groups for immediate implementation in 2025, focusing on six priority products. Viet Nam was ranked 44th out of 139 countries in the Global Innovation Index (GII) in 2025.
Digital infrastructure has been the focus of investment and development. The nation was named among the world's top 13 countries in Internet speed while 5G coverage has reached 39.5 percent of the population.
The 3,900-km land-based fiber-optic cable system connecting Viet Nam to Singapore has been completed. A number of AI data center projects are being deployed.
In the first 10 months of this year, revenue gained from digital technology industry hit over VND4 quadrillion (US$151.8 billion), up 52.4 percent year-on-year. Exports of digital products attained US$142 billion, an increase of 27 percent./.
