AI opportunities ignite startup spirit in Vietnam

The ecosystem aims to build unified operational capacity at the grassroots level, reduce information delays and improve public service quality. It is structured around three key pillars.

The Law on Digital Transformation lays an important legal basis for implementing the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science – technology development, innovation, and national digital transformation.

A total of 32 teams registered for Vietnam–Japan AI Hackathon 2025 and competed through three rounds, with the eight strongest advancing to the final held on December 13.

TechFest Vietnam 2025, held from December 12 to 14, 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 Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, North America, and Europe.

The ambition reflects the city’s vision to nurture world-class research, high-tech manufacturing and a thriving startup ecosystem capable of powering long-term growth.

The report notes that after more than a decade of development, Vietnam’s startup ecosystem has entered a phase of deeper growth and stronger international integration. The country is now home to more than 4,000 startups, two unicorns, and dozens of companies approaching unicorn status.

Tran Huu Linh, Director of the Agency for Domestic Market Surveillance and Development, said IP infringements have recently become more sophisticated, particularly in fast-moving consumer goods, fashion, cosmetics and electronic components.

The project aims to build a unified, safe and efficient IoT platform to support the management, operation and exploitation of smart transport systems under the Ministry of Construction, with data shared across ministries and localities.

Viettel has won honours in the “People & Culture” and “Best Operator in a Growth Market” categories at the 2025 World Communication Awards (WCA), alongside the “Best Digital Transformation Project” at the 2025 Global Telecoms Awards (Glotel).

Vietnam has the capacity, ambition and technological foundation to join the group of leading sustainable coastal urban nations in the coming decade, experts said at a dialogue on "advancing to the sea with ESG++ megacities: breakthroughs through green technology", held on December 9 in Hanoi by the Vietnam Institute for Real Estate Studies (VIRES).

About AI-generated content, the law draws a clear line: purely autonomous AI creations are not eligible for copyright or patent protection. Those who provide substantial creative input, such as ideas, curation, editing, or selection, qualify as authors or inventors.

The southern branch aims to become a coordinating body for cybersecurity tasks, workforce development, awareness-raising and the strengthening of digital defence capabilities across the region, contributing to the safe and sustainable growth of Vietnam’s digital economy.

Viettel plans to continue scaling up its network from now until the end of 2025, with an additional 23,500 stations scheduled for installation, nearly quadruple the number rolled out in 2024. Once completed, Viettel will operate Vietnam’s largest 5G network, with 30,000 stations covering 90% of outdoor areas and 70% of indoor spaces nationwide, from major cities to rural regions.

The VASS delegation joined the plenary session and seven specialised discussions of the the 26th Biennial Conference of the Association of Asian Social Science Research Councils (AASSREC), focusing on social science research in the Indo-Pacific for a sustainable future.

The 2025 VinFuture Grand Prize valued at 3 million USD has been awarded to four scientists for their discoveries and development of HPV vaccines for prevention of tumors caused by human papillomaviruses.

Data centres have surged to become the second most preferred alternative asset class in the region. Vietnam is no exception to this trend as the demand for infrastructure supporting AI, cloud computing, and digital services has risen at an unprecedented level.

VinFuture Prize has not only honoured outstanding scientific achievements but also created valuable dialogues and forums connecting scientists, businesses, and policymakers. These exchanges have sparked new ideas, fresh approaches, and innovative cooperation models that continue to spread widely.

At the symposium, international and Vietnamese experts also discussed the latest trends in robotics, from socially interactive humanoids and collaborative service robots to medical and rehabilitation systems, and examined major challenges surrounding AI safety and ethics to ensure that robotics evolves in a responsible, human-centred and sustainable manner.

The three-day gathering, one of Vietnam’s flagship international academic events in 2025, is seen as a landmark for the country’s growing data science ecosystem as it is pushing digital transformation, innovation in AI, and data-driven policymaking.

Two foreign technology giants - SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper- have formally sought approval to pilot LEO satellite-based Internet services in Vietnam.