The Australian Government’s Aus4Innovation program in Vietnam will be extended to 2028, making it a ten-year commitment with total funding of A$33.5 million ($23.3 million), according to a press release from the Australian Embassy in Hanoi on June 30.

The Aus4Innovation program is delivered through a tripartite partnership between Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australia’s national science agency the CSIRO, and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST).

It has to date explored emerging areas of technology and digital transformation, trialed new models for partnerships between public and private sector institutions, and strengthened Vietnam’s capabilities in digital foresight, scenario planning, science commercialization, and innovation policy.

The partnership between CSIRO and MoST was formalized in 2018 with an MoU on furthering cooperation in science and technology and innovation. In June 2023, the cooperative arrangement was enhanced through another MoU between the DFAT and MoST, signed during an official visit to Vietnam by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.