The Vietnam Innovation Summit 2026 (VIS 2026) was held in Ho Chi Minh City on October 14, bringing together government representatives, technology companies, startups, more than 20 investment funds from Malaysia and South Korea, and members of innovation networks across more than 30 countries and territories.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Tran Trong Tuyen, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, said innovation needed closer links with technology commercialisation and stronger institutional support. These were essential to turning international integration opportunities into genuine competitiveness, rather than simply attracting investment.
Mr. Huynh Cong Thang, Chairman of InnoLab Asia, told Vietnam Economic Times / VnEconomy that this year’s theme, “Critical Mass”, referred to the point at which accumulated resources become sufficient to trigger significant change.
Vietnam has favourable conditions, including rapid technological development, shifting investment flows and growing business interest in innovation and international partnerships, Mr. Thang said. However, policy, technology, capital, markets and talent must be connected more effectively to generate meaningful results.
Mr. Thang called for businesses to identify market demand early and strengthen cooperation among five groups: large companies to define challenges and provide testing environments; research organisations to develop solutions; investors to supply funding; and regulators to establish supportive policies and institutional frameworks.
VIS 2026 featured four dedicated spaces. “Inno” hosted discussions on major business and economic challenges; “Connect” showcased technologies, products and solutions across more than 150 exhibition spaces; “Collab” organised more than 250 one-to-one networking sessions among businesses, startups, investors and international partners; and “Beyond” focused on specific industries, markets and international cooperation programs.
Mr. Thang said the ecosystem’s success should ultimately be measured by whether startups secure investors, businesses adopt new technologies and Vietnamese companies gain partners to expand into new markets.
The summit also featured discussions on international capital flows, free trade zones (FTZs) and Vietnam’s International Financial Center.
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