Vietnam should start investing in quantum technology now slightly than ready for the sphere to mature, as delaying motion would considerably scale back the nation’s potential to take part in one of many world’s subsequent strategic industries, in accordance to Tran Hong Thai, President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST).
In May 2026, the Prime Minister accredited Vietnam’s lists of strategic applied sciences and strategic technology merchandise to focus nationwide assets on growing core applied sciences and merchandise with main implications for financial progress and nationwide safety.
Among the designated strategic applied sciences are quantum communications, quantum computing and quantum sensing, recognized as foundational applied sciences able to driving future financial progress whereas strengthening nationwide safety and technological self-reliance.
Politburo Resolution No. 57 additionally explicitly identifies quantum technology as one in all Vietnam’s strategic applied sciences, putting it alongside synthetic intelligence, semiconductors, 5G/6G and blockchain as areas the nation goals to grasp.
Speaking on the latest scientific convention “Quantum Technology in a New Era: International Trends, Opportunities and Requirements for Vietnam,” Tran Hong Thai stated coverage imaginative and prescient solely turns into significant when translated into sensible mechanisms, implementation and tangible capabilities.
“The question today is not simply what quantum technology is,” he stated. “More importantly, why should Vietnam focus on it now, and if we choose this path, what is the most appropriate strategy?”
Vietnam cannot wait till quantum technology is totally mature
According to Tran Hong Thai, quantum technology is amongst immediately’s most technically demanding fields, spanning scientific analysis, engineering, infrastructure improvement, expertise cultivation and institutional group.
Many analysis instructions worldwide stay in experimental levels, with business merchandise, mature markets and mass functions nonetheless years away.
Nevertheless, he argued that this uncertainty is exactly why Vietnam should have interaction early.
Some applied sciences may be adopted after merchandise have reached business maturity, he stated. However, strategic applied sciences resembling quantum technology are essentially completely different.
“If Vietnam waits until technical standards are established, markets have matured and global supply chains are already controlled by leading countries, opportunities for meaningful participation will become extremely limited,” he stated.
Tran Hong Thai famous that many international locations have already made quantum technology a strategic nationwide precedence.
Not each space of quantum analysis has reached maturity, and never each expectation will in the end grow to be actuality. Even so, the general course is changing into more and more clear.
Quantum rules are progressively being built-in into computing, communications, cybersecurity, sensing, precision measurement, superior supplies, photonics, units and quite a few enabling applied sciences.
Four reasons Vietnam ought to make investments now
According to Tran Hong Thai, Vietnam ought to prioritize quantum technology for 4 key reasons.
First, quantum technology is quickly rising as a strategic international technology. Countries investing early will form technical requirements, industrial ecosystems and future provide chains.
Second, quantum computing presents important cybersecurity challenges.
Once sufficiently highly effective quantum computer systems grow to be accessible, a number of encryption strategies extensively used immediately might grow to be weak. Sensitive info collected immediately could possibly be saved and decrypted years later when ample quantum computing capabilities grow to be accessible.
Third, quantum technology will create completely new capabilities in sensing, precision measurement, simulation, superior computing and supplies science.
These capabilities lengthen past fundamental scientific analysis and may gain advantage protection, nationwide safety, telecommunications, finance, healthcare, power, pure assets, environmental monitoring and high-tech manufacturing.
Fourth, growing quantum technology requires long-term funding in human capital.
Specialists on this area cannot be educated inside a number of months or via short-term skilled programs. Quantum technology calls for interdisciplinary experience spanning physics, arithmetic, laptop science, cryptography, photonics, supplies science, electronics, management engineering, precision measurement, software program engineering and knowledge science.
Given these realities, Tran Hong Thai believes Vietnam should undertake a realistic improvement technique.
“We must be proactive without becoming impatient,” he stated. “We do not need to compete comprehensively with the world’s technological powers, but neither should we remain passive observers. Vietnam should move early in awareness, build solid foundations and focus on areas capable of creating genuine technological capacity that matches our national conditions.”
Although Vietnam’s monetary assets, analysis infrastructure and scientific workforce stay fragmented, he believes they will generate important collective energy if correctly coordinated.
This would require constructing main analysis teams, shared laboratories, professional networks, nationwide computing platforms and customary analysis databases.
Building Vietnam’s quantum ecosystemTran
Hong Thai stated VAST has already begun coordinating with quite a few home establishments to set up a nationwide quantum technology ecosystem.
These companions embody the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Policies and Strategies, the Central Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilization, the Government Cipher Committee, the Ministries of National Defence, Public Security, Foreign Affairs and Industry and Trade, the Vietnam Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, VinUniversity, Phenikaa University, the International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Education, along with many different analysis institutes and universities.
According to him, quantum technology extends far past quantum physics alone.
It is intently related with info safety, cryptography, protection, nationwide safety, superior manufacturing, increased training, science diplomacy, innovation, technology enterprises and plenty of rising industrial functions.
For that motive, sturdy home collaboration is crucial to constructing an interdisciplinary, cross-sector strategy that hyperlinks scientific analysis with sensible nationwide wants.
At the identical time, VAST has expanded cooperation with worldwide companions from Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and South Korea, in addition to worldwide organizations, international specialists and Vietnamese scientists working abroad.
These partnerships, Thai stated, allow Vietnam to monitor international technological developments, higher perceive technical limitations, consider sensible implementation alternatives and establish improvement pathways that finest match the nation’s capabilities.
Thai Khang