At the Forum on Promoting Innovation and Strategic Technology Development, Mariam J. Sherman, World Bank Director for Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, launched the ‘3+1’ system to form Vietnam’s technique for creating high-tech industries.
Sherman famous that Vietnam has quite a few benefits: a younger workforce, a stable financial basis, and a strategic place in Asia’s development hall. What it lacks is a structured technique to show this potential into tangible power.
The “3+1” system relies on three pillars: creating and attracting expertise; constructing an innovation ecosystem; and strengthening provide chain linkages. The “+1” issue is a strategic concentrate on chosen know-how clusters, which act as the glue binding every little thing collectively.
Regarding the first pillar, expertise is the basis. “In the semiconductor sector and other high-tech industries, the foundation of success is built on people: highly skilled workers, leading researchers, and tech entrepreneurs,” Sherman emphasised.
She famous that just about 65 % of Vietnam’s prime tech expertise at the moment work overseas. Vietnam must each enhance home coaching and create favorable circumstances for abroad Vietnamese intellectuals to return.
The second pillar is the innovation ecosystem. Although Vietnam ranked forty fourth in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025 and HCMC is a dynamic hub in Southeast Asia, higher-value actions comparable to product design, manufacturing, and commercialization of analysis outcomes are nonetheless in their early levels.
From 2010 to 2020, Vietnam filed fewerk than 100 patents with the world’s prime 5 mental property workplaces and virtually none had been in the semiconductor sector, Sherman famous.
However, this represents untapped potential. Experts counsel that rising funding in analysis and improvement (R&D), notably in semiconductor design labs and infrastructure, will probably be the key.
Breakthroughs in excessive know-how require labs, prototyping strains, pre-commercial manufacturing amenities and superior coaching facilities.
The World Bank requires the improvement of nationwide semiconductor design facilities geared up with world-class infrastructure, enabling universities, researchers, and startups to share entry to vital assets.
These facilities assist speed up innovation and supply college students and scientists with hands-on expertise in turning designs into actuality.
The third pillar focuses on strengthening linkages between home companies and international direct funding (FDI) companies.
Lessons from Singapore and Ireland present that with correct coverage help from the authorities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can turn out to be very important hyperlinks in international worth chains. For Vietnam, electronics, semiconductors, biotechnology, and prescribed drugs are seen as appropriate beginning factors.
The “+1” issue refers to specializing in chosen innovation clusters, much like how China developed the Guangzhou-Shenzhen know-how hall, Korea has the Daedeok science city, and Singapore has Fusionopolis.
According to Sherman, the Hoa Lac National Innovation Center (NIC) has the potential to turn out to be a complicated manufacturing hub inside the subsequent 10 years, integrating coaching, R&D, and large-scale manufacturing.
Such clusters will act as “magnets” for expertise and concepts, inspiring younger Vietnamese to pursue careers in science and know-how and attracting international expertise again to the nation.
A collaborative path ahead
The World Bank emphasizes that for this mannequin to succeed, it requires a nationwide effort, with the authorities, companies, increased training establishments, analysis institutes, and worldwide companions all taking part in important roles.
Specifically, the authorities units the imaginative and prescient, creates supportive insurance policies, and offers seed funding; increased training establishments collaborate with companies to coach the workforce and conduct R&D; and worldwide companions deliver experience and international financing.
“Investing in people is the foundation. It drives science and technology while giving businesses confidence that they will have access to the right talent at all levels, from skilled technicians and engineers to visionary scientists and leaders,” Sherman stated.
The World Bank pledges to proceed supporting Vietnam on this journey. A brand new report on expertise and innovation in the semiconductor business, launched at the discussion board, goals to offer sensible suggestions to assist Vietnam obtain its objective of turning into a regional high-tech hub.
“Vietnam’s development story has always been one of resilience, aspiration, and success. The next chapter, the high-tech future Vietnam is building, is within reach. That future will become reality when we turn vision into action, starting today,” Sherman stated.
Thai Khang