Vietnam, EU boost cooperation in science and technology

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung met with EU Ambassador Julien Guerrier in Hanoi on September 17 to discuss expanding ties. "Vietnam’s reform journey has been under way for almost four decades. The first stage was to develop agriculture to escape poverty. The second stage relied on foreign investment, processing, and assembly, turning the country into a middle-income country," he said.

"And the third stage - the current stage is to move from a middle-income country to a high-income country based on science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation. The EU is an important partner in this with many strengths and potential in technology, experience, and human resource development," he added.

Photo: MoST

Vietnam expressed hopes that the EU would encourage co-funded scientific research projects, strengthen links between research institutes and universities, and share expertise on software systems for managing state-funded sci-tech initiatives as well as on commercialising research outcomes.

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) also proposed EU support in refining Vietnam’s national standards system, particularly for key infrastructure projects such as high-speed railways, nuclear power plants, and smart cities.

Regarding telecommunications and digital transformation, the two sides discussed cooperation in developing 5G infrastructure, promoting roaming connections at reasonable costs, and expanding cooperation in digital technology industries such as AI and semiconductors. Vietnam has a strong workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, along with preferential policies to entice investment in these areas.

Additionally, the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in developing safe and modern nuclear energy.

Julien Guerrier, EU Ambassador to Vietnam and Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Science and Technology. Photo: MoST

In response, Ambassador Guerrier expressed appreciation for Vietnam’s strong progress in recent years, noting that 2025 marks 35 years of effective cooperation between Vietnam and the EU across areas such as sci-tech, digital transformation, and green growth. He suggested the early signing of a Letter of Intent on cooperation in these fields.

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung agreed, stressing that such a document would provide a solid foundation for the two sides to advance concrete cooperation projects in the near future.

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