Science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation strive to contribute 17.5% to GDP

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the Government Steering Committee for the Development of Science, Technology, Innovation, Digital Transformation, and Project 06, has signed Decision No. 11/QD-BCDCP issuing the Committee's 2026 Activity Plan.

The overall goal of the Activity Plan is to drastically and synchronously implement the objectives, tasks, and solutions of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW; ensuring that science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation (STI & DT) make substantive contributions to the goal of double-digit economic growth by enhancing labor productivity, governance efficiency, public service quality, and corporate competitiveness.

The plan aims to create a visible shift in interconnected and synchronized digital transformation within the political system and key sectors, focusing on stages that directly impact productivity, costs, time, service quality, and market expansion capabilities.

The year 2026 is identified as the year to shift focus from institutional perfection to implementation, monitoring, measurement, and output evaluation. It aims to create substantive progress in STI & DT and Project 06 development, coupled with improving national governance efficiency, administrative reform, service quality for citizens and businesses, and driving growth.

Efforts will be made to promote STI development toward closely linking research, application, and the market; boosting the commercialization of research results; forming and developing technology enterprises and innovative startups; and developing innovation centers and high-tech zones focused on products, outputs, and scalability.

The plan sets the following growth contribution targets: The share of digital economy value-added in GDP for 2026 aims to reach 14.5%. The contribution share of STI & DT in GDP strives to reach 17.5%.

Regarding institutional and policy perfection: Focus will be placed on reviewing and promptly issuing full regulations and measures to guide the implementation of laws passed by the National Assembly in 2025. This ensures synchronized and unified legal effectiveness, thoroughly resolving the backlog of detailed regulatory documents while adjusting and supplementing mechanisms to further perfect the legal framework for STI & DT and Project 06.

National Digital Transformation

(1) Digital transformation in state administrative agencies

Regarding infrastructure, platforms, and digital data: 5G coverage will be expanded to reach 70% of the population. 100% of officials and public employees at the commune level will be equipped with tools meeting job requirements and individual digital signatures for electronic workflows.

100% of work records in state administrative agencies will be processed electronically (with records containing state secrets handled via appropriate systems/networks per confidentiality laws), utilizing specialized official digital signatures. The rate of documents and work records processed entirely in a digital environment aims to reach 80% at the ministerial level and 70% at the provincial and commune levels.

Regarding administrative procedures and online public services: The rate of administrative procedures provided as full-process online public services out of the total eligible procedures under the management of Ministries and agencies (including those at provincial and commune levels) must reach at least 80%.

The rate of administrative procedures provided as full-process online services out of the total eligible procedures assigned or detailed in legal documents of local governments in provinces and centrally-run cities must reach at least 80%.

At least 80% of information, papers, and documents in administrative procedures related to production and business must be provided only once to state agencies. 100% of administrative procedures will be performed regardless of administrative boundaries within a province.

Regarding digital skills development: 100% of officials and public employees will receive digital skills training. 50% of those in specialized IT and digital transformation positions in ministries, sectors, and localities will receive data governance training.

(2) Digital Economy: 100% of eligible administrative procedures related to businesses will be provided as online public services.

(3) Digital Society: Satisfaction rates of citizens and businesses using online public services aim to reach at least 95%; free digital signatures will be deployed for the entire population via the VNeID application.

Science, Technology, and Innovation

(1) Promoting commercialization of strategic technology products: Successfully commercialize at least 05 products from the Strategic Technology List (semiconductor chips, 5G network equipment, industrial robots, AI, UAVs, etc.); allocate at least 15% of the state budget for science to strategic technology R&D.

(2) Developing human resources for STI and digital universities: Vietnam National University (VNU) Hanoi, VNU Ho Chi Minh City, University of Da Nang, and Hanoi University of Science and Technology will effectively implement tasks and solutions assigned in Notice No. 45-TB/TGV dated September 30, 2025.

(3) Enhancing governance of STI missions: 100% of STI missions using state budget will be managed and updated promptly and fully throughout their lifecycle (ordering, selection/direct assignment, contract, disbursement, acceptance, etc.), with full-process tracking on the Digital Platform for STI Management.

(4) Enhancing research-testing-trial production infrastructure for commercialization: Establish at least 09 shared infrastructures (laboratories, R&D centers, testing/evaluation/certification facilities) serving strategic technology development.

Organize at least 3 real-world testing environments (sandboxes) in Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City, ensuring each locality has at least one space to test, evaluate, and refine new research results, products, and solutions. This ensures specific testing sites, suitable data, and mechanisms for recognizing and transferring results into practice; and encourages STI & DT enterprises to establish Science and Technology Development Funds (deducting up to 20% of annual taxable income).

(5) Developing the startup and innovation ecosystem: Establish and effectively operate at least 3 innovation and startup centers in Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City. Preferential mechanisms and policies for innovative startups will be applied to ensure competitiveness equal to or exceeding leading regional centers (such as Singapore and Indonesia).

Aim for a 30% increase in the number of innovative startups in STI & DT fields. Form 30-50 spin-off enterprises from university and institute research results in 2026, with Hanoi aiming for at least 20 enterprises.

Regarding monitoring and evaluation: 100% of tasks from the Central and Government Steering Committees will be tracked, monitored, and evaluated on the theodoinq.dcs.vn system. Data will be updated timely and objectively, linked to the accountability of agencies and their heads./.

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