Ho Chi Minh City aims to rank among the world’s top 100 innovation ecosystems as part of its plan to become an international technology hub, with the digital economy expected to contribute 40% of the city’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) by 2030.

According to Lam Dinh Thang, director of the Department of Science and Technology, the goal is in line with the Party Central Committee’s Resolution No. 57 and was presented at the first congress of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee on October 15.

To realize this ambition, the city will focus on three strategic breakthroughs. The first involves attracting major investors in high-tech industries, notably a partnership with UAE-based G42 Group on a nearly US$2 billion data center and artificial intelligence (AI) project.

In addition, the city will pilot a “public-public” partnership model, using state funds to invest in universities, with a target of placing Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City among the top 100 universities in Asia.

Priority will be given to advancing key technologies such as AI, cloud computing, semiconductors, robotics, and biomedical engineering. A new startup support fund will also be created to attract venture capital through an updated investment model.

Finally, the city plans to build a data-driven governance model by developing digital infrastructure and promoting the “four-party” cooperation model, involving the State, academia, businesses, and investors to strengthen its high-quality human resources.

These efforts build on Ho Chi Minh City’s solid foundation. The digital economy already accounted for 22% of GRDP in 2024 and is projected to rise to 25% by the end of 2025. In the first half of 2025 alone, the science and technology sector drew US$1.6 billion, making up 40% of total foreign direct investment (FDI) in the city.

The southern metropolis continues to assert its position, ranking second nationwide in both the Digital Transformation Index and the Innovation Index. It is home to more than 140 science and technology enterprises, the second-highest number in the country. Ho Chi Minh City’s startup ecosystem is currently ranked 110th globally and fifth in Southeast Asia.

However, challenges remain, including rigid management mechanisms for science and technology, the lack of sandbox environments for product testing, and incomplete data infrastructure for comprehensive digital transformation.

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