Minister Vu Hai Quan: Vietnamese and Korean businesses need to shift from outsourcing to co-creation.

At the Vietnam-Korea Digital Technology Forum 2026, held on October 1, 2026 in Seoul, Minister Vu Hai Quan emphasized that science, technology, and digital transformation are becoming important pillars and deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

According to the Minister, the Vietnam- Korea relationship is opening up a large space for the development of science, technology, and digital technology. Businesses from both sides need to make a strong shift in their cooperative thinking, promoting a spirit of "co-creation" and participating together from the very first stages of product development.

From outsourcing to collaborative technology development.

Prior to the forum's opening, Minister Vu Hai Quan, along with the Vietnamese Ambassador to South Korea, Vu Ho, met and held direct discussions with representatives of digital technology businesses from both countries at the Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul.

Businesses shared information about investment cooperation, market development, research and development, and highlighted the advantages and challenges in connecting the technology ecosystems between the two countries.

Vietnamese digital technology businesses have expressed their desire to expand cooperation with Korean partners in the fields of AI, semiconductor chip design, data infrastructure, and industrial digital transformation. Along with this, they are determined to enhance their research and development capabilities to participate more deeply in Korea's high-tech value chain.

Minister Vu Hai Quan proposed shifting from purely outsourcing cooperation to joint research, design, and product development, and coordinating the implementation of pilot projects to demonstrate feasibility from the outset.

For Vietnamese businesses, the Minister suggested promoting the development of high-quality "Make in Vietnam" technology products, deeply integrated into South Korea's supply chain. From this foundation, Vietnamese businesses can form joint ventures with South Korean companies to expand into international markets.

At the forum, Ambassador Vu Ho also emphasized the spirit of cooperation between the representative offices to promote the commercialization of technology, co-ownership of intellectual property, and access to third markets.

The Ministry of Science and Technology is working to remove bureaucratic obstacles.

To promote research and development cooperation, Minister Vu Hai Quan suggested that large enterprises closely coordinate with research institutes and universities in both countries, and establish joint research groups.

The Minister affirmed that the Ministry of Science and Technology will coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to support and resolve difficulties in mechanisms, improve the legal framework, and create favorable conditions for research and development models, testing to demonstrate feasibility, and commercializing technology between businesses of the two countries.

The Vietnam-Korea Digital Technology Forum 2026 attracted over 200 delegates. In his opening remarks, Mr. Nguyen Khac Lich, Director of the Department of Digital Technology and Artificial Intelligence, stated that the forum focuses on policy exchange, business networking, product and solution introductions, and promoting cooperation in AI, semiconductors, cloud computing, data, software, and smart factories.

At the seminar "Vietnam-Korea Digital Technology Alliance: Co-creating AI solutions, integrated circuit design, and developing a high-tech supply chain," delegates discussed research, development, and technology transfer; training of AI and semiconductor design personnel; and testing and bringing jointly developed products to the global market.

Within the framework of the program, Minister Vu Hai Quan visited and experienced AI solutions in management and production, digital transformation platforms for businesses, cloud computing, and information security at the booths of Vietnamese and Korean enterprises. The Minister urged businesses to continue improving the competitiveness of their products and strengthen trade connections to quickly translate the ideas and solutions on display into substantive commercial cooperation contracts.