Ho Chi Minh City: Creating market access for innovation.

Opening the market for research results.

One of the major requirements for Ho Chi Minh City's innovation ecosystem today is to create a continuous flow from idea and research to product, paving the way for market entry. The policies recently approved by the City People's Council to concretize the Urban Development Law are directly aimed at addressing the remaining obstacles in this process.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, the first bottleneck is the lack of "seed capital" for innovative startup projects. The new policy aims to support costs at each stage of development, instead of applying a single support method to all projects.

This approach allows state resources to be allocated according to the needs and maturity level of the project. Support is provided through startup support organizations and innovation centers with specific criteria, thereby focusing resources on projects with the potential for continued growth.

Another bottleneck lies in the gap between research results in universities and research institutions and the market. Resolution No. 66/2026/NQ-HĐND dated September 22, 2026, stipulates the establishment, participation in the establishment of enterprises, capital contribution, and participation in the management and operation of enterprises to commercialize scientific research and technological development results.

Public higher education institutions and research institutes can use research and development (R&D) results and intellectual property to contribute capital and form spin-off businesses. Officials can also participate in the management and operation of these businesses with the approval of their superiors.

This mechanism opens up further avenues for research results to move beyond the laboratory, forming products, businesses, and creating market value. Simultaneously, it strengthens the link between research institutes, universities, and businesses, fostering a closer connection between research and real-world needs.

Along with commercialization, technology transfer and intellectual property protection are also supported by additional mechanisms. Resolution No. 62/2026/NQ-HĐND dated September 22, 2026, stipulates policies to support scientific research, technology development, innovation; technology transfer; and the establishment, exploitation, and protection of intellectual property rights.

Costs related to brokerage, legal consulting, technology valuation, and training of personnel to adopt the technology can be subsidized up to a maximum of 200 million VND per technology per year, depending on the content and conditions. Intellectual property policies also aim to help organizations, individuals, and businesses proactively establish, exploit, protect intellectual property assets, and enhance the value of technology.

Creating a foundation of high-quality infrastructure and human resources.

Besides capital and commercialization mechanisms, shared research infrastructure is a crucial condition for businesses, research groups, and startups to access equipment, space, and services that support innovation.

Resolution No. 65/2026/NQ-HĐND dated September 22, 2026, stipulates the mechanism for supporting the development of infrastructure, innovation centers, and creative startup support centers. The city supports organizations and businesses with shared infrastructure for scientific research, technology, and innovation activities; the maximum support level can reach up to VND 25 billion per project, depending on the content, scale, and conditions.

Along with infrastructure, the issue of high-quality human resources is addressed through a specific mechanism. Resolution No. 63/2026/NQ-HĐND dated September 22, 2026, stipulates preferential policies and support for the formation and development of internationally standardized research centers in the city.

Specifically, the incentive mechanism allows for a monthly remuneration of up to 150 million VND for the program director and an additional income of up to 120 million VND for leadership positions. The goal is to attract leading experts, concentrate resources, and form strong research groups in areas where the city has needs and advantages.

Overall, the new policies are approaching the innovation ecosystem in a relatively synchronized sequence: initial resources for projects, research infrastructure, high-quality human resources, mechanisms for bringing research results into businesses, and tools to support technology transfer and protect intellectual property.

The value of these mechanisms will be most evident when more research results are commercialized, new technology businesses are formed, and more social resources are mobilized for science and technology. When bottlenecks from capital to markets are simultaneously removed, innovation will have more opportunities to transform research potential into products, businesses, and new value for Ho Chi Minh City's economy .