Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – To tap the potential of Vietnam’s low-altitude economy market, which is forecast to reach around 10 billion USD by 2035, domestic businesses do not necessarily need to master the full range of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies, but can focus on areas that suit their capabilities, from component manufacturing and software development to artificial intelligence (AI) integration and application services.
This was the view shared by experts at a discussion on unlocking the potential of the low-altitude economy, held on October 27 in Ho Chi Minh City as part of the Autumn Economic Forum 2026.
Dr Nguyen Thi Hai Hang, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Low Earth Economic Alliance (LAEP), said a network of businesses with different approaches to the low-altitude economy ecosystem has taken shape in Vietnam.
Some focus on manufacturing components and parts for UAV production, aiming to participate more deeply in supply chains. Others, particularly technology start-ups, are developing software, integrating AI and building applications on existing UAV platforms.
This is a promising approach, as a wide range of aircraft and components is already available for businesses to develop specialised applications. Rather than having to research and manufacture an entire aircraft themselves, companies can focus on technology solutions that match their capabilities and practical needs.
The LAEP representative noted that Vietnam often sets the goal of mastering core technologies, but this presents a major challenge when compared with countries that have already developed strong technological capabilities.
A more appropriate approach will be to align investment with domestic capacity and conditions rather than spread resources too thinly. The immediate priority is to deploy applications safely and efficiently, generating economic value and added value for the economy. Building on this foundation, businesses can gradually move towards mastering technologies that Vietnam is capable of developing.
On applications, Bui Minh Phuong, Deputy Director of the Institute for Low-Altitude Space Development (ILASD), said Vietnam did not necessarily need to create an entirely new market, but could start with sectors where there was already clear demand. Precision agriculture, infrastructure monitoring, logistics, healthcare and digital mapping are all viable fields for deployment in the near future.
In the Mekong Delta, for example, UAVs have been used in agriculture for more than a decade for seed sowing, pesticide spraying and pest control. By 2025, more than 3,000 agricultural drones were operating across approximately 1.5 million ha in the region.
UAV applications are also expanding to monitoring electricity and energy infrastructure, as well as other structures, particularly in areas that are difficult for people to access. These examples show that businesses can participate not only by supplying equipment but also by developing solutions tailored to the needs of individual economic sectors.
According to Phuong, economic value generated in low-altitude airspace comes not only from aircraft manufacturing, but also from software development, data processing and analysis, system integration, maintenance and operational services.
The long-term goal is to enable businesses to move beyond supplying individual pieces of equipment and towards offering end-to-end services, including flight planning, operations, data processing and reporting.
The ILASD representative said this transition required stronger links between research, manufacturing, services and practical applications. Industry clusters should also be developed with the participation of research institutes, training institutions, technology companies, manufacturers, state management agencies and industrial customers. Such connections would help align research and technological development capabilities with actual user needs.
Nguyen Van Thuat, Deputy Director of the Department of Digital Economy and Digital Society under the Ministry of Science and Technology, cautioned that successful testing should not be confused with successful commercialisation. An application may complete a test flight successfully without necessarily developing into a sustainable business model.
To determine whether a model can be scaled up, businesses must first establish that a genuine market exists, that the application addresses a real-world problem, and that customers are willing to pay for the service, he said. The application must also deliver better results than conventional methods.
The other two key requirements are safety and scalability. A model must operate safely not only in a controlled testing environment but also under real-world conditions. Once proven at one location, an application should be deployable elsewhere without requiring the entire technology, infrastructure and regulatory framework to be redesigned.
Experts said businesses also needed to assess economic viability over the entire lifecycle of their equipment, including the costs of hardware, personnel, batteries, maintenance, insurance and connectivity. A comprehensive cost assessment is essential to avoid scattered investment and poor returns./.
