Hanoi (VNA) - This year is shaping up to be a crucial one for Vietnam to achieve its goal of double-digit growth, with early signs suggesting a structural upgrade rather than just a temporary rebound.
Growth pivots based on quality and technology
This year is shaping up to be a crucial one for Vietnam to achieve its goal of double-digit growth, with early signs suggesting a structural upgrade rather than just a temporary rebound. are rotating sharply toward high-tech and innovation, said Tran Thi Thu from the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance.
Foreign direct investment is tilting into the digital economy, including electronics, semiconductors and core technologies. A heavy import bill for machinery, equipment and components signals new production capacity, a prerequisite for Vietnam to move beyond contract manufacturing and into higher-value segments of global supply chains.
Breakthroughs are broadening across all 34 centrally-governed cities and provinces, with nine posting growth above 10%. Ha Tinh led at 12.79%; Hai Phong grew 11.33% as an industrial and logistics hub. Quang Ninh expanded 11.11% as it pivots from mining to green processing, manufacturing, tourism and services. Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen and Ninh Binh have joined the fastest-growing group, forming a new tech corridor from electronics to semiconductors.
That dispersion signals Vietnam is knitting together interconnected economic corridors and regional supply chains. As localities sharpen their competitive edges, whether in logistics, semiconductors, or advanced technology, the national economy gains a more resilient ecosystem built on regional synergies.
Institutional push, persistent chokepoint
July 1, 2026 marked a milestone as the 2025 Law on Digital Transformation and the 2025 Law on High Technology took effect, what economists call the operating “software” for the digital economy.
Vietnam’s laws are creating a solid legal foundation to attract global tech giants in AI and data centres. The framework is being fine-tuned to draw in capital and safeguard the new value that digitalisation generates. By prioritising quality and sustainability in its FDI policy, Vietnam is moving away from chasing any investment and instead choosing the right partners to strengthen its economic power.
Still, sustaining growth above 10% through 2030 will force quick fixes to real bottlenecks. Domestic companies still capture too little value added in high-tech. Vietnam needs national champions that can partner with foreign investors, not just supply them.
That is also the lever for lifting labour productivity and workforce quality. Vietnam must rapidly expand its pool of skilled workers for an advanced digital economy, making semiconductor and AI training an urgent national priority.
A final piece is improving the business climate, so public investment acts as seed capital to unlock the private sector's resources, which is the lifeblood that must circulate through every corner of the economy if Vietnam is to hit its growth target./.
