Hanoi (VNA) – The official visit to Singapore by Politburo member and Standing Member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu and a high-ranking CPV delegation on August 24-25 marked a historic step forward, opening a new vision for making science and technology, innovation, digital transformation and human resources development key pillars of the Vietnam-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The Joint Statement on the Technology Connectivity Strategy issued after the first Vietnam-Singapore Strategic Dialogue reaffirmed the shared interest in deepening cooperation in science and technology, innovation, connectivity and the digital economy. The two sides shared a vision of making Vietnam and Singapore leading strategic technology partners in Southeast Asia, with both countries becoming more technologically self-reliant through cooperation and connectivity.
The action-oriented spirit has been strengthened and translated into concrete initiatives following the state visit to Singapore by the General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President To Lam. Both sides have identified innovation and strategic technology cooperation as crucial to socio-economic development in the next phase, with emphasis placed on the involvement of the State, researchers and businesses.
Cao Xuan Thang, head of the Vietnam Trade Office in Singapore, said several challenges in connecting the three sides need to be addressed. These include establishing mechanisms linking technology supply and demand, with clearer processes for commissioning research and commercialising results; developing cross-border mechanisms for cooperation and sharing of high-quality human resources; and creating frameworks for risk-sharing in research, application, intellectual property, venture investment, innovative startups and product commercialisation.
He stressed the need for complementary cooperation, noting that Singapore has strengths in technology, logistics infrastructure, finance and international connectivity, while Vietnam has advantages in human resources, market and production capacity. Businesses from the two countries can complement each other and contribute more deeply to global supply chains.
Strategic voice
At the first Vietnam-Singapore Strategic Dialogue, participants discussed two issues of strategic importance: personnel training, human development and capacity building; and connectivity in science and technology and innovation.
In his presentation, Politburo member, Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and head of its Commission for Organisation Nguyen Duy Ngoc said Vietnam has identified science and technology, innovation and digital transformation as its top strategic breakthroughs, with people remaining the decisive factor for success. Personnel training is therefore a strategic priority, he said, expressing Vietnam’s wish for Singapore to share its experience to meet the development requirements of both sides.
Earlier, Ngoc held a working session with Hongyi Li, Director of Open Government Products at Singapore’s Government Technology Agency (GovTech), to exchange experience in science and technology development, innovation and digital transformation, as well as the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the performance of the public administration system.
Also at the dialogue, Politburo member and President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics Doan Minh Huan said cooperation in human resource training and capacity building between the academy and Singaporean partners already has a substantive foundation, expressing his hope for a more long-term and systematic cooperation framework to establish a network for theoretical research and exchange and knowledge sharing between Vietnam and Singapore.
Member of the CPV Central Committee and Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan called for stronger links among the State, businesses, research institutions and universities, and a greater role of enterprises in bringing technologies to market, adding that the State should focus on creating institutions, sharing risks and facilitating the development of new technologies and products.
From a policy perspective, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of its Commission for Policy and Strategy Nguyen Thanh Nghi highlighted the building of a “common development space” as an appropriate approach for the new phase of bilateral cooperation.
Politburo member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung underscored the significance of the strategic dialogue mechanism between the two Parties and said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would closely coordinate with relevant agencies to implement key conclusions.
The substantive discussions and adoption of the conclusions of the first Strategic Dialogue, together with the Joint Statement on the Technology Connectivity Strategy, have laid a firm foundation for future cooperation.
Elevating the VSIP model
As 2026 marks 30 years since the establishment of the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) model, Quan proposed three breakthroughs for a new phase of cooperation: upgrading VSIP into technology ecosystems; developing a model involving the State, VSIP and leading universities in both countries, including the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Vietnam National University, Hanoi and Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City; and jointly leading the digital transformation.
Thang said experts have viewed Tu’s visit and the Strategic Dialogue as important in creating new momentum for bilateral economic cooperation, with VSIP serving as a prominent symbol of successful partnership.
He said the parks are expected to evolve beyond conventional manufacturing zones toward smart, green and circular industrial ecosystems that apply high technologies and embrace social responsibility. This trend will help attract industrial investment while strengthening bilateral economic cooperation and the two countries’ roles in global supply chains./.
