Vietnam to host 2025 R&D forum

The Vietnam Research and Development Forum 2025 (VRDF 2025), jointly organized by the Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts Global (AVSE Global) and the People’s Committee of northern Ninh Bình Province, will take place on July 30–31 in Ninh Bình.

Under the theme “Advancing Vietnam’s Future through Strategic R&D Investment,” the forum aims to support the development of an effective national R&D strategy for Vietnam, grounded in international collaboration and innovation-driven policy.

A study by Moustapha & Yu (2021) covering 35 OECD countries found that a 1% increase in R&D spending can lead to a 2.83% rise in real GDP, underscoring the critical role of innovation in long-term economic growth.

In Vietnam, World Bank statistics (2024) showed that R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP rose from 0.30% in 2013 to 0.43% in 2021—a positive trend, though still below the 2–4% average seen in developed nations.

Vietnam continues to face challenges such as limited technological absorption, weak university–industry linkages, and underutilization of global intellectual resources.

VRDF 2025 is therefore seen as a strategic milestone in Vietnam’s transition to a knowledge-based economy, aiming to strengthen domestic innovation capacity—a key driver of sustainable development and national competitiveness.

The forum will gather leading experts, scientists, policymakers, and business representatives from Vietnam and abroad to pursue five core objectives: Establishing long-term mechanisms for R&D collaboration; promoting research commercialization and technology transfer; building a national R&D strategy based on practical initiatives; positioning Vietnam as an emerging R&D hub in ASEAN; and creating a dynamic, integrated, and sustainable R&D ecosystem.