Vietnam opens a “first customer” door for strategic technology: a new opening for Korea–Vietnam ventures

From research funding to creating a real market

On 6 August 2026, the Prime Minister of Vietnam signed Decision 1493/QĐ-TTg, approving a special national programme for science, technology and innovation in strategic technology. What matters to companies is not the name of another support scheme, but the fact that Vietnam is moving the centre of gravity from “funding research” toward owning the technology, building products and commercialising them.

According to the Government and the Ministry of Science and Technology, by 2030 the programme targets mastery of at least 4 strategic technologies, commercialisation of at least 15 products, and at least 20 companies that own their technology, alongside roughly 40% local content for commercialised strategic-technology products.

This matters because a new technology rarely dies in the lab. It stalls between the prototype and the first customer. The new policy is aimed squarely at that commercialisation gap.

How should companies read the “first customer” signal?

Across the 2026 strategic-technology programmes, the Ministry of Science and Technology has repeatedly stressed that the state will act as the first customer for selected domestic technology products, through public ordering, piloting and real deployment. This is not a promise that every technology product will be bought, nor a mechanism that bypasses tendering or technical standards. But for companies it is a very different signal from a conventional R&D programme: the route to market is built into the policy design itself.

If a company can show that its technology solves a real problem for a government agency, a state-owned enterprise, a city, a hospital, a school or public infrastructure, the path from PoC to commercialisation becomes far clearer.

For Vietnamese companies this is a chance to move from integrator to co-owner of the technology. For Korean companies it is an indirect invitation: do not stop at selling finished products into Vietnam — consider co-development and localisation with a Vietnamese partner.

Ten strategic technology groups that sit close to Korean strengths

The current strategic technology list, set by Decision 21/2026/QĐ-TTg and in force since 1 July 2026, covers broad groups including:

• AI, big data, digital twin, cloud, edge, IoT and blockchain
• next-generation mobile networks
• robotics and automation
• biotechnology and advanced biomedicine
• energy and advanced materials
• semiconductor chips
• cybersecurity and quantum
• marine, ocean and subsurface technology
• aviation and space
• high-speed rail and urban rail

That is close to a map of Korean industrial strengths: semiconductors, edge AI, industrial robots, smart factories, batteries, materials, medical devices, 5G/6G, cybersecurity, rail and urban management systems.

Seen through a Korea–Vietnam business lens, the opportunity is not reserved for large groups. A mid-sized Korean company with solid IP, a core module or a product already deployed successfully in Korea can fit better than a conglomerate — provided it is willing to localise quickly and share responsibility for delivery with its Vietnamese partner.

Which models are likely to move fastest?

KVBiz sees four cooperation models that Korean and Vietnamese companies should review now.

1. Korean core technology + Vietnamese integration and data.

The Korean side supplies the engine, chip, algorithm, IP or core equipment; the Vietnamese company handles integration, data, interfaces, operations and customer support. This suits AI cameras, robotics, cybersecurity, medical AI and industrial IoT systems.

2. Co-developing a “Vietnam edition”.

Rather than shipping the product sold in Korea as-is, both sides design a version that matches Vietnamese standards, data, language, workflows and price points. This fits the local-content objective and makes for a stronger case when applying to strategic-technology programmes.

3. A PoC for a public-sector problem.

For example: AI cameras for traffic, autonomous robots for warehouses and hospitals, UAVs for infrastructure monitoring, urban data platforms, AI clinical support, or cybersecurity for digital infrastructure. One well-designed PoC can become the technical evidence that matters before moving to a larger scale.

4. Conditional technology transfer.

A Korean company does not have to transfer all of its IP. The architecture can be split into a core component, licensed modules, localised modules and territory-based exploitation rights. With a clear contract structure from the outset, this model can protect IP while still creating the “domestic capability” the Vietnamese side needs.

What Vietnamese companies should prepare before looking for a Korean partner

A common mistake is to open with “we are looking for Korean technology.” That question is far too broad. A good matching brief should answer at least five points:

• what specific problem needs solving
• who the potential customer or pilot site is
• which technical KPIs must be met
• which parts the Vietnamese side can build itself
• which core technology must come from a foreign partner

Once those five are clear, finding a Korean partner becomes much more precise. Instead of sending a generic cooperation request to 100 companies, a firm can approach 5–10 vendors with the right IP and relevant reference projects.

Korean companies should change how they enter Vietnam

A Korean firm that only looks for a distributor to “sell the box” may miss the most attractive part of the new programme. A stronger market-entry structure could look like this:

technology partner + local integrator + end-user/PoC site + commercialisation plan.

The proposal should spell out technology usage rights, transfer or localisation options, the standards and certification roadmap, the data required, the delivery team in Vietnam, and how the solution scales after the PoC.

The roughly 40% local-content target is a particularly clear signal that value created inside Vietnam will matter more over time. Exporting 100% finished products still has its own market, but it is not necessarily the optimal structure for taking part in strategic-technology programmes.

KVBiz sees a new matching market

The biggest gap today is not a shortage of technology. Vietnam has the demand and the delivery capacity; Korea has many technologies that are already commercialised. The gap lies in translating a Vietnamese problem into technical requirements a Korean vendor can act on, and then designing a cooperation structure clear enough that the two sides do not spend six months exchanging company profiles.

KVBiz will therefore prioritise tracking public orders, PoCs and strategic-technology programmes that can open Korea–Vietnam opportunities, especially in AI, semiconductors, robotics, smart factories, cybersecurity, digital health, energy and smart infrastructure.

Suggested next step. If you have a problem that could run as a PoC within three to six months, prepare a one-pager covering the problem, the KPIs, the data and infrastructure already available, the expected budget, and the technology you need from Korea. That is enough of an input to start a substantive matching conversation.

Sources

• Vietnam Government Portal — Decision 1493/QĐ-TTg, 6 August 2026
• Vietnam Government News — Approval of the special national science, technology and innovation programme for strategic technology
• Ministry of Science and Technology — By 2030, Vietnam to master at least 4 strategic technologies
• Ministry of Science and Technology — The state to step into the role of “first customer” for strategic products
• Vietnam Government Portal — Decision 21/2026/QĐ-TTg, list of strategic technologies