New Hanoi innovation hub set to drive technology and digital transformation
Hanoi debuts a new innovation center to accelerate science, technology and digital transformation, creating a collaborative platform linking government, universities and businesses while attracting global expertise and investment to solve challenges and strengthen competitiveness.
THE HANOI TIMES — The Hanoi People’s Committee has established the Hanoi Innovation Center JSC to implement Politburo Resolution 57 on advancing breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation.
Board Chairman Tran Quang Hung has spoken with Hanoi Media Group about the center’s mission and strategy.
Could you explain the center’s operating model?
To carry out Resolution 57, the Hanoi Innovation Center operates as a joint-stock company coordinating innovation across the city. The center links government agencies, universities and businesses, the three pillars of innovation. This structure enables flexible, market-driven responses to complex development challenges.
Visitors explore exhibition booths at the Vietnam Technology and Innovation Connectivity event organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the People’s Committee of Hanoi. Photos: Hanoimoi Newspaper
We will prioritize investment, enterprise-led research and development, and product commercialization. The joint-stock model increases agility and responsiveness to market demand while paving the way for foreign investment in later phases.
A central objective is to translate policy directions into practical products that serve citizens. A controlled sandbox mechanism will allow new solutions to undergo testing in coordination with regulators.
As an extension of public authorities, the center will support domestic and international firms, along with overseas Vietnamese professionals, in piloting solutions in Vietnam. We will also advise policymakers and connect them with businesses, providing market feedback to improve regulations and foster sustainable growth.
What are the center’s strategic orientations and plans for building an innovation community?
The center aims to build a global innovation network linking universities in Vietnam and abroad where Vietnamese students and professionals study and work. We seek to attract young Vietnamese talent worldwide, including experts in major technology and financial corporations and researchers at leading institutions, to help solve Hanoi’s development challenges.
With advanced technologies, product testing cycles that once took a year can now take weeks. After validation, the center will help founders register companies and connect them with experts and Hanoi-based venture capital funds expected to launch soon.
Tran Quang Hung, the Hanoi Innovation Center’s Board Chairman.
Rather than relying mainly on direct grants, we will develop a comprehensive support ecosystem similar to those in mature startup environments. This ecosystem includes shared office space, legal and accounting services, and computing infrastructure. These services reduce operating costs and speed up market entry.
The center is also developing shared data platforms covering traffic, digital maps, land management and urban planning. Innovators can test solutions on these datasets to accelerate deployment.
Under this model, the city defines key challenges and provides infrastructure, while the center connects agencies, businesses and investors to refine and scale solutions.
How does the center complement existing platforms such as the Digital Transformation Market (DTMarket) and the Technology Exchange (HanoTEX)?
The Hanoi Innovation Center complements existing platforms rather than duplicating them. DTMarket functions as a marketplace for finalized products.
In contrast, the innovation center focuses on refining and standardizing products still in testing, preparing them for commercialization and eventual listing on platforms such as DTMarket and HanoTEX.
By leveraging hardware infrastructure, computing capacity and shared data systems, the center helps young innovators turn ideas into validated, market-ready products. It serves as a citywide coordinator, integrating incubation, startup formation and partnership development into a unified value chain.
The center will extend services beyond Hanoi to ministries, provinces and international partners, expanding opportunities for cooperation and commercialization.
What priority problems will the center focus on solving and how will technology support citizens?
The center will target five urgent urban challenges, including traffic congestion, environmental pollution, food traceability and smart urban governance. These priorities align with efforts to raise living standards and strengthen sustainability.
Innovation and technology use are essentials to boost Hanoi's economic competitiveness.
Another strategic focus is building core technological capabilities that enhance competitiveness for Hanoi and Vietnam. Data and artificial intelligence are central to this effort, especially in areas where Vietnam holds strong data advantages.
In the initial phase, the center will apply AI and big data to improve public services and administrative reform. Digital platforms can bring services closer to residents, automate procedures and enable mobile access, reducing travel, environmental strain and administrative costs.
What role will global Vietnamese experts and international partners play?
Although newly launched, the center has already connected with expert and founder networks across ten regions worldwide.
By deepening cooperation with Vietnamese and international science and technology communities, the center aims to advance scientific progress while strengthening Hanoi’s innovation-driven development.
Through global partnerships, the center expects to accelerate knowledge transfer, build high-impact collaborations and position Hanoi as an emerging node in the global innovation ecosystem.
Thank you for your time!
