Minister of Science and Technology Vũ Hải Quân delivers a pre-recorded address at the 68th series of meetings of the assemblies of the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organisation. — Photo Permanent Mission of Vietnam in Geneva

HÀ NỘI — Compared with many countries in the region, Việt Nam has emerged as a notable performer in the intellectual property (IP) field, with significant improvements in various indicators and criteria.

During the recent 68th series of meetings of the assemblies of the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Minister of Science and Technology Vũ Hải Quân praised WIPO’s role in developing the global IP system, particularly in strengthening state management capacity, supporting businesses, training human resources, and promoting the commercialisation of intellectual assets.

Affirming Việt Nam’s responsibility toward the international IP system, Quân said the country has integrated rapidly and proactively implemented its international IP obligations under multilateral and bilateral treaties, contributing to a modern and effective global IP system that promotes innovation and development.

Nguyễn Hoàng Giang, deputy director of the Intellectual Property Office of Việt Nam under the Ministry of Science and Technology, said IP is increasingly becoming a key pillar of the knowledge-based economy. Compared with many regional countries, Việt Nam has integrated into the global IP system at a fast pace, with an open legal framework and a proactive approach to high-standard commitments.

Vietnamese enterprises have become deeply involved in areas such as trademarks and industrial designs, reflecting stronger international integration and a shift in awareness from legal compliance toward business and commercial use of IP.

The revised Law on Intellectual Property, which took effect in 2025, introduced major procedural reforms and shortened application processing times, creating a competitive advantage as businesses increasingly prioritise speed to market and seek faster protection mechanisms.

Việt Nam’s legal framework has been developed on the basis of international standards, including the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), and further upgraded through new-generation free trade agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

According to Giang, Việt Nam’s level of international IP integration is reflected in its participation in international treaties and high-standard FTAs, engagement in multilateral mechanisms such as WIPO, the World Trade Organisation, ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, as well as technical cooperation, data sharing, training programmes, and enterprises’ ability to use international systems to protect and exploit IP assets abroad.

Transforming intellectual assets into economic value

Despite improvements in application numbers and processing speed, Giang said the more fundamental challenge is enhancing the quality of IP protection and the ability to convert intellectual assets into economic value.

He stressed that the clearest indicator of a country’s IP standing is not the number of applications or international rankings, but its capacity to transform IP into a tool for generating economic value. The 2025 revised law marked an important shift from a rights-protection mindset to one focused on exploiting and commercialising IP rights as valuable economic assets.

Việt Nam has moved beyond the stage of building an IP system for integration and is now operating that system to enhance competitiveness, while entering a more demanding phase in which IP must not only be protected but also generate tangible economic returns, he noted.

In the coming period, the Intellectual Property Office of Việt Nam will focus on improving institutions and policy mechanisms, accelerating digital transformation and modernising management activities, from application filing and searches to publication and examination, including new technologies and non-traditional IP objects. The goal is to improve processing efficiency and strengthen connectivity with international systems, particularly WIPO-coordinated platforms.

Experts believe Việt Nam’s IP system should be more closely linked with the national innovation ecosystem by providing industrial property data, technology trend information, and support mechanisms for establishing and managing IP rights, enabling enterprises to shift from “registering for protection” to strategically managing intellectual assets to create economic value. — VNA/VNS