Participants listen to a presentation at the event on August 13. — Photo courtesy of the organiser

By Ly Ly Cao

HÀ NỘI — Hòa Lạc is being positioned as a testing and co-creation hub where businesses, researchers and universities can develop, validate and commercialise new technologies, strengthening innovation cooperation between Vietnamese and Japanese partners.

The approach was highlighted at the Việt Nam–Japan Innovation Forum 2026, held at the Vietnam National Innovation Centre (NIC) Hòa Lạc in Hà Nội on August 13.

Hoàng Trung Hiếu, deputy director of NIC, said the centre would continue working with Japanese government agencies, research institutions, universities, companies and investors to connect resources and turn cooperation commitments into tangible and long-term outcomes.

"NIC is committed to continuing to accompany Japanese partners to connect resources, promote cooperation and create new value," he said.

Ramla Khalidi, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representative in Việt Nam, said technology, knowledge and innovation would need to play a stronger role in productivity and value creation if Việt Nam was to sustain rapid growth and improve competitiveness in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.

That transition, she said, requires investment, skills, strong institutions and, above all, partnerships.

From the Japanese side, Deputy Ambassador Ishikawa Isamu highlighted the long history of bilateral cooperation in Hòa Lạc, dating back nearly three decades to Japan International Cooperation Agency support for the master plan of Hòa Lạc Hi-Tech Park.

Japan will continue implementing cooperation programmes supporting Việt Nam's innovation development, he said, with potential collaboration spanning science and technology, semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

Discussions at the forum pointed to a 'Connect–Test–Scale' model for future cooperation.

Under the approach, partners and technology needs are first connected, solutions are then tested and validated in real-world environments before successful technologies are scaled up.

Hòa Lạc could serve as a co-creation and testing space where businesses, startups, universities and international partners jointly develop technologies and bring them into practical use.

Japan's experience also illustrates the importance of long-term ecosystem building.

The University of Tokyo's ecosystem, for example, has generated more than 700 startups alongside multiple initial public offerings and mergers and acquisitions, supported by sustained cooperation among universities, businesses, investors and the government.

The two countries also offer complementary capabilities. Việt Nam has strengths in software talent, manufacturing capacity and a young workforce, while Japan brings advanced technology, industrial expertise, corporate networks, ecosystem-building experience and long-term capital.

These strengths create opportunities for cooperation in research and development (R&D), talent development, technology startups, advanced manufacturing and market expansion.

Semiconductors are emerging as a major area of cooperation. The forum announced the establishment of a Việt Nam–Japan semiconductor human resources working group involving the Japanese Embassy, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, NIC, Japanese semiconductor companies and four leading Vietnamese engineering universities.

The group will assess the supply-demand gap for semiconductor workers and connect corporate requirements with universities' training and research capabilities, supporting joint training programmes and talent development between the two countries.

Meanwhile, NIC is developing the Viet Nam–Japan Innovation Hub at Hòa Lạc as a platform where companies, universities and research institutes can conduct joint research, testing and training while connecting with potential investors.

Linked with Vietnam–Japan University, the Vietnam National Space Centre and technology companies based at Hòa Lạc Hi-Tech Park, the hub is intended to facilitate concrete R&D programmes and technology projects between the two countries.

The broader cooperation agenda covers strategic technologies, including semiconductors, cybersecurity, quantum technology and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Ramla Khalidi, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representative in Việt Nam. — Photo courtesy of the organiser

Ramla from UNDP said that an innovation hub should be more than physical infrastructure.

"The innovation hub is not just about infrastructure. It's not just about a space, it's about people," Khalidi said, adding that connections among innovators, businesses and the Government could help take ideas 'from the lab to the marketplace'.

She also stressed the importance of prototyping facilities where companies and researchers can test technologies before commercialisation, helping reduce risks and improve market readiness.

Technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles, for example, could be tested for applications ranging from disaster risk reduction to more efficient agriculture.

The forum's approach calls for companies, universities, research institutions and government agencies to work together from identifying market needs and developing solutions to testing technologies and eventually commercialising them.

Hòa Lạc is being positioned within that framework as a place where technologies can be demonstrated, validated and refined with businesses and research partners before commercialisation and market expansion. — BIZHUB/VNS