Khánh Hòa has officially launched a digital platform dedicated to Chăm cultural heritage, marking a shift from traditional preservation to digital conservation. — Photo vtv.vn

HCM CITY — Việt Nam is stepping up efforts to build its digital cultural ecosystem under a new government decree that promotes home-grown digital cultural products, supports technology innovation and encourages greater investment in digital infrastructure.

Decree No. 277/2026/NĐ-CP on Digital Cultural Infrastructure provides detailed guidance for implementing Clauses 1, 3 and 5 of Article 10 of the National Assembly's Resolution No. 28/2026/QH16 on the Development of Vietnamese Culture.

It sets out regulations on the development of digital cultural infrastructure, national cultural databases, the national digital cultural data repository and shared digital platforms for the cultural sector, alongside policies to attract investment and support the development of digital technologies and digital cultural products and services.

Comprising five chapters and 20 articles, the decree applies to both Vietnamese and foreign organisations and individuals involved in developing, managing, operating or using digital cultural infrastructure, producing digital content and digital cultural products and services, or operating cultural innovation centres in Việt Nam.

Integrated digital infrastructure

Under the decree, digital cultural infrastructure must support cultural development, digital cultural products and services, and State management of the sector.

It must be developed in a synchronised, interconnected and widely shared manner to optimise resources and avoid fragmented or duplicated investment.

Research, creation, production, distribution and use of digital cultural products and services must be grounded in the nation's core values, cultural values, family values and standards of Vietnamese people, while contributing to the preservation and promotion of Việt Nam's cultural identity.

The Government also encourages the use of digital cultural products and services developed by Vietnamese enterprises, while promoting international cooperation in digital cultural infrastructure, digital technologies and cultural technology products.

The decree stipulates that the development of digital cultural infrastructure must go hand in hand with safeguarding national security, maintaining public order and proactively preventing threats to cultural security in the digital environment.

Public-private investment

The State encourages domestic and foreign technology corporations and digital technology enterprises to invest in, co-invest, sponsor and transfer technologies for the development of digital infrastructure, data infrastructure, shared digital platforms and advanced technological solutions serving cultural preservation, cultural industries and digital cultural products and services.

Investment in digital cultural infrastructure and digital cultural products and services under public-private partnership (PPP) models will be implemented in accordance with relevant legislation governing PPP investment, data management and public assets.

Priority technologies

The decree identifies a number of priority technologies for the cultural sector, including cloud computing, edge computing, artificial intelligence (AI), big data, digital twins, the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), extended reality (XR), immersive reality (IR), mixed reality (MR), LiDAR, photogrammetry, geographic information systems (GIS), building information modelling (BIM/HBIM), and other digital technologies prescribed by law.

Priority applications include AI-powered large language models and virtual assistants trained on standardised Vietnamese datasets to support the digitisation, classification and automated tagging of cultural resources, recognition of historical documents, multilingual translation, automated subtitling, personalised cultural experiences and the creation of new digital cultural products.

The decree also prioritises digital platforms for content creation and distribution, digital rights management, digital asset management and copyright trading, national cultural heritage databases, virtual exhibitions, automated tour guide systems, digital film studios, online performing arts platforms, online arts education, and digital publishing and distribution platforms.

Digital cultural products

The decree classifies digital cultural products and services into several categories, including digital cultural heritage, digital content and entertainment, digital arts and creativity, digital cultural content distribution, and digital cultural tourism and experiences.

These include digitised heritage in 2D and 3D formats, VR and AR experiences, digital libraries, online exhibitions, music, electronic publications, films, photography, creative design, online performing arts, digital publishing platforms, cultural content-sharing platforms, multilingual tour guide systems, digital tourism maps and personalised cultural tourism experiences.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in coordination with the Ministry of Science and Technology, will issue a list of priority digital cultural products and services in line with practical requirements and national development strategies.

The digitalisation of cultural heritage will enrich visitor experiences, helping to advance smart tourism while expanding public access to heritage in the digital age. — Photo vtv.vn

Enterprise support

Enterprises investing in the research and development of digital technologies, digital technology products and digital cultural products and services will be eligible for incentives under legislation governing investment, science and technology, innovation, high technology, the digital technology industry and digital transformation, provided they meet the relevant criteria.

The decree also allows enterprises to participate in government support programmes and initiatives.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will publish guidance and reference criteria on sector-specific requirements for digital technology products and digital cultural products and services, encouraging businesses to voluntarily assess and disclose their compliance.

To foster innovation, the Government will organise investment promotion and trade promotion activities in Việt Nam and overseas, while launching programmes that provide eligible enterprises with free access to digital infrastructure services for research and development for up to six months, with possible extensions based on project outcomes.

The decree also provides advisory support to help businesses incorporate national and cultural values into digital products and strengthen cooperation with cultural and artistic organisations to build an innovation ecosystem for the cultural sector. — VNS