HCMC – Vietnam is lagging behind regional countries in digital and green transformation, according to Truong Gia Binh, chairman of the founding council of the Vietnam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA), at a recent meeting in Hanoi.
Binh cited a 2023 World Bank report indicating that Vietnam holds only 15% of nearly 500 green patents in emerging markets, behind Malaysia (51%) and Thailand (20%).
The country also lags in digital transformation, holding just 8% of patents compared to Malaysia’s 58%.
Still, Vietnam has made considerable strides in digitalization, with the 2022 e-government development index exceeding the global and regional averages. The digital economy has also seen encouraging growth, expanding by 28% in 2022 and 19% in 2023, the fastest in Southeast Asia.
Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Information and Communications, stressed the importance of digital and green transformation as key drivers of economic growth. He said the digital economy contributed 16.5% to GDP in 2023, growing at over 20%.
Experts underscored the need for Vietnam to focus on key technology sectors like artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, smart electric vehicles, and green technology to accelerate its digital and green transformation.
