Vietnam seeks deeper research and investment ties with Japan
To Lam proposed shared laboratories and a technology co-creation network, urging businesses to collaborate on research and product development.
Vietnam’s Communist Party General Secretary and President To Lam urged Japan to broaden collaboration on technology development and expand investment in Vietnam at a Tokyo public-private forum on November 9. His proposals included shared research facilities and closer cooperation in designing products.
Attending the forum during an official visit to Japan, Lam identified semiconductors, artificial intelligence and biotechnology among the priorities, alongside clean energy and smart industries. He advocated research programmes shaped by manufacturers’ needs and market demand, rather than cooperation limited to adopting technology or producing goods from existing designs.
Lam proposed exploring a bilateral technology co-creation network, with feasible projects selected to help commercialise research and support innovative enterprises. He pointed to semiconductor research projects being implemented jointly in 2026 as evidence of a move towards developing technology together.
He also encouraged Japanese companies to increase high-quality investment and deepen collaboration with Vietnamese businesses on design, research, smart manufacturing and supporting industries. Training engineers, technology specialists and young scientists should accompany stronger ties between businesses, educational institutions and government, he said.
Finance Minister Ngo Van Tuan pledged cooperation with Japanese partners and Vietnamese agencies to improve conditions for investors, mobilise resources and resolve business concerns within the ministry’s legal powers.
Ishiguro Norihiko, chairman and CEO of the Japan External Trade Organisation, said Vietnam’s greater focus on innovation, technology and workforce training was creating more opportunities for Japanese businesses.
