The annual flagship innovation forum Open Innovation Day 2025 (OID 2025) opened October 25 in Ho Chi Minh City under the banner “Technological Breakthroughs – Promoting Green and Digital Transformation”. Launched by the National Agency for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialisation Development (NATEC) and co-organised by the Open Innovation & Technopreneur Institute (OITI), the two-day event aims to bring together government agencies, global corporations, investors and emerging start-ups to accelerate Vietnam’s transition to a greener and more digitally-enabled economy.
At the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister Hoàng Minh Cường said open innovation must shift from concept to practice. “We want to move from talking about innovation to living it in every business, every city and every community,” he said. Meanwhile, the city’s vice-chairman pledged HCM City would assume a leading role as a national platform for science, technology and innovation.
Audiences at OID 2025 can choose from eight in-depth discussion streams covering critical themes such as artificial intelligence, blockchain governance, renewable energy, advanced materials, and cross-border e-commerce. A highlight of the event is the “Tech Showcase 2025”, which features promising start-ups and enterprise innovation solutions seeking investment and strategic partnerships.
Organisers say OID 2025 offers a pivotal connection point between policy, enterprise and research. At its core is the recognition that Vietnam’s next phase of growth must be built on innovation-led, sustainable technologies and ecosystem collaboration. According to OITI’s Deputy Director Bùi Trung Hiếu, the first prerequisite is not simply funding or tech itself — but trust in policy, in the ability of businesses, in research and in the marketplace.
International organisations are also deeply involved. The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) highlighted the vital role of innovation ecosystems in enabling climate-resilient, low-carbon growth — warning, however, that the surge in data-centre and AI usage must be matched with energy-efficient strategies.
The event underscores Vietnam’s ambition to transition from “innovation adopter” to “innovation leader” — four years after the first OID. According to organisers, the platform has already received hundreds of solution submissions in past years, tapping into areas such as carbon-reduction, industrial AI and agricultural applications.
Vietnam’s broader goal: to make science, technology and innovation core engines of economic and social progress, rather than side-show elements. With OID 2025 as its flagship forum, the country is sending a clear signal to startups, corporates and investors: green and digital transitions are no longer optional — they are inevitable.
*Source: Tuổi Trẻ; VietnamPlus; Văn Hóa Thường Giá; Doanh Nghiệp & Cuộc Sống.
