Decision 1483/QD-TTg 2026 approve Scheme on development of a system of national research and testing centres and key laboratories for strategic technologies

DECISION

Approving the Scheme on development of a system of national research and testing centres and key laboratories for strategic technologies^[1]

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the February 18, 2025 Law on Organisation of the Government;

Pursuant to the June 27, 2025 Law on Science, Technology and Innovation;

Pursuant to the June 25, 2025 Law on the State Budget;

Pursuant to the June 21, 2017 Law on Management and Use of Public Property;

Pursuant to the June 25, 2025 Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Bidding Law, the Law on Investment in the Form of Public-Private Partnership, the Customs Law, the Law on Value-Added Tax, the Law on Import Duty and Export Duty, the Law on Investment, the Law on Public Investment, and the Law on Management and Use of Public Property;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 265/2025/ND-CP of October 14, 2025, detailing and guiding the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation regarding finance and investment in science, technology and innovation;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 180/2025/ND-CP of July 1, 2025, on mechanisms and policies for public-private cooperation in the field of science and technology development, innovation and digital transformation;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 21/2026/QD-TTg of April 30, 2026, promulgating the Lists of strategic technologies and strategic technology products;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 808/QD-TTg of May 6, 2026, on the assignment of tasks for strategic technology development;

At the proposal of the Minister of Science and Technology in Report No. 160/TTr-BKHCN of July 29, 2026,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve the Scheme on development of a system of national research and testing centres and key laboratories for strategic technologies (below referred to as the Scheme), with the following contents:

I. VIEWPOINTS

1. To develop a system of national research and testing centres and key laboratories for strategic technologies, in association with the National Strategy on Science, Technology and Innovation Development, to implement the tasks set forth in the Political Bureau’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of December 22, 2024, on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and national digital transformation, and the Prime Minister’s decisions on development of strategic technologies and strategic technology products.

2. To establish the system in a synchronous and interconnected manner on the basis of the value chain, from research into core and foundational technologies to product development, integration, testing, inspection, certification and completion, ensuring the connectivity, sharing and shared use of infrastructure nationwide.

3. To invest in the system in a focused manner, closely following the strategic technology development requirements; to prioritise the development, upgrading, connection and efficient utilisation of existing infrastructure; to place human resources, operational capacity, outcomes and exploitation efficiency at the centre, thus ensuring synchronous resource allocation throughout the system’s life cycle.

4. To bring into play the State’s role in setting orientations, coordinating and making lead investment; to strengthen linkages among research institutes, higher education institutions, enterprises, localities and intermediary organisations in the science and technology market; to promote public-private cooperation, associate researches with market demands, and application and commercialisation of research outcomes.

5. To conduct objective- and outcome-based governance, linking autonomy with accountability; to ensure data security and safety, intellectual property rights and national interests; to proactively integrate and connect with advanced regional and international research networks.

II. SCOPE AND SUBJECTS OF THE SCHEME

The Scheme shall be implemented nationwide, focusing on the development of national key laboratories to establish capacities for researching, developing and mastering core and strategic technologies; and national research and testing centres to establish capacities for testing, measuring, inspecting, certifying, and assessing conformity and readiness levels of, technologies, and providing support for bringing strategic technology products to the market.

III. OBJECTIVES

1. General objectives

To develop a modern, synchronous and interconnected system of national research and testing centres and key laboratories for shared use nationwide, focusing on strategic technologies, core technologies and strategic technology products, with certain fields reaching advanced regional levels and approaching the levels of developed countries. To step by step establish national capacities for research, testing, measurement, inspection, conformity assessment, pilot production and commercialisation of technologies, contributing to enhancing the capacity to absorb, master and develop strategic technologies and strengthening national technological autonomy.

2. Specific objectives

By 2030

a/ To upgrade existing laboratories and invest in new ones so as to put into operation at least 8 national key laboratories, with priority given to the fields of digital technology, next-generation mobile networks, robotics and automation, advanced biological and biomedical technologies, advanced energy and materials, cybersecurity and quantum technologies, marine, oceanic and underground technologies, and aviation and space technologies; and at least 4 national research and testing centres, with priority given to in the fields of unmanned aerial vehicles, biological and biomedical technologies, materials, and high-speed and urban railways.

b/ To master at least 10 core technologies directly serving strategic technology products and major national challenges.

c/ To achieve an average annual growth rate of at least 18% in the number of patent applications and protection titles for core and strategic technologies, counted from the third year following the year when the system is put into official operation according to regulations.

d/ To promote the commercialisation of research outcomes and intellectual assets of national research and testing centres and key laboratories; to establish at least 10 innovative start-up enterprises or science and technology enterprises capable of developing, mastering and commercialising core technologies, strategic technologies and strategic technology products.

dd/ To establish and maintain close linkages between each national research and testing centre or key laboratory and at least one innovation ecosystem or cluster linking research institutes, higher education institutions, enterprises and state management agencies; to associate research and testing outcomes with market demands and national defence and security requirements; to develop core technologies, strategic technologies and strategic technology products, and enhance the competitiveness of Vietnamese enterprises.

By 2035

a/ To continue upgrading, investing in and establishing a system of national modern research and testing centres and key laboratories; to connect the system with advanced regional and international research infrastructure networks; to have a number of testing centres and laboratories reaching the top level in the region in strategic technologies.

b/ To enhance the capacity to master core and foundational technologies; to basically meet domestic demands for research, development, testing, assessment and pilot production of strategic technology products; to promote technology transfer and commercialisation, support enterprises, and implement technology diffusion to serve socio-economic development.

IV. MAJOR TASKS AND SOLUTIONS

1. Formulation of documents serving management and operation

a/ To formulate and promulgate criteria for selecting national research and testing centres and key laboratories for strategic technologies.

b/ To formulate quantitative performance evaluation indicators for monitoring and evaluating outcomes of the system of national research and testing centres and key laboratories.

c/ To formulate and promulgate regulations on the operation and mechanisms for shared use of national research and testing centres and key laboratories.

d/ To review and promulgate regulations on the organisation and governance models of the system; mechanisms for establishment, reorganisation, and assignment of management and operation tasks; mechanisms for national research and testing centres and key laboratories to use financial resources generated from provision of services under regulations for reinvestment and other reasonable expenditures; and mechanisms for recruitment and payment of salaries to full-time employees and experts at the agreed level based on job positions, assigned tasks and performance results.

2. Reform of investment and financial mechanisms

a/ To make investment based on the system’s life cycle, ensuring the synchronism of infrastructure, equipment, human resources and management and operation conditions; to ensure that the selection, upgrading and investment are based on strategic technology development requirements, capacity needs and gaps, capabilities for shared use and committed outcomes, and investment in new facilities shall be made only when it is impossible to satisfy demands through upgrading, connection, sharing or shared use of existing infrastructure or hiring of services.

b/ To mobilise and diversify investment resources from the central budget, local budgets, enterprises and other lawful funding sources; to apply co-investment mechanisms and the form of public-private partnership when appropriate, and mobilise technology enterprises and sector-leading enterprises to invest in, and commission the research, testing and exploitation of research outcomes and intellectual assets in accordance with law.

c/ To use lawful revenues generated from the system’s activities to serve its operation, maintenance, upgrading and reinvestment in accordance with law.

d/ To commission or finance the performance of science, technology and innovation tasks, strategic technology development tasks, and tasks for developing standards and technical regulations, testing and assessment of new technologies for national research and testing centres and key laboratories with appropriate capacities.

3. Governance and organisation of operation and shared use

a/ To select managing and operating units on the basis of their research capacity, technological capacity, quality of human resources, scientific competence and reputation of their heads, governance capacity, capacity to mobilise resources and committed outcomes.

b/ To implement target-, outcome- and efficiency-based governance; to associate resource allocation with technological capacity and socio-economic impacts and impacts on national defence and security; to strengthen linkage among research institutes, higher education institutions, enterprises and localities in the management, operation and exploitation of the system.

c/ To develop, manage and operate a digital platform; to publicise information on the capacities, equipment, services, access conditions, availability period and contact point; to clearly define the rights, obligations and responsibilities of managing and operating units and users.

d/ To support enterprises, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, innovative start-up enterprises and science and technology enterprises, in accessing and using the system for research, testing and completion of products and commercialisation of research outcomes.

4. Human resource development

a/ To develop strong research groups and excellent research groups according to the model of linking national research and testing centres and key laboratories with research institutes, higher education institutions and enterprises.

b/ To associate research, testing, technology development, inspection, certification, conformity assessment, technology transfer and commercialisation activities with the training at master’s and doctoral degree and training of research engineers, operating engineers, specialised technicians and high-quality human resources.

5. International cooperation

a/ To strengthen the linkage with regional and international research centres and laboratories; to promote capacity sharing, shared use and participation in international research programmes and projects.

b/ To intensify cooperation in training, academic exchange, expert exchange, development of research groups, and the receipt, transfer and co-development of core and strategic technologies.

c/ To mobilise donations, aid and other lawful international resources associated with technology research, training, transfer and co-development activities.

6. Monitoring and evaluation of the system

a/ To conduct periodical or unscheduled evaluation of outcomes, technological capacity, exploitation efficiency, degree of shared use, capacity to mobilise resources and impacts.

b/ If, after 3 years from the date of official operation, 70% of committed performance indicators are not achieved, the managing and operating units shall formulate and implement a remedial plan; if, after 5 years from the date of official operation, the committed indicators are not achieved, competent agencies shall consider adjusting the plans or replace the managing and operating units in accordance with law.

V. RESOURCES FOR IMPLEMENTATION

1. Resources for implementation of the Scheme include the state budget; lawful funding sources of enterprises and related organisations; donations, aid, resources from public-private cooperation activities and lawful contributions from domestic and foreign organisations, enterprises and individuals; and other lawful resources in accordance with law.

2. State budget funds shall be allocated according to the budget balancing capacity, with priority given to the development of national research and testing centres and key laboratories serving core and strategic technologies in which investment by non-state sectors has not yet been made or remains insufficient.

3. State budget funds allocated to science, technology, innovation and digital transformation (including development investment expenditure and recurrent expenditure) must comply with the law on the state budget, the law on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation, and other relevant laws.

4. Funds shall be allocated in a synchronous manner throughout the process, from investment to ensuring funding for the operation, maintenance and upgrading of software and equipment, and human resources for the system.

Article 2. Organisation of implementation

1. The Ministry of Science and Technology

a/ To act as the focal point for organising the implementation of the Scheme; to guide, coordinate, monitor and inspect the Scheme’s implementation, and summarise its implementation situation, results, difficulties and obstacles; to submit annual and unscheduled reports to the Prime Minister; to evaluate and review the Scheme and propose orientations for the period after 2035.

b/ To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Home Affairs and related agencies in, reviewing and formulating regulations on the organisation, governance models, and mechanisms for establishment, reorganisation, and assignment of the management and operation of the system.

c/ To formulate and promulgate evaluation and selection criteria; to formulate a set of indicators and methods for evaluating the operational efficiency of the system.

d/ To assume the prime responsibility for summarising needs, reviewing, evaluating and selecting, in phases, proposals serving civil and dual-use tasks, excluding proposals serving specific national defence and security requirements selected by the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security; to announce selection results, and monitor and summarise the implementation schedule.

dd/ To develop, manage and operate the digital platform; to guide the connection, sharing, shared use and updating of system data.

2. The Ministry of Finance

To assume the prime responsibility for summarising and submitting to competent authorities for allocating public investment capital and non-business funds for science, technology, innovation and digital transformation to the system, based on the proposal of the Ministry of Science and Technology according to the budget balancing capacity in accordance with law.

3. The Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security

a/ To assume the prime responsibility for identifying demands and reviewing, evaluating and selecting proposals falling within the scope of their management; to organise the formulation, approval and performance of tasks and implementation of investment projects on upgrading, managing and operating national research and testing centres and key laboratories under their management in accordance with regulations.

b/ To promulgate, or propose to competent authorities for promulgation, sector-specific and specialised criteria and mechanisms for selection, management, exploitation, operation and efficiency assessment in conformity with national defence and security requirements.

c/ To coordinate in providing information and data permitted to be shared for the management and coordination of the connection, sharing and shared use of the system in accordance with law.

4. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, central agencies and organisations performing tasks assigned by competent authorities

a/ To review and evaluate existing infrastructure, identify demands and propose the upgrading and modernisation of existing facilities or investment in building new ones; to coordinate with the Ministry of Science and Technology in the evaluation and selection process, and take responsibility for their opinion regarding the urgency, feasibility, exploitation potential, outcomes and post-investment efficiency.

b/ To formulate, appraise, approve and perform tasks and projects for upgrading and modernisation existing facilities or investment in building new ones under regulations; giving priority to the maintenance, upgrading, connection, sharing and shared use of facilities or hiring of services, avoiding duplicate or fragmented investment.

c/ To allocate and mobilise resources; to manage and use public assets, lawful revenues and other lawful resources for the investment, operation, maintenance, upgrading and exploitation of the system in accordance with law; to organise the monitoring, evaluation and updating of data, and submit annual or ad hoc reports to the Ministry of Science and Technology for summarisation as required by competent authorities.

d/ To mobilise the participation of enterprises, domestic experts, foreign experts and overseas Vietnamese in investment, management, operation, research, training and exploitation of the system in accordance with law.

dd/ To formulate plans on core personnel and full-time or specialised personnel in conformity with the functions, tasks, scale, technology fields, operational requirements, safety, security, confidentiality and outcomes.

5. Provincial-level People’s Committees

To facilitate infrastructure connection and support the allocation of appropriate spaces for national research and testing centres and key laboratories; to encourage the allocation of counterpart funds from local budgets and resources mobilised from non-state sectors for cooperating in investment in the construction of technical infrastructure and workshops and the procurement of research equipment; to commission the performance of research tasks associated with addressing key technical challenges and developing industrial sectors in which localities have strengths.

6. Managing and operating units

To take responsibility for the efficiency of the management, operation, exploitation, safety, security, confidentiality of data, assets, revenues and outcomes of the system; to organise the implementation of plans on the operation, shared use, maintenance, upgrading, and protection of intellectual property rights; to carry out research, testing, evaluation, trial production and commercialisation tasks according to its assigned functions; to publicise and update information on the digital platform, and implement reporting regimes and remedial plans based on evaluation results.

Article 3. Effect

This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

Article 4. Implementation responsibility

The Minister of Science and Technology, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of National Defence, the Minister of Public Security, other ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of other central agencies, Chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees, and related agencies, organisations and individuals shall implement this Decision.-

For the Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
HO QUOC DUNG

Appendix

KEY TASKS AND SOLUTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SCHEME THROUGH 2030

(To the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 1483/QD-TTg of August 4, 2026)