Unlocking Resources to Accelerate Enterprises in Green, Digital Transition

Amid global fluctuations, the dual transition of green and digital transformation has become a race shaping the future. To turn this strategy into a growth driver, Vietnam has focused on removing resource bottlenecks and building a platform to help enterprises overcome challenges and accelerate sustainable development.

Growth momentum from digital infrastructure and digital economy

Looking back on the past period, digital infrastructure, the lifeblood of the modern economy, has achieved a strong breakthrough in capacity and quality. With the 5G network covering nearly 59% of the population and internet speed ranked among the top 20 in the world, Vietnam has built a solid foundation for development.

Digital transformation initiatives encourage public adoption of digital technologies

By 2025, the number of digital technology enterprises reached about 80,000, and technology product exports were estimated at US$172 billion, 1.7 times higher than in 2020. E-commerce in particular has become a “gold mine” with an estimated scale of US$36 billion, maintaining steady growth of 22 to 25% each year.

The digital society has taken clear shape with the habit of cashless payments, reaching more than VND295,000 trillion (US$11,800 billion), with more than 20.2 billion transactions in 2025. Public services, healthcare, and education have also been fully digitalized to serve people better, from medical examination using chip-based citizen identification cards to social security payments via bank accounts, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Practice at many Vietnamese enterprises has shown that the dual transformation has brought strong impact value. Rang Dong Light Source and Vacuum Flask Joint Stock Company reduced electricity consumption by up to 70% per revenue unit thanks to digitalization and greenization models. At Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN), automation of all 110kV substations and the use of AI in monitoring helped optimize the operation of the national power grid.

Even energy and resource intensive sectors such as chemicals and agriculture have been changing. Vietnam National Chemical Group (Vinachem) set a target to cut emissions by 5% and increase the share of renewable energy, considering this a prerequisite to join the global supply chain. Meeting green standards through digital tools has helped Vietnamese goods overcome strict technical barriers in demanding markets such as Europe and the United States.

However, besides achievements, the economy has still faced considerable internal challenges. Institutions and policies, although accelerating the completion of mechanisms, have remained with gaps, especially legal regulations for new business models. Administrative procedures in some fields, such as the installation of rooftop solar power for green production, have remained complicated, passing through many levels and discouraging enterprises.

Another major barrier has been the shortage of high-quality human resources with knowledge of both technology and sustainable development thinking. The innovation capacity and research and development of most Vietnamese enterprises have remained modest. At the same time, issues of cybersecurity, online fraud, and personal data leakage have become more complex, creating hesitation in the transformation process.

According to recommendations from international experts at the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), for the business community, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the Government needs to provide specific green financial support packages and technical advice. Vietnam needs to use external resources to access technology and capital, while focusing on reskilling workers so that no one falls behind in the wave of AI and automation.

Dual transformation push for enterprises

Identifying institutions as the most important resource to be unlocked, the Government has taken strong action to remove legal barriers and pave the way for innovation. The core of this effort has been the Ministry of Public Security leading the development of the National Data Architecture Framework. This has been seen as a breakthrough step to address public-private data sharing, data valuation, and commercialization, helping enterprises optimize operations and develop new business models.

At the same time, the application of sandbox mechanisms and the completion of the legal framework for public-private partnership (PPP) in technology have served as a safe launchpad for enterprises to invest more boldly in dual transformation solutions.

To create momentum for enterprises, infrastructure resources have received strong investment. The goal of forming super data centers and large-scale digital industrial complexes has not only supported macro management but also created a ready infrastructure ecosystem for enterprises to stand on the shoulders of giants.

This spread has also been clearly oriented in key economic sectors. High-tech agriculture and smart rural areas have been promoted to connect farmers with digital markets. Meanwhile, the trade and service sector has been supported by policies to stimulate online consumption and expand cashless payments, opening a broad market for Vietnamese goods.

Recognizing that small and medium enterprises have faced resource difficulties, the Government requested the Ministry of Science and Technology to complete the project to support SME digital transformation, along with financial mechanisms from the Ministry of Finance to provide incentives for data, AI, and startup enterprises. The principle of public investment and private management has been applied thoroughly to mobilize all social resources, with FDI capital considered a lever to transfer modern technology to domestic enterprises.

Along with the flow of capital has been the flow of knowledge. Together with the digital literacy movement and the acceleration of 5G coverage, Vietnam has prepared a digital workforce ready to meet the needs of enterprise acceleration, ensuring the dual transformation takes place sustainably and no one is left behind. These have been essential steps for Vietnam to strengthen internal capacity while being ready for deeper integration through economic agreements such as the Digital Economic Partnership Agreement (DEPA).

Huong Ly (Vietnam Business Forum)