10:52:48 AM | 10/1/2026
Businesses, research institutes, universities, science and technology organizations, and individuals can directly submit proposals for strategic technology research and development (R&D) tasks to the Ministry of Science and Technology by September 30, 2026.
The Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) issued Notice 392/TB-BKHCN on September 16, 2026, calling for proposals for strategic technology research and development tasks under the National Special Program for Science, Technology and Innovation on Strategic Technologies.
Expanding Business Participation in Strategic Technology Development
Notably, the range of entities eligible to submit proposals has been expanded, allowing companies to directly propose research and development tasks for strategic technologies and products. Along with companies, research institutes, higher education institutions, science and technology organizations, and individuals are also eligible to submit proposals.
The program is being implemented under Decision 1493/QD-TTg issued by the Prime Minister on August 6, 2026, with the aim of promoting research, development and mastery of technologies that are important to competitiveness and socioeconomic development.
According to MST, proposed tasks fall into two categories. The first category comprises strategic technology development tasks assigned by the Prime Minister to MST as the managing agency under Decision 808/QD-TTg dated May 6, 2026.
The second category comprises tasks aimed at developing technologies and products included in the List of Strategic Technologies and the List of Strategic Technology Products issued by the Prime Minister under Decision 21/2026/QD-TTg dated April 30, 2026.
For the second category, proposed tasks must not cover tasks already assigned by the Prime Minister to nine ministries and agencies as managing agencies, namely the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Education and Training, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Public Security, State Bank of Vietnam, and Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology.
Thus, in addition to tasks already identified and assigned to managing agencies, the program gives external entities more scope to proactively propose technology and product development tasks included in the strategic technology lists.
For the business community, a key point is that companies are not limited to applying research results but can also directly propose tasks. This approach helps bring technology needs arising from production, business activities and the market into the process of defining research and development tasks.
Market-Oriented Research for Commercialization
Allowing companies to directly propose tasks also creates opportunities to link research and development activities with specific business needs, such as technology innovation, improving production capacity, developing new products and creating technologies with broad application potential. Instead of conducting research separately from market needs, tasks can be guided by practical issues that companies need to address. This provides a basis for increasing the potential to turn research results into technologies, products and solutions for production and business activities.
In particular, for technologies included in the strategic technology lists, connecting companies with research institutes, universities and science and technology organizations from the proposal stage can create additional conditions for research and development, technology transfer and commercialization.
Proposals must be prepared in accordance with Circular 42/2026/TT-BKHCN dated July 1, 2026, issued by MST, which sets out the procedures for developing, appraising and approving commissioned strategic technology research and development tasks under the program. MST will receive proposals from organizations and individuals by September 30, 2026.
By Le Hien, Vietnam Business Forum
