Vietnam-Australia Pathways in the Digital Economy: Trust, Trade & Innovation
The inaugural Australia Vietnam Policy Institute (AVPI) Forum, held in Hanoi on 11 September 2025, marked two significant milestones. It was the first time the AVPI held an event of such scale in Vietnam, attracting an involved audience of over 70 participants from across government, academia and industry. Additionally, and with the launch of AVPI’s Hanoi office the same day, the Forum represented the culmination of the Institute’s evolution into a genuinely bilateral platform, designed to connect government, business and academia around shared priorities.
The Forum’s theme, Vietnam–Australia Pathways in the Digital Economy: Trust, Trade and Innovation, reflected both national ambitions and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) that frames two-way cooperation.
Key recommendations
Implementing these recommendations would advance the ambitions of the Australia-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership by linking innovation systems, harmonising digital trade, and strengthening trust between regulators and markets.
For Australia
- Deepen regulatory dialogue on digital standards and payments.
- Support cross-border sandbox collaboration.
- Expand mentoring and incubation for Vietnamese startups.
- Co-invest in university–industry research hubs.
- Strengthen bilateral collaboration on digital skills and innovation leadership.
For Vietnam
- Strengthen national innovation infrastructure.
- Establish a transparent venture capital database and investment framework.
- Modernise payment and trade systems for interoperability.
- Increase collaboration with Australian universities and firms.
- Expand innovation capacity through human capital development.
