Launch of the Vietnam Science and Technology Exchange

The online Science and Technology Exchange is available at https://techmartvietnam.vn

The Vietnam Science and Technology Exchange is invested in and operated under the public-private partnership model, in which the State invests in infrastructure, the online exchange platform, shares science and technology (S&T) databases, and issues policies to support enterprises in buying and selling technology through the exchange, ensuring safety, transparency, and synchronization.

At present, the Vietnam Science and Technology Exchange (Phase 1) provides information on: 600 technologies for sale in the form of equipment and machinery; 50 technology purchase demands; and 150 technology consultants and brokers. The exchange functions as a platform to support organizations, enterprises, and individuals in displaying and introducing technologies and equipment for sale through virtual booths.

To further develop the Vietnam Science and Technology Exchange (Phase 2), in the coming time, relevant agencies will add new features such as: online supply-demand technology interaction; technology consulting and brokerage; statistical tools for transaction volume and value; and advisory services on finance, intellectual property, and technology transfer. At the same time, the exchange will be developed, refined, and connected to S&T and innovation databases, combining both online and offline exchange models.

According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, since the 1990s, the technology exchange model has been formed and strongly developed in the United States, Europe, and China. It has not only served as a connection platform but also evolved into an institution integrating services such as technology assessment, valuation, legal consulting, finance, quality standards, and intellectual property.

In particular, China successfully established and operated the Shanghai Technology Exchange (STEX) in 1993. From a small-scale technology brokerage center, STEX has become the core of Shanghai’s innovation ecosystem. By 2023, STEX recorded more than 4,000 technology transactions with a total value of about USD 60 billion.

This model clearly demonstrates the crucial role of technology exchanges in connecting technology supply and demand, turning technology into a special commodity that can be measured and transparently transferred.

Vietnam has gathered favorable conditions for the development of technology exchanges. From the national directives on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation, and digital transformation (Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW and Resolution No. 193-NQ/TW), to increasingly complete digital infrastructure, and the urgent need of enterprises to improve productivity, innovate technology, and escape the “low value-added trap.”

For more than 10 years, Vietnam has established and operated a system of 22 local technology portals and organized many large-scale technology supply-demand connection events such as Techmart, Techconnect and Innovation, and Techfest. These foundations have laid an important groundwork for developing the technology exchange model.

From international experience, it is evident that a technology exchange is not only a technical tool but also a core infrastructure institution to promote innovation and the development of a knowledge-based economy.

The establishment of the Vietnam Science and Technology Exchange serves as an “extended arm” connecting research, production, and the market.

Its launch will become a new growth driver, playing an important role in modernizing the science and technology institution and shifting the economic development model towards greater depth.