Leaders from France and Vietnam have reaffirmed that the potential for bilateral cooperation in technology, innovation, and startups remains vast and needs to be further strengthened.

On May 27, French Tech Summit Vietnam 2025 (FTSV 2025) officially opened in Ho Chi Minh City. Organized by La French Tech Vietnam and strategically supported by AVSE Global (Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts), the event gathered more than 1,500 participants, including government officials, tech entrepreneurs, investors, and innovation experts from both countries.

FTSV 2025 serves as a cross-border platform for technology, investment, and innovation, emphasizing France’s pioneering role in supporting Vietnam’s digital transformation.

The summit coincides with the state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Vietnam and is part of the implementation of the Joint Declaration on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed in October 2024.

The agreement underscores both countries’ commitment to promoting cooperation in high-tech, digital innovation, and digital transformation to strengthen bilateral ties in the digital era.

Highlighting strategic tech sectors

This year’s summit focuses on cutting-edge sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), health tech, enterprise digitalization, green tech, biotechnology, digital entertainment, and venture capital.

Speaking at the event, Emmanuelle Pavillon-Grosser, French Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, emphasized that “innovation in education, research, and entrepreneurship has been a consistent pillar in the long-standing France-Vietnam relationship.”

She affirmed France’s continued support for Vietnam’s tech development, particularly in semiconductors, through partnerships with institutions like the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).

Pavillon-Grosser highlighted that over the past 30 years, around 15,000 Vietnamese engineers have been trained through academic exchanges between the two countries. This collaboration is set to continue through initiatives such as FTSV 2025.

The summit places startups and entrepreneurs from both nations at the center of innovation cooperation, creating new opportunities to connect both startup ecosystems and tackle strategic topics like AI, sustainability, digital enterprise transformation, and fintech. Several joint projects are already underway in these fields.

She emphasized that Vietnam is experiencing explosive growth in AI and semiconductors, driven by a young, well-educated workforce and a dynamic business environment. France is ready to share its startup and innovation experience and welcomes Vietnamese entrepreneurs to join its innovation ecosystem.

French FDI rises in Vietnam’s tech and green sectors

Nguyen Van Dung, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, emphasized the mutual trust and support shown by France in helping Vietnam tackle development challenges and pursue sustainable growth.

France currently ranks among the top European investors in Vietnam with over 600 FDI projects and total registered capital of USD 3.8 billion. Investments are mainly in renewable energy, green technology, processing industries, and urban infrastructure.

By 2025, French FDI in Vietnam is projected to reach USD 4.42 billion, with a growing focus on emerging tech fields such as AI, semiconductors, and digital transformation.

Vietnam is emerging as a prime destination for high-tech investment. The National Innovation Center (NIC) is leading this momentum by promoting nine strategic technology sectors, including environmental tech, healthcare, smart factories, AI, semiconductors, digital media, smart cities, green agriculture, and cybersecurity.

NIC also boasts collaborations with global tech giants like Google, Intel, and NVIDIA, forming a robust foundation for Vietnam to scale up in global markets.

Vice Chairman Dung expressed hope that France and Vietnam will continue to innovate together and unlock breakthrough value in key sectors where both countries hold strong capabilities - such as AI, semiconductors, medical technology, and green industries.

He also emphasized the need to turn this summit into a catalyst for concrete initiatives that strengthen innovation capacity, improve governance, and promote sustainable growth for both nations.

Le My