Vietnam-Japan promote cooperation in science, technology and semiconductors

Within the framework of the working trip to Japan, on October 2, Party Central Committee member, Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung and his delegation had meetings with leaders of the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) and leaders of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).

At the headquarters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Secretary of State for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Mr. Adachi Masashi, expressed his pleasure to welcome Minister Nguyen Manh Hung and the delegation to visit Japan, expressing his hope that this meeting will further deepen cooperation between Japan and Vietnam in the field of science and technology.

During his visit to Vietnam in April 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba made a statement on cooperation with Vietnam in the field of science and technology. Mr. Adachi believes that Japan-Vietnam cooperation in the field of science and technology is an important direction for cooperation between the two countries in the coming time.

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung (left) presents a souvenir to the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. (Photo: Xuan Giao/VNA)

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung informed Minister of State Adachi Masashi about Vietnam's implementation of the administrative streamlining revolution, in which the current Ministry of Science and Technology is a merger of two ministries: the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Information and Communications.

The Minister emphasized that Vietnam and Japan have a special relationship and are comprehensive strategic partners. Japanese businesses and Japanese people have great prestige among Vietnamese people and businesses.

According to Minister Nguyen Manh Hung, there are currently over 60 Vietnamese information technology enterprises that have accessed the Japanese market. The Ministry of Science and Technology is in charge of the science and technology sector, including digital technology and digital transformation...

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung said Vietnam has just announced a new strategy on artificial intelligence (AI) transformation.

According to the Minister, the current major orientation of the Ministry of Science and Technology is to focus on mobile infrastructure and AI infrastructure. Minister Nguyen Manh Hung expressed his hope that the Japanese government and businesses will join Vietnam in this process.

At the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Dr. Kazuhito Hashimoto, Chairman of JST, expressed his gratitude to Minister Nguyen Manh Hung for supporting JST's NEXUS program, one of the key programs in science and technology cooperation between Japan and ASEAN countries.

Mr. Kazuhito said that Japan and Vietnam have agreed to choose semiconductors as a key area of cooperation within the NEXUS framework.

He expressed his wish that young Vietnamese researchers would go to Japan and participate in joint research programs on semiconductors with Japanese researchers.

Vietnam has agreed to send 60 young researchers who are pursuing doctoral degrees in Vietnam to Japan to carry out a joint research program. He believes that one of the results of this program will be to have 500 high-quality human resources in Vietnam's semiconductor industry.

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung said that in the new period, science and technology and digital transformation are the main driving forces for national development, so one of the main pillars in comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Japan is science and technology, innovation and digital transformation.

Regarding the NEXUS program, the Minister said that Vietnam is focusing on the semiconductor program, considering it a strategic field of Vietnam's science and technology. JST has signed an agreement with the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology on semiconductor cooperation with the content of semiconductor design and materials.

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung works with leaders of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). (Photo: Nguyen Tuyen/VNA)

According to the Minister, Vietnam wishes to expand some more areas such as advanced packaging and the two sides will strongly promote co-funding of research projects in the semiconductor field.

One change in the cooperation program is to focus on long-term research programs of 5 or 10 years, as well as increase spending on these projects, the minister said.

The Minister suggested that, in addition to the semiconductor sector, the two countries could prioritize expanding to other strategic areas of the two countries, sponsoring the commercialization of Japanese research results in Vietnam as well as vice versa. Vietnam also sets strong goals in this regard.

JST President Kazuhito Hashimoto fully agreed with the proposals of Minister Nguyen Manh Hung. As the science and technology advisor to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, he pledged to consider the proposals of Minister Nguyen Manh Hung to make recommendations and proposals to submit to the Prime Minister and the Government of Japan.

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung said Vietnam aims to become an upper-middle-income country based on science and technology and expressed his belief that Japan will play a more important role in Vietnam's development path./.