employee
Hochiminh City, Vietnam
JEL O33 Technological Change: Choices and Consequences • Diffusion Processes
JEL O57 Comparative Studies of Countries
VAK Russia 5.2.1
VAK Russia 5.2.5
UDC 33
UDC 32
The paper studies Vietnam's transformative economic transition with the innovative digital economy growth. High levels of citizens' trust in AI technologies and a proactive national-regulatory framework have facilitated Vietnam's transformation from basic digital adoption to a regional technology hub. However, the study also identifies significant systemic barriers such as the lingering effects of a "technological middle trap," regional inequities in digital adoption and the urgent need to foster a pool of skilled workers. Therefore, this study concludes that Vietnam's long-term economic prosperity is dependent on its ability to create synergies between digital sovereignty and regional interoperability while encouraging businesses to develop cultures of agility and cyber resilience to maintain the impetus for advancement.
Vietnam, Digital Economy, Economic Development, Middle-Tech Trap, Transformation
1. Bui T. H., Nguyen V. P. (2023). The Impact of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy on Vietnam’s Legal System. International Journal for the Semiotics of Law, 36, 969–989. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196-022-09927-0
2. Dang T. V. D., Tran T. D., Dan, H. L., Bui X. P. (2024). Measuring the digital economy in Vietnam. Telecommunications Policy, 48(3), 102683. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2023.102683
3. Dey P. K., Chowdhury S., Abadie, A. Vann Yaroson, E., Sarkar, S. (2024). Artificial intelligence-driven supply chain resilience in Vietnamese manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises. International Journal of Production Research, 62(15), 5417–5456. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2023.2179859.
4. Ha L. V., Dang Q. H. (2023). The Factors Affecting Digital Transformation in Vietnam Logistics Enterprises. Electronics, 12(8), 1825. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12081825
5. Ha N. T. V. (2020). The Development of the Digital Economy in Vietnam. VNU Journal of Economics and Business, 36(5E). https://js.vnu.edu.vn/EAB/article/view/4462
6. Le N. T. D. (2025). Digital transformation in small and medium-sized enterprises: Challenges and solutions. Finance Magazine. https://kinhtevadubao.vn/chuyen-doi-so-trong-doanh-nghiep-nho-va-vua-thach-thuc-va-giai-phap-31333.html.
7. Le T. T. A., Le Q. T., Do T. T. T., Chan T. T., Mai X. D., Vo X. V. (2025). The Evolution of Economics and Law in Vietnam. Asian Journal of Law and Economics, 16(1), 131–153. https://doi.org/10.1515/ajle-2025-0048
8. Mai B. T., Nguyen P. V., Ton U. N. H., Ahmed Z. U. Government policy, IT capabilities, digital transformation, and innovativeness in Post-Covid context: case of Vietnamese SMEs // International Journal of Organizational Analysis. — 2024. — Vol. 32, no. 2. — P. 333–356. — URL: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-11-2022-3480
9. Mohammadreza A., Kok S. K., Hopkins J., Frederico G. F., Nguyen H., Alonso A. D. The changing landscape of digital transformation in supply chains: impacts of industry 4.0 in Vietnam // The International Journal of Logistics Management. — 2024. — Vol. 35, no. 4. — P. 1040–1072. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLM-11-2022-0442
10. Ngo M. P. (2022). Opportunities and Challenges of Digital Transformation in Vietnam’s Tourism Industry. International Journal of Economics, Business and Management Research, 6(12), 18–29. https://doi.org/10.51505/IJEBMR.2022.61202
11. Nguyen D. C., Dao T. A. (2023). Digital Transformation in Vietnam: Policies, Results and Recommendations. Journal of Southeast Asian Economies, 40(1), 127–144. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27211227
12. Nguyen D. P., Vo X. V., Nguyen P. N., La N. G., Pham Q. T. (2025). The international and domestic context affecting the development of the digital economy: Opportunities and challenges for Vietnam. Journal of Economic Studies, 12(04), 1–12. https://vjol.info.vn/index.php/due/article/view/125140/102803
13. Nguyen H. P., Dinh L. H. G. (2025). Vietnam’s economic growth in the age of digital transformation: Opportunities and challenges. Journal of Regional and International Competitiveness, 6(3), 4–15. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.52957/2782-1927-2025-6-3-4-15
14. Nguyen T., Dang L. T. T. Evaluating digital transformation preparedness among Vietnamese enterprises // HCMCOUJS – Economics and Business Administration. — 2025. — Vol. 15, no. 3. — P. 21–43. — URL: https://journalofscience.ou.edu.vn/index.php/econ-en/article/view/3349/2249
15. Nguyen T.H. (2022). Technology, ICT, Digital Transformation in Vietnam in the Integration Era—And FDI Effects for Digital Technology and ICT Sector. In: Goyal, V., Gupta, M., Mirjalili, S., Trivedi, A. (eds) Proceedings of International Conference on Communication and Artificial Intelligence. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 435. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0976-4_49
16. Pham Q. H., Vu K. P. (2024). Structural dimensions and measurement of readiness for Industry 5.0 implementation: A fresher insight from SMEs in developing country. In Modern Technologies and Tools Supporting the Development of Industry 5.0 (1st ed., pp. 32–45). CRC Press. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/9781003489269-3/structural-dimensions-measurement-readiness-industry-5-0-implementation-pham-quang-huy-ma-vu-kien-phuc.
17. Phan T. H. H. (2023). Vietnam’s Digital Economy: In a Good Position to Spur the Digital Economy but Challenges Ahead. In The ASEAN Digital Economy (1st ed., p. 13). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003308751-7
18. Pitt B., Huynh T. Q., Gregson J., Seal T., Tran H. H., Nguyen H. T., Bui T. N. T., Nguyen, H. M. (2022). Readiness of Digital Transformation in Vietnamese Universities. British Council. URL: https://oro.open.ac.uk/85033/
19. Tran H. T., Dang B. H., Nguyen M. T. T., Pham Q. T. T., Nguyen P. V. (2025). Artificial intelligence ethics in authoritarian Vietnam: governance, trust, and societal tensions. Policy Design and Practice, 8(4), 427–441. https://doi.org/10.1080/25741292.2025.2529625
20. Tran M.A. Foundations for Digital Transformation: The Case of Vietnam // Proceedings of the International Conference on Emerging Challenges: Business Transformation and Circular Economy (ICECH 2021). — Atlantis Press, 2021. — P. 61–72. — (Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research, Vol. 197). https://doi.org/10.2991/aebmr.k.211119.007
21. Tran N. D., Hoang H. H. (2025). Developing fair data value sharing models to enhance personal data sovereignty in electronic commerce in Vietnam. International Journal of Research in Commerce and Management Studies, 7(3), 56–70. https://doi.org/10.38193/IJRCMS.2025.7305
22. Trung P. N. (2024). The state’s role of digital economy and economic innovation in Vietnam. Journal of Business Management and Economic Development, 2(03), 1413–1439. https://doi.org/10.59653/jbmed.v2i03.1105
23. Vo H. T., Nguyen P. V., Nguyen S. N. T., Vrontis D., Bianco R. Unlocking digital transformation in Industry 4.0: exploring organizational readiness, innovation and firm performance in Vietnam // European Journal of Innovation Management. — 2025. — Vol. 28, no. 5. — P. 1943–1964. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-03-2024-0273
24. Walsh J., Nguyen, T. Q., & Hoang, T. (2023). Digital transformation in Vietnamese SMEs: managerial implications. Journal of Internet and Digital Economics, 3(1-2), 18–32.
25. Walsh J. (2024), ‘Digitalising Public Services in Supporting Economic Development: The Case of Viet Nam’ in Chen, L. and F. Kimura (eds.) Empowering Online Public Service in Asia: The Digital Frontier. Jakarta: ERIA, pp.149-174.
