Law on Science, Technology and Innovation No. 93/2025/QH15 (Consolidated Text)

Overview

The Law on Science, Technology and Innovation No. 93/2025/QH15 was passed by the National Assembly on 27 June 2025 and took effect on 1 October 2025. This is Consolidated Text No. 05/VBHN-VPQH, which folds in amendments from:

• Law on High Technology No. 133/2025/QH15 (10 December 2025, effective from 1 July 2026)
• Law on Digital Transformation No. 148/2025/QH15 (11 December 2025, effective from 1 July 2026)

The law comprehensively replaces Vietnam's science and technology legal framework and adds "innovation" as a new concept within its scope, positioning businesses as the center of the national innovation system.

Scope, principles and policy direction

The law applies to all agencies, organizations and individuals engaged in science, technology and innovation activities in Vietnam, or with related rights and obligations under Vietnamese law (Articles 1-2). State management follows mainly a "post-inspection" principle - not interfering with methods or processes - with "pre-inspection" applied only where genuinely necessary (Article 5).

Notable policy directions include: tax incentives and interest-rate support for businesses investing in R&D; establishment of specialized funds with state capital participation; encouragement of venture investment and risk-sharing mechanisms; and prioritized resources for strategic technologies (Article 6).

Risk acceptance and controlled testing (regulatory sandbox)

Article 9 exempts organizations and individuals from administrative liability and civil liability for research activities that fail to meet objectives, provided they fully complied with procedures and did not engage in fraud.

Article 21 establishes a "controlled testing" (regulatory sandbox) mechanism: competent state authorities may allow businesses to trial new technologies, processes, solutions, products, services or business models that are not yet regulated or that differ from current law, within a limited scope, time and space. The testing period is capped at 3 years, renewable once for up to another 3 years. Approval must be transparent regarding selection criteria and must treat applicant businesses equally.

Tax incentives and financial support for businesses (Articles 34-41)

This is the group of provisions with the most direct business impact:

• Article 34: The State funds initiatives that promote the central role of businesses in the innovation system, and applies financial, tax, land, procurement and credit incentives for businesses conducting R&D.
• Article 35: A business's expenses on funding or directly conducting scientific research, technology development and innovation are treated as deductible expenses when determining corporate income tax (CIT) taxable income, at an enhanced percentage of actual costs - the exact rate to be set by forthcoming Government regulations.
• Article 36: Support for Vietnamese businesses investing in strategic technology development through shared infrastructure investment, public-private partnership projects, and commissioned science and technology tasks.
• Article 37: Non-public organizations (private businesses, private research institutes, etc.) are guaranteed equal access to state policies and support resources, including tax, credit, land and venture investment incentives on the same footing as public institutions.
• Article 39: Science and technology enterprises receive priority in leasing land and infrastructure within industrial parks and hi-tech zones, using shared laboratories, and receiving trade promotion support.
• Article 40: Establishes a National Venture Capital Fund (capitalized from the state budget) and local venture capital funds (established at provincial People's Committees' discretion) to invest in innovative startups. Funds operate on market principles, accept controlled risk, and are not required to preserve capital on a year-by-year or project-by-project basis.
• Article 41: The Vietnam Stock Exchange may organize a dedicated trading board for innovative startup shares, open to professional securities investors, venture capital funds, and recognized individual investors.

Article 43 provides that science and technology organizations (including foreign-invested organizations headquartered in Vietnam) receive priority access to CIT, VAT, export duty and import duty incentives, and have the right to convert into business enterprises.

Building science, technology and innovation institutions (Articles 42-45)

Chapter V covers the types of organizations operating in this field: academies, research institutes and centers, higher education institutions, hospitals with research functions, and science and technology service organizations. Establishment conditions include a lawful charter, and personnel and facilities adequate to the stated objectives; foreign-invested organizations must safeguard national defense and security and be permitted to headquarter in Vietnam. Science and technology organizations are granted autonomy and self-responsibility, may register for business activities, and may convert into enterprises.

Note on source coverage

This summary is based on Consolidated Text No. 05/VBHN-VPQH as published in Official Gazette No. 117 (20 February 2026), covering Chapter I (General Provisions) in full, Chapter II (State Management Measures, including the regulatory sandbox), the early part of Chapters III-IV (business incentives, venture capital funds, the specialized stock exchange board), and the beginning of Chapter V (science and technology organizations, through Article 45). The source text supplied for this summary cuts off mid-sentence within Article 45; any later chapters (for example on personnel, intellectual property, or detailed implementation provisions) are outside the scope of the source material provided for this summary.