EU signs letter of intent with Vietnam to strengthen cooperation in science, technology and innovation

The European Commission and Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology have signed a letter of intent to "strengthen cooperation in science, technology and innovation".

On 27/05/2026, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva, met with Vu Hai Quan, Minister of Science and Technology of Vietnam, in Hanoi.

They signed the letter of intent, which follows the recently concluded Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the European Union and Vietnam, and is expected to "deepen collaboration between researchers, universities, startups, industry and public institutions".

"Vietnam’s scientific and engineering talent complements the EU’s scientific excellence, innovation ecosystem and research-to-market strengths, making it a mutually beneficial partnership. As we celebrate 35 years of EU-Vietnam relations, we look ahead to deepening strategic cooperation in AI, green technologies and digital transformation," Zaharieva said.

As Vietnam is already actively engaged in the EU research programme Horizon Europe (with 32 participations and 29 signed…