This decision approves a project with a rather grand name: to support and develop digital technology firms in reaching out to the world through 2030, with a vision toward 2045. But behind that administrative language, I read something simple that I had long awaited: the State is officially standing on the same side as Vietnam's technologists on the journey to the open sea.
Why I care — truly
I do not comment on this as an outsider. I live within it. In building Times Zones — infrastructure for innovative startups; in building FuduBank in the field of financial technology; in nurturing the dream of a Lĩnh Nam ecosystem stretching from Vietnam to Southeast Asia, I have run into exactly the walls that Decision 982 seeks to remove: procedures, capital, international standards, and something invisible yet heaviest of all — the belief that we Vietnamese can build world-class products.
So when I read the four words Make in Viet Nam placed solemnly within a decision of the Prime Minister, I understood: this is not just a policy — it is also an affirmation.
What I find most meaningful
Decision 982 sets out figures that are by no means modest for 2030: at least 5,000 Vietnamese digital technology firms earning revenue from international markets; export turnover of digital products and services reaching at least USD 55 billion per year, with average growth above 30% per year; striving for 5 firms achieving billion-dollar revenue from abroad; and at least 25 M&A deals and strategic partnerships with international partners. The 2045 vision reaches further still: Vietnam becoming one of the region's leading digital technology industry hubs, with firms on par with those of advanced nations.
But what I find meaningful does not lie in the numbers. It lies in a shift in mindset that I have repeated to my team over many years: moving from outsourcing and assembly toward research, mastery, and creation. That is the difference between someone who works for hire for the world and someone who creates value for the world. Decision 982 chooses the latter. So do I.
Tools that feel very real to those who build
I like this decision because it does not stop at slogans. It touches the things a builder truly needs:
• Controlled testing mechanisms (sandbox) for FinTech, AI, and IoT — so that new products can be tested before old regulations tie them down.
• National and local venture capital funds, support for M&A, credit guarantees, and preparation for IPOs on international markets — the doors to capital that small firms rarely reach.
• The "three houses" model — the State, the University, and the Enterprise — true to a spirit I have always believed in: no one goes far alone.
• Intellectual property protection abroad, a National Digital Storefront, and Vietnamese Digital Enterprise Forums in strategic markets — meaning the State helps firms become visible on the global playing field.
In other words: the State takes on the work of opening the way and building the institutions. The rest — walking that road — remains our task, the builders'.
So what do we do?
A good policy becomes reality only when someone dares to step in. If you are building a technology product, let me share a few things I remind myself:
1. Think global from day one. Do not build for the domestic market first and only later think of going out — design your product so the world can use it from the very first version.
2. Invest in the core. Master strategic technology, meet international standards — that is what no one can take from you, and it is what Decision 982 prioritizes most.
3. Make use of what is being opened up. Sandboxes, investment funds, M&A support — do not let policy sit on paper just because you are reluctant to explore it.
4. Keep your word and your Vietnamese identity. A reputable Make in Viet Nam brand is built on quality and decency, not on advertising slogans.
A final word
I still believe what I have always believed: every one of us Vietnamese can create value — all it takes is faith, discipline, and never giving up. Decision 982 does not do that for us. But it says clearly that, this time, we do not walk alone.
The open sea is still full of waves. But the road has been opened. The rest — is daring to set sail.
Nguyễn Ngọc Hải