Assoc. Prof. Vu Viet Hung visits a robotic 3D printing facility in Canada. VNA/Photo by courtesy  

The assessment was made by Assoc. Prof. Vu Viet Hung, a researcher at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering of the Royal Military College of Canada, in an interview with Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondents in Ottawa ahead of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam’s state visit to Canada.

Hung, Chairman of the Canadian Vietnamese Scholars and Experts Association (CVSEA), said both countries were increasingly identifying AI, quantum technology, clean energy and aerospace as strategically important areas.

For Vietnam, he suggested initially focusing on two areas where the two sides could complement each other particularly well: AI applications and aerospace technology.

Rather than immediately joining the race to develop large-scale foundation AI models, Vietnam could place greater emphasis on applying and commercialising existing technologies, Hung said.

Canada has a strong AI research ecosystem, while Vietnam offers a large and dynamic market for practical applications, supported by a young population, a growing technology workforce and the ability to test new solutions relatively quickly.

Combining Canada’s research and technological strengths with Vietnam’s capacity for deployment could therefore create a complementary model of cooperation, he said.

In the initial stage, priority could be given to software-based or “virtual AI” applications in areas where technologies can be deployed rapidly. “Physical AI”, involving robots, sensors, materials and production systems, also holds considerable potential, but would require larger investment, longer development cycles and closer coordination across multiple technology sectors.

Aerospace is another area where Vietnam could expand cooperation with Canada, Hung said.

The sector is no longer limited to aircraft manufacturing and related industries but is increasingly connected with telecommunications, Earth observation, resource management, security and defence, as well as national technological autonomy.

Canada has a well-established aerospace industry and is seeking to broaden technology and market links beyond its traditional partners. This creates opportunities for Vietnam to gain access to civilian products and technologies while gradually participating more deeply in research, training, technology transfer and the development of dual-use technologies, he said.

Beyond identifying priority sectors, however, the key challenge is establishing mechanisms that can turn research results into products and economic value.

Nearly a decade after Vietnam and Canada established their Comprehensive Partnership in 2017, changes in the geopolitical landscape, the restructuring of global supply chains and the growing need to diversify economic partners are creating conditions for the two countries to explore deeper cooperation.

Science and technology could become an important pillar of this process, Hung noted.

One possible step would be to establish a joint research and development co-funding mechanism. This could involve connecting Vietnam’s National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) with Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), or creating a dedicated Vietnam-Canada innovation funding programme for research institutes, universities and businesses from both countries.

Greater business involvement would also be essential to turning research into commercially viable products.

Innovation programmes that bring businesses directly into research activities, together with regular business-technology forums, could help align research with market demand and create pathways for commercialisation.

In human resources development, Hung proposed piloting joint research programmes in selected strategic fields, bringing together leading universities and research institutes from both countries.

He also called for appropriate financial, tax and market-support incentives for technology companies and startups participating in cooperation, investment and technology-transfer programmes between Vietnam and Canada.

The Vietnamese scientific and expert community in Canada could serve as another important link in this process.

Hung said CVSEA, a legally established organisation in Canada, could help connect government agencies, universities, research institutes and businesses from the two countries.

Vietnamese experts in Canada could contribute not only by introducing potential partners but also by helping design cooperation programmes, identify suitable areas, connect research teams and develop specific projects.

Once cooperation mechanisms are established, the network could continue to act as a “catalyst” for connecting resources and expertise on both sides of the Pacific.

If the political momentum generated by high-level exchanges can be translated into durable cooperation mechanisms, science, technology and innovation could move beyond academic exchanges and individual projects to become a substantive pillar of Vietnam-Canada relations, generating concrete products, businesses and economic value for both countries, Hung said./.