Vietnam Ranks Above China on Indicator for New R&D and High-Tech FDI Projects

The 2026 Global Innovation Index report gives Vietnam a score of 37.7 and ranks it 43rd among 139 economies assessed, up one place from 2025. Vietnam ranks second among 36 lower-middle-income economies and ninth among 17 economies assessed in Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania.

Illustrative image related to innovation and high-tech investment in Vietnam.（VietVance）

On the relative advantage indicator for new foreign direct investment projects in research and development and high technology, Vietnam scores 1 and ranks 60th globally; China scores 0.1 and ranks 115th. Vietnam ranks 55 places above China on this specific indicator and third in Southeast Asia, behind Singapore and Malaysia.

Vietnam ranks 54th for innovation inputs and 35th for innovation outputs. The World Intellectual Property Organization lists Vietnam alongside China, India, Türkiye, the Philippines, Morocco and Indonesia as seven middle-income economies that have made notable long-term gains in the Global Innovation Index rankings since 2013. The organization says that, to move beyond the 40th-to-50th-place range globally, Vietnam needs to expand its research capacity, strengthen business R&D, promote links between science and industry, and generate more knowledge domestically.

The report cites US-headquartered semiconductor packaging and testing service provider Amkor Technology, noting its plans to expand production capacity at its factory in Bắc Ninh, Vietnam. It says the company has continued expanding the plant, raising annual capacity from 1.2 billion to 3.6 billion units and creating 7,200 new jobs.

Source: VietVance