Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) and Startup Ecosystem in Vietnam

Research on science, technology and innovation policy (STI policy) in Vietnam has mainly focused on the role of government and business—the two main groups of social actors shaping the development of the Government. From the cultural perspective of STI policy, the article analyses the interactions between four policy cultures representing four groups of social actors (academic, state, business and civil society) that affect the formation and development of STI policy in Vietnam through four stages of development. From there, the article provides a general picture of the role of four groups of policy actors involved in the policymaking process, considering aspects including: (a) the nature of the policy; (b) policy objectives; (c) policy makers; (d) policy instruments; (e) policy specificity and (f) group of agents representing policy culture. Next, the article analyses the formation and development of an innovation-based startup ecosystem that represents the concerns of a third policy culture—an economic policy culture. Finally, the article proposes some initial recommendations to promote the interaction between the components of the STI ecosystem, especially those related to the innovation-based startup ecosystem.