Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung has signed a decree stipulating breakthrough development mechanisms for innovation and the exploitation of national data, as well as activities at the Data Innovation and Exploitation Centre under the National Data Centre.
Decree No. 386/2026/ND-CP dated October 12, comprises five chapters and 54 articles specifying mechanisms to attract experts, young talent and breakthrough initiatives; access to and exploitation of data; financing and venture capital; dedicated data innovation spaces; and the development of data products and services, and the data economy.
The decree applies to the centre, Vietnamese and foreign agencies, organisations and individuals involved in innovation and data exploitation activities in Vietnam.
Particularly, along with providing detailed criteria for experts and young talents, Article 5 of the decree sets out mechanisms for attracting them to innovation and data exploitation activities. Accordingly, eligible experts and young talent will be entitled to one or more preferential policies, including those in recruitment, financial support, training, and scientific research.
According to the decree, agencies and organisations may enter into special agreements with experts and young talent on salaries, bonuses, intellectual property rights, rights to exploit research results, and the sharing of benefits generated by products, services, initiatives and added value from data innovation and exploitation. Such arrangements must ensure transparency and a balance of interests among the State, employing organisations and the experts or young talent concerned.
Income will be determined according to the performance of assigned tasks, positions held, products delivered, level of contribution and output results. Heads of agencies and organisations are authorised to approve income, bonuses and benefit-sharing rates after obtaining opinions from relevant professional units or evaluation councils. For tasks funded by the state budget, approval authority must comply with laws on state budget management, science and technology, innovation and other relevant legislation.
Funding may come from state budget allocations for assigned tasks, lawful revenues of the relevant units, or socialised funding, sponsorships and aid in accordance with the law. Expenditure must be used for its intended purposes, remain within approved estimates, be supported by documentation and be subject to internal controls.
Experts and young talent will receive the most favourable personal income tax incentives available under tax legislation, including personal income tax exemptions equivalent to those provided under the financial policy framework for international financial centres in Vietnam.
Those receiving incentives must commit to fulfilling assigned tasks, delivering specified products and results, meeting implementation schedules, and complying with the law, agreements, contracts or task-assignment decisions.
Incentives may be terminated, adjusted or withdrawn in accordance with the relevant agreement, contract, incentive decision and applicable law if recipients fail to meet their output commitments, breach their obligations, misuse the incentives, cease to satisfy eligibility conditions, or commit fraud or deliberate violations of the law.
However, incentives will not be withdrawn for objective risks that have been identified, reported and handled in accordance with the prescribed procedures, or for failed experiments falling within the accepted risk parameters for science and technology and innovation activities under Article 52 of the decree and other relevant legislation.
The decree will take effect on December 1, 2026./.