On October 2, 2026, Tien Phong Newspaper and VNU jointly organized the Forum on Low-Altitude Economy Development and Promoting Space Technology Applications in Vietnam.
In his welcome remarks, VNU President Bui The Duy described the low-altitude economy as an emerging field that integrates advanced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies with applications in logistics, agriculture, and smart transportation. He emphasized that the key priority is not merely to develop aerial vehicles, but to apply these technologies to specific economic and social activities.
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This approach highlights the interdisciplinary role of universities. VNU brings together education and research units across a wide range of relevant disciplines. It is also advancing research, design, and development of UAVs while collaborating with partners to establish UAV operator training centers serving agriculture, search and rescue operations, transportation, and logistics. As a multidisciplinary university, VNU is therefore well positioned to connect aviation technologies with the sectors that can directly benefit from their applications.
At its Hoa Lac campus, VNU is collaborating with logistics and automation corporations to establish research centers and laboratories, aiming to integrate research with education and training while promoting the localization of products. This model connects academic activities with testing environments and industry needs, creating opportunities to further develop and refine technologies through their practical application within the service ecosystem.
Nguyen Van Thuat, deputy director-general of the Department of Digital Economy and Digital Society under the Ministry of Science and Technology, described the low-altitude economy as an ecosystem based on aerial devices operating from the ground to an altitude of around 1,000 to 3,000 metres, depending on how individual countries define the sector.
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By 2035, the global low-altitude economy could be worth around US$488 billion when services such as agriculture, logistics and other traditional economic activities are taken into account. In Vietnam, the sector is still in its infancy, with annual growth projected at around 13% and the domestic market potentially reaching about US$500 million by 2035.
The economic value, however, does not lie in the aircraft alone.
“UAVs themselves do not directly create value. The value lies in the flights, the data collected and the ability to use that data to solve real-world problems,” Thuat argued.
Vietnam currently has no separate regulatory framework specifically governing the development of the low-altitude economy, he noted. Establishing an appropriate regulatory framework is important, but development should not have to wait until the entire legal system is completed.
“We need to create the space and mechanisms for businesses to test, operate under control and gradually bring these models into practice,” he said.
As part of the forum, during the panel discussion on solutions to promote the development of the low-altitude economy and the application of space technologies in Vietnam, Prof.Dr. Tran Xuan Tu, Director of the VNU Information Technology Institute, presented a proposal to establish a testing zone for unmanned systems and smart technologies in Hoa Lac. According to him, the proposed testing zone is designed to integrate aerial, ground, and water-based environments, leveraging AI and automation to connect research, manufacturing, operations, and practical applications.
Prof.Dr. Tran Xuan Tu emphasized the importance of collaboration among the Government, universities, and businesses. Under this approach, the Government would establish regulatory frameworks for testing, while universities and businesses would jointly develop products. Businesses would also participate directly in education and training, providing students with practical industry knowledge. He expressed his expectation that the testing zone would become a shared platform where stakeholders could test and validate technologies, explore professional training models, and develop solutions to address local development challenges.
Nguyen Ba Anh, deputy director of the provincial Department of Science and Technology, said Dien Bien is implementing a controlled pilot scheme for developing the low-altitude economy through UAV applications.
With its challenging terrain, fragmented geography and uneven population distribution, the province sees potential for UAVs to address practical needs in agriculture, medical logistics, the transport of essential goods, terrain surveying and natural-resource management.
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The 24-month pilot project is expected to include 6,000 test flights, with a targeted safety rate of more than 99%.
“After more than a month of implementation, from September 15 till now, 118 flights have been conducted to transport coffee, with a payload of 50kg per flight, in Muong Ang commune,” he told the forum.
The trials have helped identify applications with significant socio-economic value. In the next phase, the province will focus on transporting agricultural products and production materials, medical logistics and essential goods, as well as surveying and digital mapping.
The experience from these flights, together with research, training and UAV development activities elsewhere, is gradually bringing the low-altitude economy into practical use.
Further progress will depend on the simultaneous development of regulations, infrastructure, standards and human resources. Pilot projects such as those in Dien Bien can provide valuable operational data and management experience, helping policymakers refine the regulatory framework and create the foundations for a broader low-altitude economic ecosystem linked to space technology applications in Vietnam.
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