According to the Hanoi Department of Finance, Hanoi attracted 4,067 billion USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) during the first nine months of 2026, marking a 5,9% increase compared to the same period in 2025. A notable aspect is the structure of this capital flow. Professional, scientific, and technology activities led with approximately 2,243 billion USD, accounting for 55,2% of total FDI. The report also indicated that this capital primarily originated from large-scale capital contributions and share purchases.

This scale significantly surpasses other sectors. Real estate business ranked second with approximately 394 million USD, making up 9,69% of total FDI, followed by information and communications with 352,1 million USD, accounting for 8,66%. Wholesale and retail trade attracted 247,1 million USD, or 6,08%; the processing and manufacturing industry received 232,2 million USD, accounting for 5,7%; and water supply and waste treatment reached 220,2 million USD, representing 5,41%.

Accommodation and food services attracted 61,2 million USD, while construction reached 55,5 million USD. Administrative and support services, transportation and warehousing, education and training, finance-banking, healthcare, and agriculture also saw projects, but their capital scale remained small.

Another notable point is the capital scale through capital contributions and share purchases. Of the total 4,067 billion USD in FDI attracted by Hanoi in the nine months, 281 instances of capital contributions and share purchases amounted to 2,7 billion USD. This figure is significantly higher than the 676 million USD in registered capital for newly approved projects and the 691 million USD in additional registered capital for operational projects. Meanwhile, 281 foreign investors made capital contributions and share purchases totaling approximately 2,7 billion USD, equivalent to about two-thirds of Hanoi's total FDI attracted during the period.

The inflow of foreign capital into science and technology occurs as Hanoi allocates more resources and establishes mechanisms to promote innovation. The city is gradually forming an ecosystem, encompassing pilot mechanisms, funding sources, and spaces for research and new technology application.

A booth at the National Innovation Festival, 4/10, in Hanoi. *Photo: Giang Huy*

In August, Hanoi issued a list of priority areas for controlled pilot testing and finalized the mechanism for establishing the Science, Technology, and Innovation Development Fund. The city also made an initial capital contribution of 55 billion VND to the Venture Capital Fund and established an appraisal council for the investment policy of the Science, Technology, and Innovation Park project in Dong Ngac - Phu Dien.

Alongside resource investment, Hanoi aims to create a testing environment for new technologies. Several smart autonomous transportation models, such as autonomous buses, robotaxis, cleaning robots, and delivery robots, are currently under research and deployment.

These actions demonstrate Hanoi's multi-layered approach to innovation: creating mechanisms for new technologies to be tested, forming capital sources to support businesses, investing in research spaces, and building data infrastructure and digitalization.

These investments and policies occur as Hanoi continues to maintain its leading position in innovation. According to the Provincial Innovation Index (PII) 2026, announced on 4/10 at the National Innovation Festival, Hanoi scored 63,80 points, leading the nation for the fourth consecutive year.

The capital led 18 out of 52 component indicators, similar to last year. These include research and development (R&D) and innovation indicators such as R&D human resources and expenditure, the number of science and technology organizations, the percentage of enterprises engaged in R&D activities, the percentage of enterprises engaged in innovation activities, and intellectual property outputs like patents, utility solutions, plant varieties, trademarks, industrial designs, as well as poverty reduction and the human development index.

Hanoi also holds an advantage in research outputs, as demonstrated by intellectual property indicators like patents, utility solutions, trademarks, and industrial designs.

Yen Chi