Vietnam has been making notable strides in innovation, highlighted by its ongoing efforts to strengthen its intellectual property (IP) framework and align with global standards. These efforts include recent amendments to its IP laws, reflecting a strong commitment to fostering innovation and enhancing its competitiveness on the global stage.
Vietnam has shown a consistent upward trend in the Global Innovation Index (GII) rankings over recent years. Ranked 48th in 2022, it climbed to 46th in 2023 and further advanced to 44th in 2024 among 133 economies. This steady progress highlights Vietnam’s growing focus on innovation and its efforts to build a more competitive and dynamic economy.
To better understand Vietnam’s innovation landscape, we take a closer look at its patent filings and publications over the past few years, exploring trends and developments that highlight its growing emphasis on intellectual property. Discover key inventors, major domestic and foreign players, countries and regions filing patents in Vietnam, and much more!
Exploring the Patent Filing Trend in Vietnam, in the last 6 years (Jan 2019-Jan 2025)
How many Patents were Published & Granted in Vietnam every year?
Also, are you wondering why there is a drop in patent filing for the last two years? It’s because a patent application can take up to 18 months to get published. Certainly, it doesn’t suggest a decrease in patent filing. We are considering total records of published patent applications for our research, utilising the most recent year’s patent count for comparison.
| Year | Vietnam Published Patent Application Count | Vietnam Granted Patent Count |
| 2019 | 7008 | 7059 |
| 2020 | 7841 | 7106 |
| 2021 | 8476 | 5955 |
| 2022 | 9632 | 5694 |
| 2023 | 8049 | 3800 |
| 2024 | 6023 | 2489 |
In comparison to the approx. 47K published patent applications filed during the time period Jan 2019 – Jan 2025, there were around 32K patent applications that were granted during the same time period.
For the same period, on an average 7,800 patents were filed every year. It was the highest for the year 2022. The average number of patents granted during the same time period was around 5,300. It was the highest in the year 2020.
Which Foreign Companies are filing patents in Vietnam?
List of Top 25 Foreign Companies Filing Patents in Vietnam:
| Company | Patent Families |
| Huawei | 2977 |
| Qualcomm | 2632 |
| Samsung | 1360 |
| LG | 1270 |
| Honda Motor | 971 |
| JFE Steel | 653 |
| Nippon Steel | 552 |
| Unilever | 542 |
| Panasonic | 534 |
| Oppo | 532 |
| Mitsubishi | 529 |
| Unicharm | 491 |
| Nike | 464 |
| Nitto Denko | 419 |
| Vivo | 394 |
| Ericsson | 350 |
| CJ CheilJedang | 320 |
| HTL | 299 |
| Daikin | 265 |
| Suntory | 264 |
| Kao Corporation | 251 |
| Nokia | 251 |
| Yamaha Motor | 247 |
| Sanyang Motor | 227 |
| Corning | 225 |
Which Domestic Companies are filing patents in Vietnam?
List of Top 25 Domestic Companies Filing Patents in Vietnam:
Key Insights
· Viettel leads with 590 filings, dominating telecommunications and technology innovation.
· Vietnam Science and Technology JSC (271 filings) reflects the government’s strong R&D push.
· Industrial and Consumer Goods: Minh Long I (266 filings) and Thien Long Group (215 filings) innovate in ceramics and stationery, while Rang Dong (155 filings) focuses on lighting and household products.
· Emerging Players: Nhat Hai (109 filings) and Viglacera (81 filings) drive advancements in new technologies and construction materials.
· FMCG Innovation: Acecook (74 filings) and Binh Tay (71 filings) highlight R&D efforts in food and fast-moving consumer goods.
What top technologies are covered by patents filed in Vietnam?
Which Technology Areas are Covered by Foreign Players in Vietnam?
Key Insights:
- Dominance of Network & Communication (7,172 patents): This category leads by a significant margin, reflecting Vietnam’s focus on advancing telecommunications and related infrastructure, likely driven by global players like Huawei, Qualcomm, and domestic leaders like Viettel.
- Semiconductors & Electronics (5,315 patents): The second-largest area indicates Vietnam’s growing role as a manufacturing and innovation hub for electronic components and devices, aligning with the interests of companies like Samsung.
- Transportation & Automotive (3,793 patents): This robust activity suggests Vietnam’s increasing emphasis on the automotive industry, including electric vehicles (EVs) and smart transportation solutions.
Which Technology Areas are covered by Domestic Players in Vietnam?
Who are the Key Patent Inventors in Vietnam?
Tao Luo, based in San Diego, CA, is a renowned inventor in wireless communications with 324 patents filed in Vietnam. As VP of Engineering at Qualcomm, he has driven innovations in 4G, 5G, and 6G systems, including frequency pre-compensation and autonomous handover technologies. With a strong focus on strategy, prototyping, and IPR generation, he collaborates with industry leaders to shape the future of wireless technology.
Alexandros Manolakos, based in San Diego, CA, is a prolific inventor with 311 patents published in Vietnam, specializing in mobile and wireless communication technologies. As a Senior Staff Systems Engineer at Qualcomm, he has driven advancements in 5G positioning, MIMO, and signal processing, contributing to 3GPP standardization. With a Ph.D. from Stanford, his groundbreaking inventions, including mobile device calibration and selective signal cancellation, continue to shape the future of wireless technology.
Phua Yong Tat, co-founder of HTL International Holdings, is a prominent figure in the furniture industry. Under his leadership, HTL became a global leader in sofa and leather furniture manufacturing. With a focus on innovation, Phua contributed to advancements in furniture design and production, solidifying HTL’s reputation for quality and craftsmanship.
Marta Karczewicz appears to be a female inventor among the leading patent filers in Vietnam. Based in San Diego, she is a pioneering inventor with 166 patents published in Vietnam, specializing in advanced video compression technique. Her groundbreaking work at Qualcomm and Nokia has shaped key video coding standards like AVC and HEVC, revolutionizing video streaming with higher quality and reduced bandwidth needs. Known for innovations like point cloud compression and mapped transforms, she has collaborated with industry leaders to push the boundaries of video technology. Karczewicz’s visionary contributions continue to redefine the future of video coding and enhance digital media experiences worldwide.
Which Vietnamese universities have filed the most patents in Vietnam?
Where are R&D Centres of patents filed in Vietnam located?
This graph is an indicator of the main R&D locations, as most players file patents locally. It displays the geographical coverage of patent families filed in India. It also reveals which countries want their inventions protected in India. The major contributions in patent filing, outside Vietnam, has come from the Japan & USA which accounted for roughly 15% and 14% of the total patents we considered, respectively.