Recap VIS 2026: BlockchainWork at ASEAN CrossConnect

On 14-15 October 2026, BlockchainWork attended Vietnam Innovation Summit (VIS) 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City to connect with investors, startup support organisations and partners across the region. BlockchainWork was represented by Ms. Le Ngoc My Tien (CEO) and Mr. Koichiro Abe (Co-founder, Board Member).

VIS 2026: “Critical Mass” and the connection challenge

VIS 2026 took place from 13 to 15 October 2026, co-organised by InnoLab Asia and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, under the strategic patronage of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee. This year’s theme was “Critical Mass – The New Currents of Innovation”.

The summit was organised around four spaces, Inno, Connect, Collab and Beyond, with more than 250 one-on-one matchmaking sessions, guests from innovation networks in more than 30 countries and territories, and more than 20 investment funds from Malaysia and South Korea.

Three key trends from the summit

Capital, technology and talent must move together

Mr. Huynh Cong Thang, Chairman of InnoLab Asia, argued that the biggest barrier today is the execution gap rather than the technology gap: many solutions have been fully researched but have not yet been adopted by businesses or scaled up. He explained that Critical Mass refers to the moment when accumulated resources are sufficient to create major change, and that to deliver real results, policy, technology, capital, markets and talent must be connected more effectively. He also called for stronger links between the State, businesses, investors, universities and support organisations to shorten the path to commercialising research. In his view, human resources and leadership capability play an important role in Vietnam’s innovation strategy for 2026-2045, and Vietnam needs to build a competitive and humane environment to retain and develop talent while attracting international professionals.

Ho Chi Minh City shifts to knowledge-based growth

Mr. Tran Trong Tuyen, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, said the city is shifting towards a growth model driven by productivity, technology, knowledge and innovation. He stressed that refining institutions and creating a favourable environment for businesses to research and apply technology remain key priorities. In his view, innovation must be tied to commercialisation and address concrete needs of the economy.

International standards become a new competitive advantage

At the session “Competing through standards in an era of economic pivot” on the morning of 15 October, Mr. Mohammad Mudasser, Deputy General Director of PwC Vietnam, noted that Vietnam has moved beyond the stage where simply meeting standards was enough to join global value chains. In the same session, Mr. Richard D. McClellan (VIFC-HCMC) emphasised the need to strengthen transparency in governance, Mr. Le Minh Trung (CSED) highlighted the need for the whole ecosystem to move together rather than only a few pioneering companies, and Mr. Roger Leitner (Swiss-Asian Chamber of Commerce) described standards as the foundation for scaling up and innovation as the driving force for continuous evolution.

BlockchainWork at ASEAN CrossConnect x InnoLab Asia

BlockchainWork’s highlight at VIS 2026 was the ASEAN CrossConnect x InnoLab Asia session on 15 October, organised together with Cradle Fund (Malaysia).

Unlike a typical fundraising session, it opened with Reverse Pitching, where funds took the stage to present their investment focus to startups. The seven participating funds were Openspace Capital, Innoven Capital, Monk’s Hill Ventures, Tin Men Capital, JDI Group, Alliance Mount Group and Kairous Capital.

BlockchainWork was then one of 25 startups invited to connect directly with VC investors in one-on-one meetings. It was an opportunity for us to share BlockchainWork’s direction as an HRTech platform and tech recruitment service, and to hear investors’ perspectives on the talent market in Vietnam and the region.

BlockchainWork’s view: what does digital economy talent need?

Drawing on conversations at VIS 2026, Ms. Le Ngoc My Tien, CEO of BlockchainWork, shared her view on talent trends in technology, digital assets and the digital economy: “The technology, digital asset and digital economy sectors need people who understand and apply technology well, think critically and solve problems, learn and adapt quickly, and have the mindset to work on international projects. These are the qualities that help Vietnamese projects adapt to new technology requirements and a new business context.”

What it means for the tech talent market

All three trends point to talent alongside capital and technology: from the five resources Mr. Thang outlined, to governance capability and the ecosystem-wide shift raised by the speakers at the standards session. This also aligns with the talent qualities Ms. Tien highlighted.

With 23,000+ candidates, 350+ hiring companies and 12+ educational institution MOUs, BlockchainWork continues to serve as a bridge for tech talent between Vietnam and the region. Employers, investment funds and startup support organisations looking to discuss their hiring needs can contact BlockchainWork at contact@blockchainwork.net or register at blockchainwork.net/employer-signup.

More highlights from the event

Thank you to InnoLab Asia, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, Cradle Fund and all the investors and partners who took the time to meet BlockchainWork at VIS 2026.

BlockchainWork

***Disclaimer: This content does not constitute investment advice, investment strategy recommendations, or sponsored advertising. Please refer to our Disclaimer and use the information at your own discretion.

BlockchainWork – Vietnam’s leading blockchain talent community, connecting passionate candidates with pioneering companies in blockchain and Web3. With 23,000+ registered candidates, 12+ educational institution MOUs and 350+ hiring companies, BlockchainWork is the specialized platform for blockchain careers – from Vietnam to global opportunities.

Partnership inquiries: contact@blockchainwork.net
Learn more: https://blockchainwork.net/
Employers – connect with top talent: https://blockchainwork.net/employer-signup
Candidates – find your next opportunity: https://blockchainwork.net/candidate-signup

You may also like:

• Recap SMU Executive Dialogue: Finance, Transformation and Talent in Action
• Conviction 2026: How Vietnam’s Digital Asset Market and AI Adopters Are Preparing for the New Rules of the Game
• BlockchainWork and Nguyen Tat Thanh University Sign MOU to Develop Blockchain Talent
• Refining institutions, opening billion-dollar opportunities for Vietnam’s crypto assets – Vietnam RWA Summit 2026
• WebX 2026 Tokyo: When Japan Places Web3 at the Center of National Strategy