[HO CHI MINH CITY] Having earned a reputation as Vietnam’s tech and talent hubs, the country’s three biggest cities – Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang – are turning into linchpins for the South-east Asian nation’s goal to enhance innovation to spur growth.

The nationwide innovation index released last month ranked Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in pole positions, while Da Nang, the country’s third-largest city, won the fourth spot, edging out about 60 other cities and provinces in Vietnam.

This marked the inaugural launch of the Provincial Innovation Index, which aims to track and gather insights on the state of play in the science, technology and innovation space across the country’s cities and provinces.