Vietnam solidified its commitment to becoming a cornerstone of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry this week. At the country’s first international SAF summit, high-level government ministries and industry titans gathered to bridge the gap between policy and production, marking a turning point for Southeast Asia’s green transition.
The ASAFA Innovation & Policy Summit (IPS) Vietnam 2026, held May 6–8 in Da Nang, served as the staging ground for two pivotal institutional agreements designed to accelerate the nation’s SAF ecosystem.
The summit saw the Asia SAF Association (ASAFA) sign two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) that ground Vietnam’s lofty climate goals in practical action:
- Policy and Capacity Building: A partnership with the Agency for Innovation, Green Transition and Industry Promotion (IGIP)—under the Ministry of Industry and Trade—establishes a strategic framework for technical knowledge transfer and the development of national SAF policies.
- Innovation Hub: An agreement with the Da Nang Innovation Startup Support Centre (DISSC) officially positions Da Nang as a regional center for SAF research and development, focusing on expert networking and workforce training.
“Vietnam possesses the core fundamentals to build a globally competitive SAF ecosystem,” said Fabrice Espinosa, Founder and CEO of ASAFA. “The question is no longer whether SAF will scale. The question is where—and who will lead the charge.”
Opened by Mr. Ho Quang Buu, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee, the summit attracted leaders from approximately 70 organisations. The presence of heavyweight policymakers—including the National Assembly’s Committee for Economic and Financial Affairs and the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Finance, Construction, and Science and Technology—underlines the cross-sectoral priority Vietnam is placing on decarbonising the skies.
[Source: ASAFA]
