At its 3 July mid-year review meeting, the Vietnam IP Office reported 89,816 industrial property applications received in the first half of 2026, up 20.7% year on year. It processed 115,819 matters, an increase of 15%, and issued 39,981 protection certificates, while the online filing rate remained close to 80%. Processing growth despite the sharp rise in incoming work suggests that recent operational changes are beginning to improve output rather than merely shift work between stages.
The more consequential reform may be administrative: the number of approval procedures was cut from 57 to 31, with average handling time reduced by about 55%. Priorities for the second half include implementing Politburo Conclusion No. 51, responding to the US Section 301 investigation, reducing backlogs, and building AI-supported search and examination databases. Applicants may benefit from fewer procedural steps, but the higher filing volume will continue to test examination capacity; strong prior searches, accurate classification and well-prepared submissions remain essential, and office-wide efficiency figures should not be read as a guarantee of faster treatment in every case.
