On November 26, 2024, Kevin Murphy delivered a compelling keynote address on the opening day of Vietnam's 10th Annual TECHFEST, and the Prime Minister, Phạm Minh Chính, gave the Day 2 Keynote. This follows eight years of his Swiss funded support to building the innovation and startup ecosystem in Vietnam. Hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology, TECHFEST is a milestone event dedicated to showcasing Vietnam's startups, fostering dialogue, and cultivating an innovative ecosystem in the country. In his address, Mr. Murphy emphasized the importance of innovation-led growth as Vietnam transitions from middle-income to high-income status by 2045. He spoke to the roles that the private sector, universities, entrepreneurs, and international partners could play as Vietnam overcomes the challenges to continued growth.

Drawing on decades of global experience, he presented four key messages for building Vietnam’s innovation ecosystem: prioritizing innovation to avoid the "Middle Income Trap," taking relevant lessons from successful global models, such as South Korea and Sweden, embracing exponential technological change, and strengthening collaboration across public and private sectors.