On the afternoon of January 21, 2026, in Hanoi, the Spring M&A Forum 2026 under the theme “Co-creating Vietnam’s M&A Market” was officially held. The event was expected to bring together a wide range of participants, including representatives of state management agencies, leading economic and financial experts, domestic and international investment funds, banks, enterprises, M&A advisory firms, professional associations, and media organizations.
The forum is a large-scale annual event of Vietnam’s M&A community, jointly organized by the Steering Committee for the Establishment of the Vietnam Mergers and Acquisitions Association (VMAA), IPC M&A Vietnam Investment Joint Stock Company, the Institute for Sustainable Development and Digital Economy (InDE), and BCA Group Co., Ltd.
Speaking at the forum, Ms. Pham Thuy Duong, Head of the Steering Committee for the Establishment of VMAA, emphasized that the most notable highlight of the Spring M&A Forum 2026 was the first-ever creation of a deep, substantive, and policy-oriented dialogue platform for Vietnam’s M&A market at the very beginning of the year. According to Ms. Duong, the forum also establishes a direct connection mechanism among regulators, enterprises, investors, and advisory organizations, aiming to jointly address bottlenecks related to legal frameworks, capital mobilization, and growth strategies through M&A activities.
This year’s forum witnessed the active participation of domestic experts and policymakers. The discussion sessions were designed with a strong focus on depth, offering a comprehensive overview of Vietnam’s M&A landscape in 2026. With the participation of leading economic and financial experts, representatives from investment funds, and advisory organizations, the forum provided multi-dimensional and practical perspectives on the market.
The event gathered many prominent figures in the fields of economics, finance, and policymaking, including Dr. Nguyen Duc Kien, former Head of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Group; Associate Professor Dr. Tran Dinh Thien, former Director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics and member of the Policy Advisory Council; and Dr. Le Xuan Nghia, financial and banking expert and former Vice Chairman of the National Financial Supervisory Commission, along with other reputable speakers from the investment, legal, healthcare, education, and M&A advisory sectors.
Amid a period of profound global and regional economic restructuring, Vietnam’s M&A market continues to attract strong interest from both domestic and international investors. According to consolidated market reports through the end of 2025, Vietnam recorded approximately 220 M&A transactions with a total disclosed value of around USD 2.3 billion, reflecting a clear trend of recovery and restructuring within the corporate sector.
Discussions at the Spring M&A Forum 2026 focused on three main thematic pillars. First, the macroeconomic sessions analyzed the economic outlook for 2026 and key factors influencing the M&A market, including corporate restructuring trends, the need for growth model transformation, and improvements in foreign investment inflows.
Second, speakers examined M&A trends in 2026 from five strategic perspectives, highlighting M&A activities among small and medium-sized enterprises—segments that continue to account for a significant proportion of total transactions; M&A in the healthcare sector, which has maintained steady growth in recent years; M&A in education; and the increasingly important role of financial institutions and investment funds in M&A transactions.
Third, thematic business-matching roundtables were organized to clarify the value chain of an M&A transaction, from connecting project owners, investors, and banks to engaging professional advisory firms.
Beyond serving as a platform for policy dialogue and trend analysis, the Spring M&A Forum 2026 also pursued the goal of “Connecting Opportunities – Opening the Future.” The forum created a practical networking space for market participants, contributing to the development of a transparent, efficient, and sustainable M&A ecosystem in Vietnam.
The Organizing Committee expects that, through in-depth discussions and thematic business-matching activities, the forum will help clarify opportunities and challenges facing the M&A market in the 2026 economic context, while promoting policy dialogue between the business community, investors, and state management agencies. These efforts aim to gradually build a more stable, transparent, and attractive M&A environment for both domestic and international capital flows.
In addition to its academic and policy advisory value, the Spring M&A Forum 2026 is expected to become an annual meeting point for Vietnam’s M&A community—where enterprises, investment funds, financial institutions, and advisory firms can strengthen connections, seek strategic partners, and promote potential transactions, thereby making tangible contributions to corporate restructuring and sustainable economic development.
Sharing insights on future orientations, Ms. Pham Thuy Duong noted that the Organizing Committee has identified network building and expansion as a long-term priority. Key initiatives include strengthening connections with domestic and international investment funds; enhancing cooperation with business associations, financial institutions, and advisory firms; organizing thematic programs, seminars, and side-line business-matching activities; and gradually fostering a dynamic, professional, and in-depth M&A ecosystem, laying the groundwork for the establishment of VMAA.
The Steering Committee for the Establishment of the Vietnam Mergers and Acquisitions Association (VMAA) was initiated in 2022, bringing together experienced financial experts, lawyers, and entrepreneurs in the M&A field. The Steering Committee has been officially recognized by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, marking an important milestone in completing the legal procedures for establishing the Vietnam M&A Association.
VMAA aims to build a professional, transparent, and sustainable M&A community, serving as a bridge between enterprises, investors, regulatory authorities, and advisory organizations, thereby contributing to the deeper integration of Vietnam’s M&A market with regional and international markets.
