Eric Van Vaerenbergh, an energy expert and lecturer at the Brussels Engineering School (ECAM) (Photo: VNA)

Speaking to a Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondent in Brussels, Van Vaerenbergh noted that the targets Vietnam has set for the 2026-2045 period are highly ambitious but not risky.

Maintaining high growth over the coming decades and striving to become a high-income country by 2045 are consistent with the country’s existing advantages, including deep international integration, an established industrial base, a population still in its “golden demographic period,” and relatively effective policy management capacity.

However, he stressed that the world is entering a phase of fragmentation in trade and technology, while climate-related requirements, traceability and compliance standards are becoming increasingly stringent.

At the same time, physical constraints such as energy, water and material resources are becoming more apparent. Therefore, the core issue is no longer how fast Vietnam can grow, but how it grows, how to create more value with fewer resources, while enhancing resilience to external shocks.

Sustaining double-digit growth in a durable manner would require the simultaneous fulfilment of many fundamental prerequisites.

Van Vaerenbergh affirmed that Vietnam can indeed embark on a path of rapid and sustainable growth through 2045 if it places productivity, energy and institutions at the core of its development strategy.

A 2045 vision underpinned by clear indicators on productivity, value added, workforce skills, power system reliability and institutional quality will help translate ambition into concrete action, while strengthening confidence among citizens, businesses and international partners, he said.