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2. Theoretical framework
2.1 Digital economy
The concept of the digital economy has emerged over the past three decades. Since
the 1990s, the digital economy has been closely associated with information and
communication technology (ICT), alongside the rapid expansion of the Internet. In this
narrow sense, the digital economy was primarily understood as economic activities
directly related to the production of ICT goods and services. By 2020, the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) expanded this concept and defined the
digital economy as economic activities based on digital technologies, particularly data,
digital platforms, and network connectivity. This approach emphasizes the role of data as
a new factor of production and highlights platform-based business models as key drivers
of value creation. The World Bank presented a development-oriented perspective in its
report Digital Dividends (2016), arguing that the digital economy encompasses not only
digital industries but also the transformation of traditional sectors by enhancing
productivity, connectivity, and innovation. From this viewpoint, the digital economy
contributes to economic growth, institutional quality, and social inclusion. The United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) further broadened the scope
by incorporating e-commerce, linking digitalization with international trade dynamics and
structural transformation. In Vietnam, the Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông (Ministry of
Information and Communications) defines the digital economy as economic activities that
use digital technologies and digital data as key inputs, production tools, and business
models. This definition reflects a comprehensive transformation approach in which
digitalization penetrates all sectors of the economy. The digital economy consists of three
main layers: Digital Infrastructure, the Core Digital Sector, and the Digitalized Economy.
Digital infrastructure includes broadband Internet, 4G/5G networks, data centers, and
cloud computing. It forms the foundation for reducing transaction costs and facilitating
information flows. The core digital sector comprises ICT, software, technology services,
and the manufacturing of digital equipment, directly contributing to GDP and
employment. The digitalized economy refers to digital applications across economic
sectors such as e-commerce, digital finance, smart manufacturing, digital logistics, and
high-tech agriculture. This component represents the largest and fastest-growing
segment in many developing economies. According to current development trends, the
impact of digital transformation across industries is becoming increasingly significant,
driving productivity gains and economic efficiency across all sectors
2.2 Sustainable development
According to the World Commission on Environment and Development
(WCED)(1987), “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs.” From the perspective of the World Bank (WB), sustainable development is a
process that ensures continuous economic growth, poverty reduction, natural resource
protection, and strengthened institutional capacity for social governance so that future
generations can continue to develop sustainably on a solid foundation. According to the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), sustainable
development is a process of sustained and efficient economic growth that ensures social
equity and environmental protection, emphasizing efficient resource use, technological
innovation, and long-term policy planning. At the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (Rio Conference) in 1992, Agenda 21 articulated the view

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