ASAFA IPS Vietnam 2026 is the first of three summits the association will convene this year, with Thailand set to host in June and Malaysia in October. Photo Credit: ASAFA
Vietnam recently hosted its first international sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) summit as policymakers and industry leaders gathered in Da Nang to accelerate collaboration on green aviation and regional fuel production.
Held from 6 to 8 May, the Asia SAF Association Innovation & Policy Summit (ASAFA IPS) Vietnam 2026 brought together representatives from around 70 organisations, including senior officials from Vietnam’s National Assembly Committee for Economic and Financial Affairs and the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Finance, Construction, and Science and Technology.
Airlines, fuel producers, financiers and technology providers also attended the event.
During the summit, ASAFA signed two institutional agreements with Vietnamese state bodies aimed at strengthening the country’s SAF ecosystem.
The first memorandum of understanding, signed with the Agency for Innovation, Green Transition and Industry Promotion (IGIP) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, establishes cooperation on SAF capacity building, technical knowledge transfer and policy development support.
A second agreement with the Da Nang Innovation Startup Support Centre (DISSC) positions Da Nang as a future hub for SAF innovation through co-organised events, workforce development initiatives and expert network collaboration.
“Vietnam has the key fundamentals required to build a competitive SAF ecosystem,” said Fabrice Espinosa founder and CEO of ASAFA. “The question is not whether SAF will scale. The question is where, and who will lead.”
Since launching in 2024, ASAFA has grown into one of Asia Pacific’s leading independent SAF advocacy and industry platforms, with members and partners spanning 44 organisations across 17 countries.
The Vietnam gathering is the first of three SAF summits ASAFA plans to organise this year, with additional editions scheduled in Thailand in June and Malaysia in October.
Beyond the summit series, ASAFA plans to publish three industry reports, establish a Market Structures Committee to help harmonise regional SAF standards, and launch the International SAF Professional Training Academy in September.