Resilience-by-design: from Vietnam's transformation to a theory of adaptive development

Tung X. Bui

Chapter 6 in A Modern Guide to Industrial Economics, 2026, pp 84-107 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Vietnam's transformation from a post-war, centrally planned economy into a globally integrated industrial hub offers lessons for development amid geopolitical uncertainty. This chapter introduces resilience-by-design as a new concept that redefines national progress as the strategic co-evolution of industrial policy and diplomacy. At its core is a dual-track feedback loop where domestic reforms and foreign engagement mutually reinforce each other through cycles of disruption and opportunity. Drawing from Vietnam's four-decade journey, the model promotes a proactive, institutionally embedded approach to resilience. While major powers like the United States and China link industrial and foreign policy to maintain their dominance, Vietnam's experience is unique: through iterative improvisation, this connection can be interpreted as a resilience-based model for a vulnerable middle power. Based on institutional economics, strategic statecraft, and second-best theory, the framework provides a foundation for emerging economies as they navigate fractured globalization, asymmetric power dynamics, and reduced strategic space. Furthermore, resilience results from intentional design.

Keywords: Bamboo diplomacy; Development theory; Geopolitical resilience; Industrial policy; Vietnam development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035365609
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