The Institute of Construction Science and Technology

What The Institute of Construction Science and Technology does

The Institute of Construction Science and Technology (IBST; legal name Viện khoa học công nghệ xây dựng) is a Vietnamese state-owned research institute operating under the Ministry of Construction (Bộ Xây dựng). Founded in 1963 and headquartered in Hanoi at 81 Trần Cung street in Nghĩa Đô, IBST employs 501-1,000 staff and operates a Southern Branch (Phân Viện KHCN Xây dựng miền Nam). It functions as Vietnam's designated national body for construction standards development (TCVN framework), scientific research, building materials testing, product conformity certification, consulting, doctoral training, and construction execution including heritage monument restoration. The institute maintains a wholly-owned commercial subsidiary, IBST Investment and Construction Technology JSC (Công ty cổ phần đầu tư và công nghệ xây dựng IBST), through which investment and technology commercialization activities are channeled.

IBST's service portfolio spans seven functional areas: (1) laboratory testing of construction materials including aluminum glass curtain walls, concrete, steel, and structural components; (2) conformity certification (h�p chuẩn, hợp quy) for construction products against Vietnamese and international standards such as TCVN 9113:2012; (3) consulting across project management, surveying, design review, bidding, construction supervision, and environmental monitoring; (4) scientific research and technology transfer; (5) standards and technical regulation development; (6) doctoral degree programs and continuing professional training for laboratory technicians; and (7) construction execution and heritage monument restoration. The institute also publishes a scientific journal (Tạp chí) and hosts recurring youth and international scientific conferences.

Commercially, IBST operates through direct service delivery from its Hanoi headquarters and Southern Branch rather than a field sales force. Revenue is generated from three streams: fee-based testing and certification, technical consulting engagements, and recurrent government research funding for national key projects (Dự án trọng điểm quốc gia) and standards development under the Ministry of Construction. Pricing is quote-based with no publicly disclosed standardized rate card. The go-to-market model is institutional and sales-led: clients including building materials manufacturers, construction companies, real estate developers, thermal power plants, and other government agencies engage IBST directly through its departments or its ibst.vn website. International cooperation agreements with the American Concrete Institute, University of Melbourne, UAD (Zhejiang University), Korea Testing & Research Institute, and Life Design Kabaya (Japan) supplement domestic positioning. Revenue and budget figures are not publicly disclosed, though the institute publishes periodic state asset and budget transparency notices as required of Vietnamese public entities.

Name

The Institute of Construction Science and Technology

Legal name

Viện khoa học công nghệ xây dựng

Website

https://ibst.vn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Vietnam's state-owned construction science research institute under the Ministry of Construction, providing national TCVN standards development, building materials testing and certification, consulting, doctoral training, and construction services to manufacturers, developers, and government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Testing and Certification Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Engineering Services (541330), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Testing, Inspection, Certification & Commissioning (TICx) Technical Services (BPAHAIAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Architecture, Construction & Building Codes Reference (Design, BIM, Safety Codes) (EDAGAGAH), Third-Party Certification, Code Compliance & Regulatory Inspection (ASME/API/ISO) (EUAEAHAN)

Keywords

• Construction materials testing
• Building product certification
• Construction standards development
• Construction consulting services
• Construction scientific research

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanoi

HQ country

Vietnam

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Testing and Certification Services: Fee-based testing and certification services for construction materials and building products. Issues conformity certificates (Giấy chứng nhận hợp chuẩn, hợp quy) for products meeting standards such as TCVN 9113:2012 for reinforced concrete drainage pipes.
2. Government Research Funding: Core funding from the Vietnamese government for national research projects, standards development, and public interest research activities. Implements national key projects (Dự án trọng điểm quốc gia).
3. Consulting and Advisory Services: Technical consulting services including project management consulting, construction surveying, design review, and construction supervision for various construction projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IBST provides laboratory testing and conformity certification services for construction materials (concrete, steel, cement, aggregates, curtain wall systems), develops and maintains Vietnamese construction standards (TCVN), and delivers technical consulting services including project management, construction surveying, design review, and construction supervision. As a government research institute under Vietnam's Ministry of Construction, it also conducts scientific research, technology transfer, and doctoral training programs in construction science and technology.

Product overview

The Institute of Construction Science and Technology (IBST) is a Vietnamese government research institute under the Ministry of Construction offering a comprehensive portfolio of construction-related services rather than a unified software product. The portfolio includes: product certification and testing services (Chứng nhận hợp chuẩn, hợp quy and Thí nghiệm) for construction materials compliance with TCVN standards; doctoral training programs (Đào tạo tiến sỹ) and scientific conferences (Hội nghị Khoa học); consulting services (Tư vấn) covering project management, surveying, design, and construction supervision; standards development (Biên soạn Quy chuẩn, tiêu chuẩn); scientific research and technology transfer; construction services (Thi công) including heritage restoration; and publications including a scientific journal (Tạp chí). The institute does not offer a software product or technology platform but rather provides government-accredited testing, certification, and research services for the Vietnamese construction industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Construction Materials Testing Services (Thí nghiệm) Laboratory testing services for construction materials including aluminum glass curtain wall systems, concrete, steel, cement, aggregates, and structural components, performed at IBST's laboratories for construction projects across Vietnam.
• Product Certification Services (Chứng nhận hợp chuẩn, hợp quy)

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of product certifications issued annually for construction materials across Vietnam
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tập đoàn Trần Đức (Tran Duc Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Cooperation agreement signed on June 23, 2026 at Net Zero Summit 2026 for research and development of wood construction standards platform in Vietnam.
• University of Melbourne, AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Ký kết thỏa thuận hợp tác (Cooperation agreement signed) for joint research and academic exchange in construction science and technology.
• Viện thiết kế & nghiên cứu kiến trúc Đại học Triết Giang (UAD), Trung QuốcminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking meeting between IBST Director and UAD delegation to explore cooperation in architectural design and construction research.
• Công ty Life Design Kabaya, Nhật BảnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking meeting between IBST Director and Life Design Kabaya from Japan to explore potential cooperation in construction.
• Viện Bê tông Hoa Kỳ (American Concrete Institute - ACI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation with the American Concrete Institute for technical exchange and standards alignment in concrete construction and testing.
• Viện nghiên cứu và kiểm nghiệm Hàn Quốc (KTR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking meeting between IBST Director and Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR) for technical cooperation in testing and certification.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Intertek: Global quality assurance and testing provider with construction materials testing and certification services. Active in Vietnam and competes with IBST for building materials manufacturer clients seeking internationally recognized certification.
• SGS: Global testing, inspection, and certification leader with operations in Vietnam. SGS provides construction materials testing and certification services that overlap with IBST's commercial fee-based testing business, competing for the same building materials manufacturers.
• TÜV Rheinland Vietnam: Germany-headquartered TIC firm operating in Vietnam, providing construction materials testing, certification, and quality assurance. Provides alternative certification pathways that could compete with IBST's TCVN monopoly.
• Bureau Veritas: International TIC company with construction industry services including materials testing, building code compliance, and certification. Operates in Vietnam and competes directly with IBST's testing and certification revenue.

Others

• Vietnam Institute of Building Science and Technology (IBST) Subsidiaries and Affiliates: IBST's wholly-owned subsidiary IBST Investment and Construction Technology JSC serves as the commercial arm for investment and construction technology services, intersegment-related to the parent institute.

Direct peers

• Building Research Institute (Japan) - BRI: Japan's national building research institute under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Comparable in scope: construction standards, materials testing, structural research, and government policy support.
• China Academy of Building Research (CABR): China's national construction science research institute, conducting standards development, materials testing, certification, and policy support. Mirrors IBST's role as the national construction research authority under a government ministry.
• Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR): South Korea's national testing and certification institute with a similar mandate to conduct materials testing, certification, and research. KTR is explicitly named as a partner of IBST, confirming direct comparability in scope and function.

Regional players

• National University of Civil Engineering (NUCE): Vietnam's leading civil engineering university offering doctoral programs and construction research. Comparable academic and research functions to IBST, though without the national certification mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ibst81trancung
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ibst

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Institute of Construction Science and Technology