Speaking at the press conference announcing the “Vietnam 2024 Innovation Challenge” program on the afternoon of March 18, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Duy Dong said that Vietnam needs to actively participate in the global technology wave, in which, the semiconductor industry and AI are two important areas that need to be prioritized for development.
Recently, the semiconductor industry has been strongly developed by many countries around the world. Many powerhouses like Japan, the United States… are willing to spend billions of dollars to support companies in investing and expanding factories. Most recently, Japan has granted nearly $5 billion to the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturing company TSMC to help the company build a second chip fabrication plant there.
“This shows that the development of technology is happening at a rapid pace, in which the semiconductor industry is the core of the electronics industry, the core industry important for the development of modern industry,” the Deputy Minister said.
PLENTY OF DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL
Vietnam is currently emerging as a promising factor in the semiconductor industry with many advantages such as a strategic position, increasingly developed infrastructure, people proficient in technology, and abundant young workforce with creativity. The semiconductor industry in Vietnam has the potential for significant growth in the coming time.
According to the forecast of the Southeast Asia Semiconductor Industry Association (SEMI SEA), the semiconductor market in Vietnam could grow more than 6% in the period 2022-2027.
Vietnam has been gradually perfecting its policy and legal system on investment and business to create favorable conditions for investors; implementing many solutions to support Vietnamese businesses to participate more deeply in the global supply chain in the semiconductor industry; searching and promoting technology solutions to support, develop, and disseminate.
Along with the semiconductor industry, artificial intelligence (AI) is a foundational area of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In the wave of AI technology development, Vietnam has also taken strong strides in participating in research, application, and developing AI human resources.
In 2021, the Government of Vietnam issued the National Strategy on Research, Development, and Application of Artificial Intelligence until 2030. After 2 years of implementation, Vietnam has achieved encouraging achievements, in which it is recorded that in 2022, Vietnam ranked 55th out of 180 countries and territories in the AI readiness index, up 7 places from 2021, according to the report of Oxford Insights.
Vietnam has also had remarkable achievements in research and application of artificial intelligence such as FPT, Viettel AI, VNPT AI, VIN AI… This further demonstrates the capacity and position of Vietnamese engineers and experts in researching, developing, and applying AI technology.
Commenting on the potential of Vietnam’s artificial intelligence industry, Mr. Rafael Frankel, Chief Policy Officer for Southeast Asia, Meta Group affirmed that Vietnam has great potential for developing the artificial intelligence industry and will have a position in the region.
STIMULATING FLOW, BRINGING TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES TO VIETNAM
However, to turn these potentials into new growth drivers, Meta representative emphasized that Vietnam needs to continue to maintain its existing advantages, open-mindedness and seize the great opportunities that are opening up. Vietnam needs to become a destination where global technology companies want to come and do business.
Deputy Minister Tran Duy Dong said that the Ministry of Planning and Investment has also coordinated with ministries to study and develop the Human Resources Development Project for the semiconductor industry by 2030, with an orientation to 2045 with a goal of training 50,000 engineers by 2030.
“The draft is currently being solicited for comments from ministries for the second time and will soon be submitted to the Government for approval,” the Deputy Minister said.
Not only in terms of policy movements, the process of promoting innovation in general and the semiconductor industry in particular in Vietnam has attracted the participation of domestic and foreign companies.
There is the participation of investing in new projects by Amkor Group (USA) in Bac Ninh, the participation of Siemens Electronic Design Automation Company in training human resources for the semiconductor industry in Vietnam… This shows the great interest of world technology corporations in the Vietnamese market in new industries, high technology industries.
Continuing to accompany the Vietnam 2024 Innovation Challenge Program, Mr. Rafael Frankel, Chief Policy Officer for South Asia and Southeast Asia at Meta Group, said through the Program, Meta hopes to create an intellectual playground to promote ideas and take advantage of opportunities in the semiconductor and AI industries.
“This initiative will contribute to enhancing the integration of Vietnam’s technology sector into the global digital economy,” Rafael said.
Through searching for and honoring solutions, the program will contribute to the general goal of raising awareness of the importance and value of the semiconductor and AI industries, recommending and connecting Vietnamese businesses with solutions to upgrade and improve business operations, improve performance, develop new products and services, to increase the competitive advantage of Vietnamese businesses in the global market.
The program is designed for three innovative business groups, including large enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and innovative startup businesses. The total value of the program’s awards is up to $300,000.
