Vietnam Advances AI Ecosystem Following 18 Months of Resolution 57 Implementation

General Secretary and President To Lam has urged AI experts to assist Vietnam in connecting with international resources, technology enterprises, investment funds, research institutions, and leading global experts. The objective is to develop human resources, technology businesses, and innovation capacity, aiming to achieve important initial milestones in strategic technology development within this year, following the 18-month implementation of Politburo Resolution No. 57. Major domestic technology groups, including VNPT, Viettel, FPT, and CMC Corporation, are playing a leading role in shaping the country's AI ecosystem. SK Innovation and SK Telecom have also signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Nghe An province and the National Innovation Centre of Vietnam to advance AI ecosystem development and support the nation's long-term growth strategy. Vietnam has progressively streamlined its regulatory framework to clear institutional bottlenecks and has put in place mechanisms designed to spur innovation and technology adoption. The country's approach has pivoted from a resource-heavy strategy to one focused on practical results, with stricter monitoring of projects' progress. This regulatory effort is crucial for fostering a conducive environment for technological advancement. Prime Minister Le Minh Hung emphasized that the national digital architecture framework should provide a unified, shared, and interoperable architecture for the entire political system, connecting government systems with citizens and businesses. Ministers are directly responsible for the implementation of assigned tasks and must ensure the quality and progress of database development. Vietnam has called for enhanced cooperation and the establishment of common regional frameworks for emerging strategic technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, space technology, and cybersecurity. The goal is to create a secure digital business environment and improve ASEAN's overall competitiveness. The country's semiconductor ecosystem currently comprises around 60 chip design companies, approximately 7,000 chip design engineers, and 166 universities offering semiconductor-related training programs. Initial registrations indicate a demand for the prototyping of about 30,000 chips. Vietnam's challenge is not merely to train more engineers or scientists but to cultivate a generation capable of mastering, improving, and eventually creating core technologies. Assoc. Prof., Dr. Nguyen Thanh Phuong of the University of L’Aquila suggests developing a "borderless national intellectual network" to enable Vietnamese professionals living abroad to contribute as visiting professors, strategic advisers, research leaders, or co-directors of key laboratories. This model aims to tap into global expertise without requiring permanent relocation. According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Le Hung from Gustave Eiffel University, many countries have invested heavily in cutting-edge technologies but faced constraints not from capital or human resources, but from regulatory bottlenecks, policy issues, and implementation mechanisms. This highlights the importance of effective governance and policy in technological development. In agriculture, improved crop varieties have increased yields by 8–15%, depending on the crop, while enhancing farmers' incomes and supporting the sector's restructuring. This indicates the successful application of technology in traditional sectors. Vietnam should shift from merely using technology to truly mastering AI, semiconductors, clean energy, and advanced materials. The nation needs to transition from a resource-driven economy to one fired by innovation, knowledge, and talent, and move away from cheap labor as its primary competitive advantage towards real technological competitiveness that lifts the country into higher-value global supply chains. Copyright, VietnamPlus, Vietnam News Agency (VNA)