Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the policy forum “Taking the Lead: Vietnam’s Proactive Strategy for Semiconductor & AI Advancement in the New Era” on March 14. — VNA/VNS Photos

 HÀ NỘI – Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has urged international partners to help Việt Nam advance its technological capabilities and transform its development trajectory, particularly in emerging fields like artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor.

Addressing the policy forum “Taking the Lead: Việt Nam’s Proactive Strategy for Semiconductor & AI Advancement in the New Era” held on March 14 within the framework of the AI-Semiconductor Conference (AISC 2025), PM Chính laid stress on Việt Nam’s commitment to rapid and sustainable growth driven by science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation.

As Việt Nam set a target of becoming a high-income developed country by 2045, despite having a modest economic scale and undergoing transformation with high openness and limited resilience to external shocks, the country must create resources to turn its vision to fruition. “Resources originate from thinking, motivation stems from innovation, and strengths come from the people and businesses”, he stated.

The PM went on to say that Việt Nam has set a goal of achieving at least 8 per cent growth in 2025, creating momentum for double-digit growth in subsequent years. Though challenging, PM Chính expressed his confidence that with international cooperation and support, Việt Nam can achieve this target.

Seeing institutional frameworks as both "bottleneck of bottlenecks" and "breakthrough of breakthroughs,” Việt Nam is mapping out policies to develop the AI and semiconductor industries. The Government has pledged to slash at least 30% of cumbersome administrative procedures, step up decentralisation, enhance implementation capacity, and promote self-resilience and creativity among stakeholders, he said.

The PM also outlined plans to develop strategic infrastructure supporting AI and semiconductor production, including transport infrastructure to reduce logistics costs, information technology, telecommunications, digital infrastructure, and energy systems to ensure reliable power supply even in remote areas. Human resources development remains a key priority, with plans to train 100,000 engineers in the fields in the coming years.

Representatives officially started the launch ceremony of initiatives and commitments to contribute to the development of the Vietnam AI and semiconductor ecosystem.

 Việt Nam is seeking international partners’ assistance in institutional perfection, streamlining of administrative procedures, shifting from management thinking to development promotion, increasing decentralisation, and reduction of compliance costs for people and businesses.

The PM expressed his hope for financial support through concessional loans to establish investment funds, build financial centres, upgrade the stock market, transfer technology through R&D centres, and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese firms to engage in global supply and production chains.

Chính requested corporations to create conditions for Vietnamese nationals to participate in leadership and management roles, prioritise accepting Vietnamese employees in leading global companies, and help Việt Nam train high-quality human resources in the emerging industries like semiconductors, AI, quantum optics, cloud computing, and biomedical sciences.

The Vietnamese Government pledges to support foreign enterprises’ faster and more effective development in Việt Nam, ensuring their legitimate rights through rational institutions and policies in the spirit of “harmonising benefits and sharing risks”, he underscored.

Sharing a speech at the forum, Trương Gia Bình, CEO of FPT said Việt Nam was indeed positioning itself as a global technology powerhouse, with ambitious goals in AI and semiconductors. The commitment to training 1 million AI experts and 50,000 semiconductor engineers by 2030 reflects the country's strategic vision for high-tech industries.

FPT’s dedication to training 500,000 AI professionals and 5,000 semiconductor engineers further highlights its leadership in this transformation. The fact that Vietnamese engineers have already earned nearly ten thousand NVIDIA certifications demonstrates their rapid adaptability and commitment to cutting-edge technology.

Jensen Huang’s prediction that Việt Nam could become a leading developed nation if it successfully executes its AI transformation is significant. With a strong work ethic and relentless dedication—exemplified during the COVID-19 crisis—Vietnamese engineers have proven their capability to handle global-scale projects.

The next challenge is ensuring that these talents have the right ecosystem to thrive—research institutions, industry partnerships, and government support. Việt Nam must continue to build strategic infrastructure, secure international collaborations, and foster innovation-driven policies to maintain its momentum in AI and semiconductor development, said Bình

Participants visit a booth of FPT on the sideline of the event.

On the occasion, PM Chính, Deputy PM Nguyễn Chí Dũng and delegates witnessed the announcement of initiatives on semiconductor human resources development, semiconductor startup incubation and development, and support for Vietnamese enterprises to participate in the AI Alliance.

AISC 2025, organised from March 12-16 in Hanoi and Da Nang by the National Innovation Centre (NIC) in collaboration with Aitomatic (USA), attracted over 1,000 domestic leaders and experts alongside representatives from investment funds, banks, and international organisations. The event, themed "Creating the Future: Connecting Global AI and Semiconductor Technology," featured key workshops on the semiconductor and AI technology revolution, exhibitions, investment and business networking, and a policy forum on Vietnam’s AI and semiconductor development in the new era. — VNS