Leaders of the HCM City Department of Science and Technology and Accelerated Infrastructure Capital (AIC) sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation to invest in the AI Data Centre at Tân Phú Trung Industrial Park. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The People’s Committee of HCM City on Wednesday held a meeting with a consortium of international investors and partners regarding a project to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) data centre at Tân Phú Trung Industrial Park.

At the meeting, city leaders witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the municipal Department of Science and Technology and Accelerated Infrastructure Capital (AIC), an international investor with experience in developing and operating data centres, on cooperation to invest in an AI data centre project at the industrial park.

The project is expected to have a total investment of about US$2.1 billion and will be implemented by a joint venture between AIC, Kinh Bắc City Development Holding Corporation (KBC) and other partners. The project will include data centre infrastructure, regional facilities, equipment systems, power supply, water supply and drainage, and graphics processing units (GPUs). The total investment capital is expected to be fully disbursed by the end of the first quarter of next year.

The centre will be designed according to high technical standards with a focus on energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. In its initial phase, the project will launch an AI factory with a capacity of up to 50 MW of total IT/GPU load, including around 28,000 GPU units.

The project is also expected to attract additional high-tech enterprises, research and development centres, AI and cloud computing companies, and firms in the semiconductor value chain, thereby creating new growth momentum and enhancing HCM City’s competitiveness in the region.

Lâm Đình Thắng, director of the municipal Department of Science and Technology, said that for a special urban centre like HCM City, investment in modern data infrastructure is not only meant to meet immediate demand but also carries long-term strategic significance. It will lay a foundation for the development of the digital economy, the knowledge-based economy and the city’s broader digital transformation process.

From the investor’s perspective, Oliver Jones, co-founder of AIC, expressed appreciation to the city’s authorities and agencies for their support in facilitating the rapid implementation of the project.

Meanwhile, Đặng Thành Tâm, Chairman of Kinh Bac City Development Holding Corporation, said the company has prepared the necessary conditions for the project to break ground as early as April 30. The project will mark an important milestone as HCM City becomes the first locality in Vietnam to develop an AI data centre, contributing to the development of smart urban infrastructure and addressing key technological challenges facing the city.

Witnessing the signing ceremony, Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Nguyễn Văn Được expressed confidence that the project will soon be put into operation, bringing practical benefits and contributing to the city’s overall development.

The city reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a stable, transparent and favourable investment environment while continuing to refine mechanisms and policies to attract digital infrastructure and high-tech projects, with the goal of becoming a major regional hub for AI computing infrastructure and digital technology. — VNA/VNS