HÀ NỘI — The nascent robot industry in Việt Nam is poised for rapid growth in the coming two decades, Vietnamese and Korean experts in the field say.

This growth, taking place during the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0), will depend heavily on artificial intelligence and automation, Nguyễn Quân, Chairman of the Việt Nam Automation Association (VAA) and former Minister of Science and Technology, said at a December 8 workshop held in the capital city.

The workshop, jointly organised by VAA and the ASEAN-Korea Centre, focused on the potentials, advantages and opportunities for co-operation in Việt Nam’s growing robot industry.

Lee Hyuk, South Korean Ambassador to Việt Nam, hoped Vietnamese enterprises would co-operate with Korean businesses in the robot industry, and that the Vietnamese Government would facilitate mutual investment and business co-operation in the fireld.

Quân noted that VAA has selected South Korean companies as strategic partners in developing the national robot industry because not only was South Korea one of the largest foreign investors in Việt Nam, but also a leading industrial country in the world.

Moreover, South Korean corporations investing in Việt Nam are interested in transferring technology to local research and development centres, he said.

Tạ Cao Minh, VAA Vice President and General Secretary, said that industrial robots and hi-tech automation have been prioritised in 2011-2020 national strategy for science and technology development.

The VAA looked forward to more co-operation opportunities with their South Korean partners, he added.

Minh said the use of robots was growing in Việt Nam, especially in automobile assembly lines, such as the South Korea- invested KIA assembly line or the Mazda line set up by local automaker Trường Hải, which gets up to 50 per cent of work done by robots.

On the Thành Công Honda assembly line, 80 per cent of the work is done by robots, he said.

Minh also pointed to the success of TOSY Robotics Jsc, established in 2004, which is currently providing a large number of toy robots developing more complex robots catering to industrial needs.

Kim Young-sun, Secretary General of the ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) noted at the workshop that the Vietnamese government’s active role in developing science and technology to foster active participation in the global supply chains was evident, particularly in attracting foreign investment for industries geared towards industrialization and modernisation.

The workshop was part of the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement (KIRIA)’s Investment and Market Research Mission to Việt Nam.

It gave local businesses the opportunity to interact and exchange information with more than 12 major manufacturers in the South Korean robotics industry.  —VNS