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In June, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and the World Economic Forum (WEF) will set up a Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR Vietnam). This initiative stems from an agreement inked earlier this week during the 54th Annual Meeting of the WEF in Davos, Switzerland.
Situated within the Saigon Hi-Tech Park, one of Vietnam’s designated national hi-tech parks pivotal to the city’s progress, the centre will concentrate on research, policy recommendation, technology transfer, and resource mobilisation. Its areas of focus include promoting green growth, advancing smart urban development, and artificial intelligence (AI), among other initiatives.
The importance of setting up the C4IR in the city, as emphasised by the Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, Phan Van Mai, extends beyond the city’s developmental objectives to include national priorities. Mai, who signed the agreement with WEF Managing Director Jeremy Jurgens, said that the project will be advantageous for both the city and the broader goals.
The city will have opportunities to engage in the WEF’s global initiatives to shape up a comprehensive ecosystem to promote new growth engines, attract investment, and improve the national competitive capacity. Mai said that the centre is anticipated to evolve into a dependable and effective platform for fostering collaboration among experts, researchers, the business community, and international partners.
Jurgens characterised the establishment of the centre as an important milestone in the partnership between the World Economic Forum (WEF) and Vietnam. He expects that the centre will play a crucial role in advancing Vietnam’s ambitious agenda for innovation and growth through collaborative efforts through international and multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Being the second centre established in Southeast Asia after the first one in Malaysia in 2023, the C4IR Vietnam aspires to emerge as a focal point of expertise. Its goal is to collaboratively design and pilot forward-looking policy frameworks that will shape the future. Additionally, the centre aims to facilitate the development and deployment of cutting-edge technologies not only within the region but also on a global scale.
In 2022, in the Central Highlands region, Da Lat University in Lam Dong Province unveiled the first Artificial Intelligence Training and Research Centre (AIC). Delivering an all-encompassing international education programme centred on AI-driven intelligent manufacturing, the centre aligns itself with similar programmes offered in ten countries globally. The strategic curriculum is designed to furnish students with a strong AI knowledge base, effectively bridging the divide between programming, AI, robotics, and the domains of natural and social sciences.
The AIC has enhanced learning methodologies and fostered an environment conducive to effective skill acquisition. Moreover, this initiative has heightened public awareness surrounding AI and robotics, enriching the collective understanding of these emerging fields.
Most recently, the city of Da Nang established an Integrated Circuit (IC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research and Training Centre. A decision was issued by the People’s Committee of Da Nang on 30 December, officially launching this innovative facility under the supervision of the municipal Department of Information and Communications.
As OpenGov Asia reported, the hub will carry out research, training, technology transfer, and resource mobilisation in the fields of microchips, semiconductors, and AI, all in compliance with legal regulations. Market research forecasts significant growth in the semiconductor market in Vietnam, estimating a compound annual growth rate of 6.5% between 2021-2025.
