Speaking at the "Creating Vietnam's AI Future" program launched by the National Innovation Center (NIC, Ministry of Planning and Investment) and Google on July 11, Mr. Marc Woo, Managing Director for Vietnam, Google Asia Pacific, said that the current digital economy of Southeast Asia has grown tremendously, reaching an economic value of $100 billion (8 times in just 8 years) and is projected to reach $835 billion thanks to AI by 2030.
"Within this, Vietnam's digital economy will grow 11-fold by 2030, reaching $220 billion, equivalent to nearly half of Vietnam's current GDP," Mr. Marc Woo stated.
According to the Google representative, AI will be one of the key factors for Vietnam to realize this forecast. However, Vietnam is currently facing a significant challenge: a shortage of personnel and experts in the AI field. The scarcity of human resources, coupled with the lack of access to high-quality AI training programs, further widens the gap between market demand and workforce supply.
In addition to the talent shortage, AI startups in Vietnam also face challenges such as limited access to experts and advisors to evaluate and validate AI products that meet market needs.
Vietnamese AI startups also lack access to infrastructure, platforms, and tools ready for businesses. These are considered essential factors for developing, commercializing, and scaling AI products.
According to Mr. Tran Duy Dong, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, as the agency advising on socio-economic development strategies, the Ministry of Planning and Investment has always been proactive in advising the Government and the Prime Minister in developing and implementing tasks and solutions for Vietnam to seize opportunities and overcome challenges of the 4.0 Industrial Revolution.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Planning and Investment has coordinated with other ministries to: (i) research and submit to the Prime Minister for approval the National Strategy on the Fourth Industrial Revolution until 2030; (ii) propose the establishment of the National Innovation Center to promote ecosystem formation; (iii) form and develop the Vietnam Innovation Network with thousands of Vietnamese experts and intellectuals worldwide; (iv) develop and submit to the Prime Minister the "Project on Human Resource Development for the Semiconductor Industry" with the goal of training 50,000 semiconductor engineers by 2030, including 5,000 semiconductor engineers specializing in AI development.
The collaboration between NIC and Google to launch the "Creating Vietnam's AI Future" program will focus on two main pillars: creating for talent and creating for businesses. Each pillar will address key issues to support the development of Vietnam's human resources, nurture the startup ecosystem, and strengthen the foundation to maximize AI application.
The program will provide 40,000 scholarships with 10 courses, including AI courses to equip the young generation of Vietnam with the latest AI skills, including many officials, lecturers, and students from over 80 universities and colleges nationwide.
This is an upgrade from the Digital Talent Development program launched by Google and NIC in July 2022. To date, the program has equipped 60,000 working-age people in Vietnam with digital skills.
Additionally, recognizing the key role of local startups, Google has committed to supporting the development of the startup ecosystem in Vietnam from the early stages. This year, with Google for Startups Accelerator, Google aims to support and promote Vietnamese startups in the AI era.
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