FPT Chairman Truong Gia Binh says on Discovery: People thought I was too crazy, no one believed Vietnam could develop software for the world

The famous American TV channel Discovery recently aired a documentary called "Silicon Delta - The Story of Vietnam's Tech Revolution". This film tells the story of the impressive growth of Vietnam's information technology (IT) industry. Vietnam has changed from a country that was almost unknown in the world of digital technology to one of Asia's top digital economies. Now, Vietnam has the potential to lead in the new technology revolution.

The movie, which is over 20 minutes long, was shown in Southeast Asia, Germany, Japan, and many other countries. It was available in 10 languages, including English, Japanese, German, Korean, and Vietnamese. The film has three parts. It shows Vietnam's difficult but strong journey in developing technology. FPT is mentioned as a leading symbol of the country's IT industry.

The movie makes a strong impression with the words of Mr. Vinnie Lauria - Co-founder of Golden Gate Ventures, a venture capital fund. He says: "It's hard to believe when we look at Vietnam's growth in the last 20 years. This is a story that has never happened before. Vietnam is changing strongly, breaking limits in important areas like car software technology, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence."

The beginning of the movie takes viewers back to Vietnam's hard times after the war. Through the Reform policy, this country not only attracted investment from big tech companies like IBM, Microsoft, and HP but also sparked a spirit of local business creation. Companies like FPT played a leading role, building the tech base for the country's economic growth.

The second part tells the story of how Vietnamese companies brought their knowledge to the world. Vietnam faced many problems because of money troubles and the dot-com bubble bursting. But it still became a good place for making and selling computer programs to other countries. The main person in the movie, FPT Chairman Truong Gia Binh, remembers a brave decision made at a big meeting in 1998. They said, "We must sell our products to other countries, or we will fail." This decision helped FPT grow and become known around the world.

The last part of the movie talks about Vietnam's strong spirit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even when facing many problems, Vietnamese tech companies kept coming up with new ideas. They worked hard to keep up with the newest technology trends like artificial intelligence (AI), computer chips, and self-driving cars. This helped Vietnam continue to show its importance in the global tech industry. It also helped shape the country as one of the world's top centers for tech talent.

"People thought I was too crazy when I talked about exporting software"

This is what Chairman Truong Gia Binh said in the film. This sentence shows FPT's spirit: "Innovation is our DNA."

FPT was started in 1988. At first, they wanted to "help friends escape poverty," remembers Truong Gia Binh, FPT's Chairman. But with a pioneering spirit, FPT and other IT companies have turned Vietnam into "Vietnamese birds" flying all over the world. They have shown Vietnam's place on the global technology map.

A big change came in 1998 at the Dien Hong Meeting in Hai Phong. The goal was to take FPT to a new level. At this meeting, FPT made a bold plan: 'Export or Die'. Mr. Binh decided the only way to grow FPT was to Go Global – export software to the world. At first, people thought this decision was 'crazy'. Many called him a 'madman' for deciding to export software at that time.

"More than two decades ago, no one believed Vietnam could make software for the world. But if you keep going, you'll make a path," the FPT founder shared.

"Mr. Binh was really bold. He talked about things in the sky, while we were still on the ground. How could we reach the sky?" – Mr. Pham Minh Tuan, FPT's Deputy CEO and FPT Software's CEO, added.

According to FPT Chairman Truong Gia Binh, "Now, Vietnam has 1 million IT engineers, and half of them are programmers. If we can focus this resource on semiconductors and AI, we can not only meet local needs but also supply the whole world."

FPT is now focusing on 5 key areas: artificial intelligence, semiconductors, car technology, digital transformation, and green transformation. The group aims to earn $5 billion from global IT services by 2030.

FPT Software Chairwoman, Chu Thi Thanh Ha, shared: "Discovery's film shows the mission and efforts of many FPT generations. The bold decision 'Export or Die' 25 years ago opened a new path for Vietnam's IT industry. Today, the spirit of daring to think and do is still our DNA and will continue to be passed on to future generations."

With strong growth and its current position, Vietnam is slowly proving itself as a new technology center of the world. As FPT founder Truong Gia Binh said, "Keep going and you'll find a way!" – and Vietnam has chosen the technology path to reach the world.

Source: NguoiQuanSat.vn