8X engineer leaves Google to return to Vietnam and aspires to elevate Vietnamese culture on the world map

He is the founder and CEO of Phygital Labs - the first Digital Physics technology company in Vietnam, known for its solutions to apply technology to preserve and promote cultural heritage values.

In 2024, Phygital Labs made breakthroughs in applying augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology to museums and historical sites, bringing new interactive experiences to users.

Mr. Huy Nguyen shared that he not only wants to digitize the cultural industry to preserve heritage but also aims to bring Vietnamese technology to the global map, affirming the creative position of Vietnamese people in the 4.0 technology era.

On the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2025, VietnamPlus had an interesting conversation at the beginning of the year with this 8X CEO:

People apply digital physical technology to enhance heritage value

- Can you share what opportunity brought you from your role as an engineer and manager at Google to return to Vietnam to start a business?

CEO Huy Nguyen: After more than 10 years working in Silicon Valley, I realized that, no matter where I am, I always have a deep connection with my homeland. When working at Google, the projects I participated in were big and meaningful enough, creating value such as deploying wireless networks for developed countries. Or in 2016, after a period of 'wandering' around the world from Africa, South America, India... and returning to the US to lead the Google Fiber Operations System project, a 1 Gbps Internet fiber optic network with more than 1 million users in the US. This is when I asked the question: "Can I bring what I learned here back to Vietnam to create new value?"

Vietnam is entering a period of strong transformation, especially in the technology sector. The young workforce, the dynamism of the market and the growing role of Vietnam in the world have helped me decide to return to Vietnam. And in fact, the decision to return to Vietnam to start a business is not an easy one, but it comes from a sincere desire to bring the knowledge, experience... accumulated to build something meaningful in my homeland.

To be more specific, I want to apply what I have learned from the international environment to the development in Vietnam, not only building a successful business but also creating sustainable value for the community. This is a challenging but also extremely meaningful journey.

- With Startups in Vietnam, can you explain more about the concept of "Phygital" and how Phygital Labs is connecting the digital world with the real world that your company is implementing?

CEO Huy Nguyen: “Phygital” is the combination of the physical world and the digital world. As the physical world gradually becomes saturated and the digital world is still full of unknowns, the digital physical will be the gateway connecting the real world and the digital world. This concept comes from the transformation of technology, where everything from shopping to communication and work is no longer clearly distinguished between real space and digital space.

With the Nomion solution applying Blockchain technology with NFC chip, digital physical technology will bring seamless experiences between reality and digital space, contributing to creating completely new revenue, promoting transformation in the way businesses operate and creating a potential digital economy .

After more than a year of development, we have implemented many projects applying digital physics technology to culture and tourism in Vietnam. The project of identifying and digitally exhibiting more than 100 Nguyen Dynasty artifacts has helped preserve and promote cultural heritage to everyone.

The project to identify and digitally exhibit more than 100 Nguyen Dynasty artifacts has helped preserve and promote cultural heritage to everyone.

In addition, the “Tam Chan” project has brought the image of Nghe Van Mieu into modern life through digital physical books. In the field of tourism, we have applied technology to digitally identify prominent landmarks such as Hai Van Quan, creating a multi-dimensional interactive experience for visitors.

The digital physical souvenir “The Imperial Capital Archaeology” and the recently deployed diploma authentication solution… have demonstrated that phygital technology can connect culture with modern life, thereby opening up great potential for Vietnam to enter the digital economy.

So you can imagine that digital physics has connected the real world and the digital world, thereby creating new values, which are part of the digital economy.

The project is the result of a collaboration between technology startup Phygital Labs and the UNESCO Information Center (UNET). Tam Chan uses “digital physics” technologies developed by Phygital Labs to preserve, display, promote and apply traditional Vietnamese culture to contemporary life. (Photo: Phygital Labs)

- In the context of Vietnam promoting digital transformation, what specific values does Phygital Labs bring to people and businesses, sir?

CEO Huy Nguyen: Our projects mentioned above have shown that Phygital Labs is contributing to the digital transformation process in Vietnam and thereby bringing new, specific values to both people and businesses.

For citizens, we help enhance the experience by applying advanced technology to improve public services and preserve cultural heritage.

For businesses, Phygital Labs provides technology solutions that optimize business processes, increase efficiency and create new opportunities in industries such as education, retail and tourism. For example, gift solutions integrated with NFC (Near Field Communication) technology will be a great opportunity for businesses to apply NFC technology to enhance their brands, improve customer service and increase experience value.

Thus, Nomion identification solution helps businesses improve their tracking and management capabilities, while creating a new business model through the connection between the physical and digital worlds. These initiatives help support businesses in digital transformation and contribute to sustainable development and enhancing product values.

- As a pioneer in bringing technology into Vietnamese heritage culture and currently many cultural projects are being implemented, how do you assess the potential and challenges of this field?

CEO Huy Nguyen: Bringing technology into Vietnamese cultural heritage is a great opportunity but also full of challenges. The potential is clear, because technology can help preserve, spread and promote cultural heritage values widely and sustainably. Technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality or blockchain can create new and interesting experiences for users.

Mr. Huy Nguyen - Phygital Labs. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+)

However, the big challenge is how to make sure that technology does not destroy the original value of culture. If we can skillfully combine technology and culture, I believe that we will create projects that not only preserve but also revive cultural values, helping future generations to access, share and be proud of Vietnam's cultural heritage.

- How do you evaluate the role of phygital technology in elevating Vietnamese culture on the international map?

CEO Huy Nguyen: The combination of the physical world and the digital world can create unique experiences, helping Vietnamese culture not only to be preserved but also to be more widely spread globally. I believe that through digital platforms, virtual reality, and Blockchain technology… we can bring Vietnamese culture closer to the international community, helping people understand and experience the profound cultural values of the country.

Applying technology to cultural heritage not only helps preserve traditional values but also enriches the image of Vietnam in the eyes of international friends, while creating new opportunities for the tourism industry and creative cultural fields.

Especially with the young generation, including GenZ, who always adapt and accept new things, technology has a profound influence on this generation. Young people will be the bridge between generations and bring technology into life, helping cultural values spread more.

- What will be the future of the Phygital trend in Vietnam and globally, sir?

CEO Huy Nguyen: The Phygital trend will certainly continue to grow strongly in the future, not only in Vietnam but also globally. As digital technology becomes increasingly popular and essential in life, the combination of the physical and digital worlds will create seamless experiences for users.

We are witnessing the explosion of technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and AI applications, Blockchain… As I said, these technologies will be increasingly connected with real-world activities, expanding the capabilities and conveniences in everyday life.

Vietnam is accelerating digital transformation and has a young and creative workforce. Therefore, the Phygital trend will play an important role in developing areas such as education, healthcare, retail and entertainment. Globally, especially in developed countries, Phygital not only improves traditional industries but also creates completely new business models. This will change the way people interact with technology and will bring great opportunities for both businesses and individuals, while promoting creativity and innovation in many fields.

Young people should always keep their creative spirit and passion.

- General Secretary To Lam emphasized that the country is facing a great opportunity to develop strongly and enter a new era. What are your aspirations in bringing Vietnamese technology, especially from Phygital Labs, to the world?

CEO Huy Nguyen: Every startup has the aspiration to reach out to the world and we always want to bring Vietnamese technology to the world, not only to affirm the creativity and innovation of Vietnamese people, but also to create products and solutions that are truly useful for the global community. From Phygital Labs, we are developing technology products and services that can change the way people and businesses interact with the world around them, from the physical world to the digital world.

To make this aspiration a reality, I will continue to build a solid technology foundation, constantly innovate and cooperate with international partners, and promote the development of technology talents in Vietnam.

We believe that with determination, creativity and deep understanding of global needs and especially the policies of the Government and ministries to support startups to develop, at an appropriate time, Phygital Labs will announce this goal.

- What advantages and disadvantages do you see in the technology startup environment in Vietnam compared to Silicon Valley?

CEO Huy Nguyen: The technology startup environment in Vietnam has its own advantages and disadvantages when compared to Silicon Valley. One of the big advantages is that the Vietnamese market is in the process of strong digital transformation, with a rapid increase in demand for technology and innovation. Vietnamese people are increasingly open and ready to accept new technology products, especially in the fields of Fintech, Blockchain, Web3 and Phygital. This creates a great opportunity for startups to test and deploy ideas, turn ideas into products, commercialized products...

However, the major difficulty is the shortage of high-quality human resources and the lack of synchronization in the startup ecosystem. Despite the abundance of talent, compared to Silicon Valley, the resources and infrastructure for research and technology development in Vietnam are still modest.

(Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+)

In addition, investors and the market have been quite cautious recently, which sometimes creates a difficult environment for calling for investment. However, I believe that with the support of the government and domestic enterprises, the technology startup environment in Vietnam is increasingly improving in line with the world's standards, so in the coming time, many startups will develop strongly and reach international standards.

- As someone with both international experience and a good understanding of Vietnamese culture, how do you view the potential of technology talent in Vietnam?

CEO Huy Nguyen: Vietnam has a huge potential for technology talent, especially when viewed from the perspective of international experience combined with a deep understanding of domestic culture. A young, dynamic and eager-to-learn workforce is one of the important factors that helps Vietnam thrive in the technology industry. Young people today are not only proficient in programming and software development skills but also quickly grasp and master advanced technologies such as AI, Blockchain and Fintech.

To maximize this potential, we need to build a more supportive ecosystem for young talent. This includes improving the quality of education, promoting practical training programs, and most importantly, creating opportunities for young people to participate in highly applicable projects.

With the strong growth of startups and the rapid transformation of the economy, I believe that Vietnam will become an attractive place for technology talents and this has been proven when more and more people choose Vietnam to start a business.

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I believe that Vietnam will become an attractive place for technology talents.

CEO Huy Nguyen

- As a technology leader and entrepreneur, what advice do you have for young people or startups who want to start a business in the technology field?

CEO Huy Nguyen: My advice to young people and startups who want to start a business in the technology field is to be persistent and always focus on solving real problems. Technology can create great changes, but if it does not focus on the specific needs and problems of users, it will be difficult to succeed in the long term. Start from the smallest things, do not rush to follow the "trend" and forget the core goal of creating real value.

In startups, making wrong decisions or making wrong judgments is inevitable, but the important thing is that we learn from those mistakes. Look for opportunities to learn from those who have gone before, as well as build a strong and united team, because a startup cannot develop without cooperation and trust in each other in the team. Above all, always maintain a creative and passionate spirit, because only then can you overcome all difficulties and continue to move forward.

- Thank you for the chat!