Following the success in Hanoi, the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Semiconductors (AISC) 2025 continues to be held in Da Nang with the theme "Leadership in the AI era".
Da Nang, with its position as the economic center of the Central region and a developed technology ecosystem, was chosen as the next destination with the aim of becoming an important bridge between Vietnam and the world in the fields of AI and semiconductors.
The city is actively promoting international cooperation and attracting investment, with three main pillars: strong infrastructure, highly trained human resources, and synchronous investment incentive policies, aiming to become a comprehensive research and development center in this field.
Vietnam's economic picture in a volatile context
Technology sectors such as AI and semiconductors are expected to generate $85-95 billion in annual profits, according to McKinsey. The development of the semiconductor industry will not only create many high-quality jobs but also contribute to enhancing Vietnam's position in the global technology supply chain.
Therefore, experts say Vietnam is facing a "once in 4,000 years" opportunity if it can take advantage of available resources.
At the conference, Mr. Michael Kokalari (VinaCapital) presented Vietnam's economic prospects in a context of many fluctuations. He highly appreciated Vietnam's geopolitical advantages and commented that Vietnam is the only country following the development model of East Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
Mr. Michael Kokalari (VinaCapital) shares macroeconomic data in Vietnam (Photo: BTC).
Mr. Kokalari also pointed out a special advantage of Vietnam compared to other countries: foreign direct investment (FDI) capital flows account for a much higher proportion. While FDI in East Asian economies was previously only below 1% of GDP, in Vietnam, this figure fluctuates from 6-8% of GDP, creating a strong growth momentum for the export industry.
In addition, the US-China trade war and Washington's economic policies are reshaping the global supply chain.
Despite concerns about the possibility of Vietnam being affected by US tariffs, Mr. Michael Kokalari said that this is unlikely because of the strategic interests of both countries. Vietnam is not only an important link in the global supply chain but also benefits from the shift of production away from China.
To make the most of this opportunity, Vietnam needs a solid financial strategy. A “financial reinvestment” policy, in which capital from agriculture is reinvested in the manufacturing industry, will play a key role. Along with a strong wave of foreign investment, Vietnam is considered to have great potential to become one of the leading manufacturing centers in the region, following in the footsteps of the East Asian economic “tigers”, according to Mr. Kokalari.
New opportunities for Vietnam
The panel discussion between Dr. Christopher Nguyen (Founder, CEO of Aitomatic) and Ms. Ha Nguyen (McRock Capital Partner) focused on the topic "The Intersection of Industry and Digital: Challenges and Opportunities".
Industrial technology, especially the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT), was once considered a difficult and unattractive field for venture capitalists, the speakers said.
However, in recent years, large corporations such as Caterpillar and Cisco Systems have entered this market strongly through prominent mergers.
This success has made industrial technology one of the hottest sectors today. Large investment funds such as KKR and Vista Equity Partners are actively looking for opportunities in this industry and Vietnam could be the next destination.
The Vietnamese government is taking important steps to foster the startup ecosystem, including plans to invest in venture capital funds to support tech startups. Experts say learning from the Canadian model, where the government and the private sector jointly invest in funds to nurture startups, could be a strategic direction.
However, experts also warn that investment is not just a matter of pouring capital, but also building a sustainable ecosystem. This ecosystem requires a continuous flow of investment from both the government and the private sector, research support from universities to create breakthrough technologies, and the promotion of technology commercialization to turn innovative ideas into valuable products on the market.
"Success in technology investment does not come from luck, but is a process that lasts at least 10 years. Vietnam has a great opportunity to become an innovation center in industrial technology, but this requires close cooperation between the government, businesses and investors," CEO
The Impact of AI on the Workforce and Society
In the discussion session "Perspectives on the impact of AI on the workforce and society" moderated by Mr. Christopher Nguyen, experts from Stanford University and Google DeepMind (USA) presented many important perspectives.
Dr. Azalia Mirhoseini (Professor at Stanford University) emphasized that understanding how machine learning and AI algorithms work is an important foundation to exploit the potential of this technology.
She said there are now many online resources such as Coursera, DeepLearning.AI and YouTube that provide knowledge from world-leading experts, helping people to self-study and improve their technology skills to prepare for a career in the digital age.
Dr. Anna Goldie (Researcher at Google DeepMind) affirmed that one of Vietnam's important advantages is the spirit of hard work, creativity and ambition. She recognized the enthusiasm of the Vietnamese technology community through conversations with domestic experts.
In particular, Vietnam has the opportunity to make a leap forward by taking advantage of lessons from leading countries, avoiding mistakes and quickly applying AI to production and management.
Expert Ngan Vu (Google DeepMind) shares about the role of AI in logic synthesis, an important step in microchip design. By applying deep learning, her research team has optimized the chip design process, helping to improve performance and reduce energy consumption.
The success at the International Workshop on Logic Synthesis (IWPLS) demonstrated that this method can complement traditional techniques, opening up opportunities for widespread AI applications in the semiconductor industry.
Although initially challenging to convince hardware engineers, AI is now gradually becoming an essential tool to automate and optimize IC design, promising a new revolution in the global semiconductor industry.
In the discussion with the delegates, the experts emphasized the difference between executive function and labor function in human productivity.
Booth of InfraSen Thermal Imaging Core Technology Joint Stock Company (Photo: Quyet Thang).
While AI can take over many labor tasks, humans need to maintain a leadership role, using AI as a supporting tool rather than relying entirely on it. For example, in programming, AI can help with error checking and code optimization, but humans still need to direct and make important decisions.
However, experts also point to a decline in the quality of computer science education over the past 20 years, leading many programmers to focus on tools and forget about core foundations.
The proposed solution is to go back to the basics, helping students not only know how to use technology but also master it. According to experts, educating students to "become leaders" instead of relying on AI will determine success in the digital age.
The key to the future of AI technology
At the seminar "Semiconductor materials open the way for future AI", Ms. Nguyen Bich Yen - representative of Soitec Group and Dr. Christopher Nguyen discussed the role of advanced materials in improving the performance and scalability of AI.
In the context of the strong development of the semiconductor industry, Vietnam is considered to have the opportunity to become an important center thanks to innovation in materials, technology integration and chip performance optimization. Experts emphasize that instead of focusing only on materials, there is a need for an innovative approach to effectively integrate them into the AI and IoT ecosystem.
Ms. Nguyen Bich Yen said that optimizing energy consumption and increasing chip performance through advanced packaging methods is also an area of focus. As the trend of putting the entire data center on a chip becomes increasingly clear, Vietnam is considered to have the potential to participate in this field, taking advantage of its young workforce and experienced engineers.
Experts believe that with innovative thinking and creative approaches, Vietnam can make leaps and bounds in the microchip industry, competing with global giants.
Dantri.com.vn
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/cong-nghe/viet-nam-tiep-buoc-cac-con-ho-kinh-te-dong-a-nho-cong-nghe-20250317135128311.htm
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