Nvidia said that it is collaborating with the Vietnamese government to open its first R&D centre in the country to develop and accelerate adoption of AI.
Nvidia said its new Vietnam Research and Development Center will capitalize on Vietnam’s talent pool of STEM engineers to develop AI software and platforms, which Nvidia and its partners will leverage to drive AI innovation.
According to a report from Bloomberg, the new R&D centre will utilise Viettel’s AI-ready data centre in Hanoi that was launched earlier this year. Viettel has been a member of Nvidia’s Partner Network since 2022.
Researchers and startups will have access to the centre’s infrastructure to develop AI applications for industries including healthcare, education, transportation and finance.
The new R&D centre will also engage with local industry leaders, startups, government agencies, universities and students to speed up AI adoption in Vietnam, said Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang.
“With our expertise in AI development, we will partner with a vibrant ecosystem of researchers, startups and enterprise organizations to build incredible AI right here in Vietnam,” Huang said in a statement.
The establishment of the R&D centre is Nvidia’s latest move to invest in Vietnam over the past eight years.
In April, Nvidia and Vietnamese technology giant FPT formed a partnership to establish AI factories for AI R&D in the region. Nvidia also said it is currently working with over 100 Vietnamese AI startups as part of its Inception start-up accelerator programme, as well as 65 universities in the country.
The Vietnamese government has been touting the country as a potential regional hotbed for AI development since 2021. Its national data strategy, which was approved in February 2024, is designed to serve as a foundation for domestic AI development. In April, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) proposed that the government approve a national strategy on AI research, development and application by 2030.
“The government of Vietnam is focused on innovation as one of the key elements of its development strategy,” said Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the launch event for Nvidia’s new R&D centre. “With this strategic partnership, the Vietnamese government and Nvidia are committed to jointly promoting the strong development of AI technology in Vietnam and creating a bright future for the innovation ecosystem and high-tech industry in Southeast Asia.”