Ministry of Finance to encourage AI and semiconductor R&D

Ministry of Finance to encourage AI and semiconductor R&D

Vietnam holds great potential for businesses from all over the world who wish to invest in the semiconductor and AI industries, according to Deputy Minister of Finance Nguyen Duc Tam.

As part of the wider 2025 International AI-Semiconductor Conference (AISC), a policy forum on Vietnam's strategy for semiconductors and AI took place at the National Innovation Centre's (NIC) Hoa Lac campus on March 14.

Deputy Minister of Finance Nguyen Duc Tam

Deputy Minister Tam said that Resolution No.57/NQ-TW set a goal of raising the technological capacity and innovation of Vietnamese companies to a level higher than the world average.

"Vietnam is now among the top three countries in Southeast Asia in terms of the research and development (R&D) of AI. We have become a centre for the development of the digital technology industry in the region," said Tam.

Several specific solutions have been implemented to entice investment and encourage the comprehensive development of the innovation ecosystem, such as the national strategies on R&D and application of AI, the strategy for developing the semiconductor industry, and Vietnam's semiconductor human resource development initiative.

"Therefore, in a short time, Vietnam has made impressive steps, being selected by the United States as one of the six countries participating in the Chips Act to develop the global semiconductor supply chain, attracting many large international technology corporations," Tam said.

The NIC has coordinated with research institutes, universities, and technology firms from all over the world, such as the University of Arizona, Siemens, Google, Meta, Samsung, and Nvidia to implement many specific initiatives to boost research in AI and semiconductors. Local corporations such as Viettel, Vingroup, and FPT are also implementing numerous relevant projects.

Tam declared that the Ministry of Finance will continue to seek the opinions of experts and collaborate with the relevant ministries and agencies to propose to the government the best way to utilise these two technologies in growing Vietnam's economy by the targeted 8 per cent or more.

"All partners in the semiconductor and AI ecosystem should work more closely to advance and enable Vietnam to become an important link in the global semiconductor and AI supply chain," he said.

The forum attracted the participation of more than 1,000 delegates, including leaders and senior technology experts from Nvidia, Meta, IBM, Google, Intel, MediaTek, Tokyo Electron, Panasonic, along with many more representatives from the US, China, South Korea, Japan, India, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

VIR