Jensen Huang hails ‘birthday’ of Nvidia Vietnam as AI development milestone

"Today is the birthday of Nvidia Vietnam," Jensen Huang, its founder and CEO, said as he and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh witnessed an agreement between the company and the Vietnamese government Thursday.

"Nvidia will advance Vietnam’s AI by building AI infrastructure, growing the number of AI experts in Vietnam and supporting AI startups."

The company will set up AI research and development and data centers in the country.

Huang said Chinh’s visit in September last year to the company’s headquarters in the U.S. was part of a long process to build a partnership between Nvidia and Vietnam.

"He passionately convinced me that Vietnam should be Nvidia’s second home, and the people of Vietnam and the opportunities here are ideal for investment."

Now is the "perfect" time for Vietnam to build its future with AI as the global tech industry is being "reset" with the development of AI, he said.

AI learns from existing databases, and Vietnam needs to consider data its national resource, he said.

"Vietnam’s AI should be processed, built and operated in Vietnam for the people and industry of Vietnam."

To foster the AI industry, he outlined a three-part plan: building AI infrastructure, developing talent and supporting the startup ecosystem.

Many local software engineers with strengths in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) could benefit from specialized training at Nvidia’s R&D center, he said.

"I believe that, one day, when people talk about Vietnam, alongside its culture, people, food, and agriculture, they will also talk about a country that is advanced in technology."

Chinh said Vietnam and Nvidia’s collaboration, developed in just over a year, is a key milestone that demonstrates Huang’s strong determination and commitment to make Vietnam Nvidia’s "second home."

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung called the signing a "historic turning point for Vietnam," marking Nvidia’s new direction and which would turn the country into a leading AI research and development hub in Asia.

"The centers will not only play a key role in supporting AI research and application initiatives, promoting innovation and startups, but also create jobs."