Google, in collaboration with the Vietnam National Innovation Center (NIC),  on July 11 launched "Build for the AI Future", a comprehensive initiative designed to accelerate Vietnam's advancement in AI.

Build for the AI Future launch ceremony. Photo: Google

Speaking at the launch, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Investment Tran Duy Dong said this initiative underscores MPI and Google's unwavering commitment to nurturing Vietnam's AI ecosystem.

"It seeks to advance AI-powered innovations among Vietnamese startups while equipping the local workforce with the necessary skills to capitalize on the opportunities of the AI era," he said.

This strategic initiative highlights the tech giant's dedication to assisting Vietnam's digital transformation and is in direct line with the country's National AI Strategy to 2030.

It focuses on two key pillars, including Build for Talent and Build for Startups. Each pillar addresses critical areas to strengthen Vietnam's human capital, nurture its burgeoning startup ecosystem, and strengthen the foundation for maximizing AI adoption.

"Build for Talent will award 40,000 scholarships for 10 courses from the Google Career Certificates program, including the latest AI Essentials course, to Vietnamese, among them officials, faculty and students from 80 universities and colleges, to equip them with the latest AI skills.

This program is an expansion of the existing initiative of the Google Career Certificates program, which was launched by Google and NIC in July 2022. To date, the program has empowered 60,000 local workers with critical digital skills.

Tran Duy Dong, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Investment speaks at the event.

"Recognizing the critical role local startups play in driving innovation and developing solutions, Google has been committed to fostering a robust startup ecosystem in Vietnam since its early days. This commitment is evidenced by a series of ongoing initiatives, such as the Google Launchpad Accelerator (2017 to 2019) and the Google for Startups Accelerator (2022 to present).

This year, Google for Startups Accelerator aims to further empower Vietnamese startups in the AI era with three key programs. Google AI Startups Masterclass is an eight-week online program that provides entrepreneurial skills to the broader startup ecosystem.

The "Google for Startups Accelerator Southeast Asia: Vietnam, AI-focused" program, supported by NIC, helps potential Vietnamese AI startups develop, commercialize, and scale their AI products into new markets by connecting them with Google's AI experts and technology.

Google Startup AI Space, a first-of-its-kind initiative,  grants  accepted startups up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits and free access to Google Cloud's AI infrastructure, platforms, and tools for up to three months to facilitate rapid prototyping and commercialization of AI applications.

Vu Quoc Huy, Director of the NIC, said the NIC has established a strong collaboration with Google to spearhead several initiatives that support and accelerate the growth of Vietnamese startups. In addition, the partnership has provided tens of thousands of scholarships to improve digital skills, with a particular focus on AI-related fields.

He added that the collaboration aims to strengthen Vietnam's startup ecosystem, cultivate a skilled IT workforce, and promote the widespread adoption of AI technologies in the country.

Marc Woo, Managing Director, Vietnam, Google Asia Pacific, said that Vietnam's digital economy is projected to grow an astounding 11 times by 2030, reaching a staggering $220 billion - nearly half of Vietnam's current GDP. And AI is one of the key drivers in delivering on this forecast.

"Together with NIC, we believe that 'Build for the AI Future' will be a strong launch pad for local Vietnamese talent, startups and enterprises, well leveraged with the best of Google AI products and solutions," he added.