At the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan on October 2, a roundtable discussion was held under the theme: “Cooperation between Government - Scientists - Enterprises: Promoting Strategic Technology R&D – Specialized Chips.”

The event was co-hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, FPT Corporation, and the Vietnam Association for Digital Transformation in Japan (VADX).

It served as the kickoff for the “V-S.T.I.D Connection Platform” initiative, a joint effort by the Embassy and FPT to link Vietnamese intelligence at home and abroad, support research and innovation projects, and drive digital transformation in service of Vietnam’s socio-economic development.

In the opening remarks, a representative from the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam outlined strategic technology directions and called on scientists and businesses to participate in key R&D projects, emphasizing the importance of specialized chips in both security and the digital economy.

Professor Pham Nam Hai from the Tokyo University of Science introduced the SOT-MRAM Edge AI chip project, presenting opportunities for international cooperation in developing strategic chips for Vietnam.

During the roundtable, Nguyen Vinh Quang shared FPT’s vision to develop a specialized chip named “Bonsai AI.”

This chip concept reflects a philosophy focused on compact design and optimized performance, targeting niche markets with high technological value. Each AI chip, he said, is like a bonsai tree - meticulously crafted to suit specific purposes.

After three years in operation, FPT Semiconductor has successfully designed various power management ICs (PMICs), which are currently being used in personal electronics, household appliances, smart home systems, and intelligent medical devices.

Looking forward, the company aims to develop SoC (System-on-Chip) products with AI-on-Edge capabilities for promising sectors such as:

IoT (e.g., FPT Camera with integrated AI chips)
Healthcare (e.g., AI algorithms on continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices)
Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries (e.g., smart sensors for shrimp farming, environmental monitoring of soil and water)

At the conclusion of the roundtable, participants discussed a key question: What strategic products and sectors should specialized chips be developed for?

All attendees agreed that the “three-house model” – Government, Scientists, and Enterprises – is essential for success.

The Government plays a guiding role in policy and resource support. Scientists lead the charge in research and technological mastery. Enterprises implement and commercialize the outcomes.

The discussion laid the groundwork for deeper, more effective cooperation among the three pillars and reaffirmed that specialized chips are a strategic technology that will play a crucial role in national development in the new era.

Thai Khang