Artificial intelligence has become a strategic priority for countries around the world. Vietnam has also unveiled an ambitious national AI strategy. From your perspective, what opportunities does Vietnam have in this global race?

Tan Aik Hoon: Vietnam has several fundamental strengths that position it well in the AI era, including a young workforce with strong digital skills, a rapidly expanding technology ecosystem, established capabilities in manufacturing and electronics, and clear government support for digital transformation.

However, the greatest opportunity lies not only in developing AI technologies but also in applying AI to solve real-world challenges.

Artificial intelligence can help Vietnam improve manufacturing productivity, modernize infrastructure and accelerate innovation across sectors such as electronics, logistics and smart cities.

We have also observed strong momentum in Vietnam's smart city and smart home initiatives.

Across both the public and private sectors, organizations are developing AI, connectivity and automation solutions to improve urban living, optimize infrastructure management and enhance energy efficiency.

This reflects an increasingly practical approach to AI adoption while creating new opportunities for innovation nationwide.

Globally, the shift from experimentation to implementation is becoming increasingly evident. According to Avnet's latest survey, 56% of engineers worldwide have already brought AI-enabled products to market, a significant increase from the previous year, suggesting AI is rapidly becoming a business tool rather than simply an experimental technology.

Against this backdrop, Vietnam is well positioned to accelerate applied AI, transforming technological capability into measurable business outcomes while leveraging partnerships to scale deployment more effectively.

Many countries are competing to become regional AI hubs. Do you believe Vietnam has the potential to become one? If so, what conditions would be necessary?

Tan Aik Hoon: Vietnam has the potential to become an important AI hub in Southeast Asia, particularly in applied AI and industrial AI.

The country benefits from a growing engineering talent pool, stable foreign direct investment and close collaboration among government, academia and industry.

Its role as a major manufacturing base also gives Vietnam an advantage in deploying AI at scale within real production environments.

To realize that potential, Vietnam should continue investing in digital infrastructure, develop more specialized AI skills and strengthen cross-sector collaboration.

Equally important is improving access to suitable technologies and system integration capabilities so businesses can move beyond pilot projects to large-scale implementation.

In this context, Avnet serves as a bridge between customers and global technology providers, offering engineering support and validated solutions that help accelerate practical AI deployment.

How do you assess Vietnam's position in the global AI landscape? What advantages could help the country accelerate over the next five years?

Tan Aik Hoon: Vietnam is emerging as one of Southeast Asia's most dynamic AI adoption markets, particularly in areas where AI intersects with manufacturing and embedded systems.

The country possesses several important advantages, including a rapidly growing digital economy, an expanding engineering workforce and a well-established position within the global electronics manufacturing supply chain.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into devices, production lines and industrial systems, these strengths will become even more strategically valuable.

According to Avnet's research, widely adopted AI applications - including process automation, predictive maintenance and defect detection - align closely with Vietnam's industrial capabilities and can deliver measurable productivity improvements.

Over the next five years, Vietnam has an opportunity to advance by integrating AI more deeply into manufacturing and electronics, increasing value creation while strengthening its role in global supply chains.

You have suggested that Vietnam is moving from AI experimentation toward real-world deployment. What are the clearest signs of this transition?

Tan Aik Hoon: The clearest indicator is the way organizations now evaluate AI.

The focus is shifting away from simply testing AI capabilities toward measurable business outcomes such as higher operational efficiency, lower costs and improved product performance.

Globally, this trend is reflected in Avnet's survey, which shows that most engineers have already deployed AI in production environments.

At the same time, the growing convergence of edge computing and AI is enabling devices and systems to process information and respond intelligently in real time.

In Vietnam, this transition is reflected in rising interest in Edge AI, industrial automation and intelligent systems.

Organizations are no longer looking for standalone technologies; instead, they increasingly seek integrated solutions combining hardware, software and connectivity.

This suggests the market is entering a more mature phase, moving from experimentation toward large-scale deployment and practical business outcomes.

Vietnam has identified AI as one of its new growth drivers under Resolution 57. How could policies like this influence investment decisions by international technology companies?

Tan Aik Hoon: When the Vietnamese government demonstrates a long-term commitment to digital infrastructure, innovation and talent development, international technology companies gain greater confidence to invest in long-term partnerships and local operations.

Policies such as Resolution 57 also strengthen the broader technology ecosystem by encouraging collaboration among businesses, research institutions and technology providers.

That is particularly important for AI because success depends on bringing together multiple capabilities, including technology, data, infrastructure and real-world implementation.

For global companies such as Avnet, this environment creates additional opportunities to support customers in Vietnam through solution design, supply chain capabilities and ecosystem partnerships, helping accelerate practical AI adoption.

Recently, Vietnam hosted Edge & Beyond Tech Days 2026, bringing together engineers, developers, technology partners and customers to exchange ideas on practical AI applications, with a focus on edge computing, industrial automation, robotics and intelligent systems.

Through the event, we aim to help organizations bridge the gap between ideas and implementation by connecting them with the technologies, engineering expertise and partner ecosystem needed to scale AI deployment more effectively across Vietnam.

Thai Khang