Nguyen Thanh Nghi, Head of the Party Central Committee’s Policy and Strategy Commission, has called on Samsung to cooperate in training Vietnam’s future generation of high-quality engineers and experts in artificial intelligence and semiconductor technology.

The proposal was made during a working visit on May 14 to Samsung Vietnam’s Research and Development Center in Hanoi by a delegation from the Policy and Strategy Commission and the Steering Committee responsible for drafting the national project on “Renewing the country’s development model based on science and technology, innovation and digital transformation.”

The delegation was led by Politburo member and Party Central Committee Secretary Nguyen Thanh Nghi.

Strengthening cooperation in high-quality human resources

In his welcoming remarks, Na Ki Hong, General Director of Samsung Vietnam, said the Samsung R&D Center was inaugurated in December 2022 to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and South Korea.

The center was built with a total investment of USD 220 million and currently employs around 2,500 Vietnamese engineers.

Its research activities have expanded beyond mobile phone development to include laptops and 4G/5G telecommunications equipment.

The center is currently implementing cooperation programs with leading Vietnamese universities and specialized high schools in Hanoi, while also providing scholarships for outstanding students.

Na Ki Hong praised the Communist Party’s policies in science and technology and reaffirmed Samsung’s commitment to improving technological competitiveness, promoting the participation of Vietnamese businesses in global supply chains and supporting high-tech workforce training.

Speaking at the meeting, Nguyen Thanh Nghi said the Policy and Strategy Commission is currently coordinating with relevant agencies to finalize the national project on transforming Vietnam’s development model through science, technology, innovation and digital transformation for submission to the Party Central Committee.

One of the key pillars of the project, he said, is studying how Vietnam can transition toward a development model driven more heavily by knowledge, technology, innovation and highly skilled human resources.

Vietnam also aims to strengthen deeper linkages between domestic enterprises and the world’s leading technology corporations in order to integrate more deeply into global value chains.

According to Nguyen Thanh Nghi, Samsung’s decision to establish a large-scale R&D center in Hanoi carries significant importance, reflecting the corporation’s long-term commitment to Vietnam and demonstrating the increasingly substantive and effective economic partnership between Vietnam and South Korea.

The delegation highly valued Samsung Vietnam’s achievements, particularly in high-tech workforce development, research and development, technology transfer, innovation ecosystem support, creation of high-quality jobs for Vietnamese workers and contributions to economic growth, exports and structural transformation.

The delegation also expressed hope that Samsung Vietnam would continue working closely with the Policy and Strategy Commission and Vietnamese ministries to advise on sustainable policies for science and technology, innovation and digital transformation while strengthening cooperation in R&D and high-quality workforce development.

From quantity-based FDI to high-quality investment

In his concluding remarks, Nguyen Thanh Nghi stressed that Vietnam has consistently viewed the foreign direct investment sector as an important component of the national economy.

In the coming period, one of Vietnam’s major priorities in attracting foreign investment will be shifting from quantity-based FDI attraction toward high-quality investment centered on technological efficiency, innovation, added value and spillover effects.

At the same time, Vietnam encourages foreign corporations to expand research and development activities, transfer technology, deepen cooperation with local enterprises and help train high-quality human resources.

Photo caption: Nguyen Thanh Nghi, Head of the Party Central Committee’s Policy and Strategy Commission.

The Policy and Strategy Commission will continue reviewing recommendations during the policy drafting process to help Vietnam attract more effective and higher-quality FDI projects, he said.

Nguyen Thanh Nghi also urged Samsung to continue building a more complete technology ecosystem, expand research into core and leading-edge technologies and enhance the role and effectiveness of its R&D center.

Samsung was also encouraged to strengthen cooperation with Vietnamese universities, research institutes and technology firms, support local companies in integrating more deeply into Samsung’s supply chain and technology ecosystem, and coordinate in training Vietnam’s future AI and semiconductor workforce.

He said Samsung would continue to be one of Vietnam’s long-term strategic partners and play an important role in the country’s technology and innovation ecosystem in the years ahead.

Thu Hang