On August 19, 2025, Viettel held a groundbreaking ceremony for two key projects: the Viettel Research and Development Center in Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park and the Data Center in An Khanh Industrial Zone.

Speaking at the event, Thang said 15 years ago, Viettel embarked on a research and development strategy, aiming to master core technologies with speed and resolve, from design to production and operation.

To date, Viettel has established a high-tech industry with two focal points: national defense and telecommunications, mastering over 40 product lines across 10 equipment and weapon categories.

Thang noted that having invested in six research and production facilities, the current infrastructure still falls short of increasingly urgent demands. Viettel needs a large-scale center to accelerate the research of national strategic technologies assigned in the coming period.

The Viettel Research and Development Center in Hoa Lac is a critical piece of Viettel's overall research and development infrastructure.

The center will serve the research and development of military, civilian, and dual-use products, implementing Viettel's strategy for high-tech industrial research and production and its national defense and security missions, aligned with the Party, State, and Ministry of Defense’s guidelines.

Specifically, Viettel will focus on military and high-tech industry research, mastering technologies for manufacturing missiles, cruise engines, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), remote-sensing satellites, radar, and other military equipment suited to national defense needs.

Additionally, Viettel will advance digital technology research, applying technologies such as Big Data, AI, and cloud computing to develop devices, software, solutions, platforms, and services that meet market demands and align with global technology trends.

Tao Duc Thang emphasized Viettel’s mission to become a global technology group with the goals of pioneering in mastering national strategic technologies and industries, strengthening international cooperation, and leading the research and production of advanced, modern weapons and technical equipment. Viettel sees this as the most critical driver to scale up, accelerate operations, and deliver results quickly.

“Viettel has set out to master 9 out of 11 national strategic technologies, including AI, semiconductors, cloud, cybersecurity, 5G/6G, humanoid robots, aerospace, blockchain, and new materials. 

With such an immense workload, the group is mobilizing all resources and urgently building multiple facilities nationwide. In Viettel’s journey to master core technology, there is no room for hesitation or compromise. Viettel has only one path: reaching the finish with the fastest speed, highest quality, and utmost responsibility,” Thang said.

Speaking at the event, Chau Van Minh, President of the Vietnam Academy of Science, highlighted that the center will bring together 2,500 scientists nationwide. He described the projects as joint undertakings of the entire Vietnamese scientific community. 

The academy stands ready to share resources with Viettel, train scientists, and form a network of scientists, creating opportunities for them to serve the nation.

The Viettel R&D Center project, with an investment of VND10,000 billion on a 13ha site in the Hoa Lac High-Tech Park, includes six smart buildings and is expected to be completed by 2030. It will be a key, self-contained center for the entire research, design, testing, and production process of high-tech Made in Vietnam products.

The center is projected to attract 2,500 high-quality personnel, meeting the requirements and guidelines of the Party, State, and Ministry of Defense for researching and producing military equipment, modernizing the armed forces, and enhancing national defense capabilities in the new context.

The An Khanh Data Center, built on a 1.9ha site with a total investment of VND17,500 billion and a designed capacity of 60MW, aims to become the largest data center in northern Vietnam. It will be a critical infrastructure, supporting government digital transformation, Ministry of Defense initiatives, large enterprises, and national-scale AI deployment.

Prior to that, Viettel stated that it is developing dual-use UAV) to establish a low-altitude economic ecosystem. This ecosystem utilizes low-altitude flying devices, including unmanned drones and potential manned vehicles, serving both economic and defense purposes.

At the Vietnam International Defense Expo 2024, Viettel showcased over 80 high-tech defense industry products, with standout items being UAV models entirely designed and manufactured in Vietnam.

Viettel also stated that post-5G and 6G mobile network technologies are among the top-priority strategic technologies for its investment.

Thai Khang