Innovation forum in Singapore draws global Vietnamese talent to shape tech future
The Vietnam Global Innovation Connect Singapore 2025, themed “Connect – Converge – Create: Empowering the Future with Technology”, focuses on three strategic issues of semiconductors, AI, and financial technology.
Professor Vu Minh Khuong from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy shares insights at the forum. (Photo: VNA)
Singapore (VNA) – The Vietnam Global Innovation Connect Singapo🍰re 2025 kicked off in Singapore on February 20, bringing together some 100 Vietnamese experts and entrepreneurs from around the world to advance the nation’s technology development.
The three-day forum, jointly held by the Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts (AVSE Global) and the Vietnam Community Liaison Committee in Singapore (VNAS), centres on the theme “Connect – Converge – Create: Empowering the Future with Technology”. Discussions focus on three strategic issues of semiconductors, AI, and financial technology.
Prof. Nguyen Duc Khuong, AVSE Chairman, described the forum as an important event, helping connect Vietnamese intellectual networks globally to find ways to make breakthroughs in emerging technology sectors.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tran Phuoc Anh emphasised the forum's timing, as bilateral relations between Vietnam and Singapore are set to reach a new high, noting innovation would create the foundation for Vietnam's socio-economic development in the new era as outlined by Party General Secretary To Lam.
There are some 6 million overseas Vietnamese, a huge resource for national development, he underscored.
Professor Vu Minh Khuong from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy shared insights into Singapore's remarkable transformation from a third world to a first world nation, suggesting valuable lessons for Vietnam's development path. He highlighted Singapore is interested in Vietnam's development ambitions and anticipates Party chief To Lam's upcoming visit to the country.
Participants at the Vietnam Global Innovation Connect Singapore 2025 (Photo: VNA)
The forum also features discussions on emerging technologies, with An Binh Bank General Director Pham Duy Hieu, also Chairman of the Startup Vietnam Foundation (SVF), stressing the importance of creating an environment where creative seeds can germinate, and Mai Trong Thi, a Vietnamese expert in Singapore, emphasising the need to gather intellectuals for the nation’s technology development.
Several side activities at the Singapore Management University and networking sessions with the Vietnamese Student Association in Singapore are scheduled. Individuals who have made significant contributions to innovation and technology globally and in Vietnam will be also honoured.
AVSE Global, established in 2011 and headquartered in Paris, pioneers strategic consulting and executive training with members across 20 countries and a network of over 10,000 global experts./.
Party General Secretary To Lam chaired the inaugural meeting of the Central Steering Committee for Science, Technology, Innovation, and Digital Transformation in Hanoi on January 20.
President Vo Van Thuong joined representatives of intellectuals, scientists, and artists nationwide in a gathering held in Hanoi on February 29, stressing the importance of promoting their role in national construction and defence.
The course aims to promote knowledge exchange between scientific and educational schools from different countries, while deepening participants’ expertise in modern technology and technical education. It comprises two main specialisations of electronics-automation and nuclear technology.
ANTARA and VNA can design global-scale cooperation programmes or joint media campaigns, demonstrating the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Indonesia, as well as the cooperation between the two national news agencies.
As Vietnam’s digital transformation accelerates, both the frequency and severity of cyberattacks are growing. The National Cybersecurity Association (NCA) reported that in 2024 alone, there were some 659,000 separate cybersecurity incidents, impacting around 46.15% of government agencies and businesses.
A key highlight will be the technology cluster pavilion, showcasing top enterprises selected for their innovation, market potential, and practical applications. These firms will display flagship products and solutions, supported by government policies to strengthen the tech sector.
Since 2022, more than 500 Vietnamese startups have engaged in Google’s Startup Academy, Google for Startups Accelerator, and Google Startup Masterclass. Nearly 100 of these firms received support to develop and improve their products, benefiting more than 300,000 customers and creating over 300 new jobs through successful fundraising and team expansion amidst Vietnam’s competitive economy.
Over the past three decades, Binh Duong has cemented its status as one of Vietnam’s most dynamic industrial hubs, building a robust foundation in manufacturing, exports, and investment. The province now has 30 operational industrial parks spanning over 13,000 hectares, with an occupancy rate exceeding 90%.
The diplomat emphasised that Vietnam places the highest priority on the development of science, technology, and innovation, viewing them as critical drivers for the country’s advancement in the new development era.
The PM revealed Vietnam’s plan to develop nuclear power in the near future, and called on the Swedish side to assist Vietnam in developing and refining legal and policy frameworks for the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes; training and developing human resources; ensuring nuclear safety; and conducting training and drills to improve incident management capabilities.
More than an art showcase, the second “Technology with heart” contest seeks to inspire innovation and spotlight the humanistic values that technology can bring into daily life, expected to contribute to a sustainable digital future.
The average speed of the national mobile broadband network remained stable, with download speeds reaching 76.86 Mbps and upload speeds reaching 26.98 Mbps.
Under the MoU, AMD will support several key initiatives spearheaded by HCM City’s authorities, including piloting policies, co-hosting innovation events, and evaluating the investment environment within the Saigon Hi-Tech Park.
The centre is a joint initiative between Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology, with PTIT and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) serving as co-leads, and global telecommunications giant Nokia as founding industry partner.
The new centre, staffed by a team of scientists, researchers, and AI specialists working in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, forms part of Qualcomm’s global AI research group.
As a flagship initiative of the community project “Digital Literacy for All”, the programme forms part of a national scheme to equip 20 million young people with digital business skills.
The organisers hope the competition will help shape a generation of exceptional engineers who will make significant contributions to Vietnam’s scientific and technological progress in this era of transformation.
In the digital age and amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution, IP plays an increasingly critical role, not only in safeguarding inventions but also in reducing copyright infringement and curbing piracy.
Ambassador Nguyen Minh Vu laid stress on the significance of the Hanoi Convention, particularly to the Asia – Pacific, to handling legal gaps in international cooperation against rapidly increasing global cybercrime.
The week features a rich lineup of activities, including a plenary conference on blockchain and AI development, thematic seminars on future technology trends and investment visions, applications of blockchain and AI in business, the Super Vietnam PitchFest, as well as forums for blockchain and AI.
