Standing member of the provincial Party Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of the Bac Ninh People's Committee (PPC) Mai Son met a Plug and Play delegation led by Mike Maceda, the company's Director of Partnerships and Open Innovation, on August 14 to discuss cooperation in developing the innovation ecosystem and studying the establishment of the centre.

An overview of the meeting.

Plug and Play, a global innovation platform and venture capital organisation headquartered in Silicon Valley, connects startups with major corporations, investment funds and governments to promote new technologies.

The proposed AI Centre of Excellence would focus on strategic technologies including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, robotics and clean energy.

Key activities would include assessing the local innovation ecosystem, developing a five-year roadmap for AI and innovation adoption, running accelerator programmes, helping businesses access markets, connecting them with international experts and investors, and training human resources.

Standing Vice Chairman of the Bac Ninh People's Committee Mai Son speaks at the meeting.

Plug and Play proposed working with Bac Ninh to assess the province's innovation ecosystem, identify priority sectors and develop a detailed cooperation plan and roadmap.

It also plans to connect local businesses, universities, research institutions and investment funds to an open innovation ecosystem.

The initial areas identified for cooperation include semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, robotics and energy.

The PPC Standing Vice Chairman Mai Son said Bac Ninh regarded science, technology and innovation as key drivers of development and had achieved positive results in the sector, with several indicators ranking among the country's highest.

He welcomed the proposal to establish the AI centre, saying it was well aligned with Bac Ninh's strengths in electronics manufacturing, its business ecosystem and its plans to develop the semiconductor and high-tech industries.

Standing Vice Chairman of the Bac Ninh Provincial People's Committee Mai Son presents Dong Ho folk paintings to Plug and Play leaders.

He asked Plug and Play to prepare a detailed proposal covering the centre's model, implementation roadmap, support requirements, operating mechanism and resource mobilisation.

Bac Ninh pledged to facilitate Plug and Play's survey and establishment of the centre in the province, while connecting startups, foreign-invested enterprises and domestic companies to promote AI-based solutions to practical business needs.

The provincial People's Committee Office was tasked with coordinating with relevant departments and serving as the focal point for cooperation with Plug and Play during the research, development and implementation of the partnership.

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