US chipmaker Nvidia proposed strengthening cooperation with Vietnam in four key areas during a recent working session between Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan and Vikram Rao, Nvidia Vice President and head of ASEAN.

Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan (R) receives Vikram Rao, Nvidia Vice President and head of ASEAN.

At the session, held to discuss collaboration between the two sides, the company suggested working with Vietnam to develop a Vietnamese-owned large language model (LLM), build AI infrastructure and GPU capacity, train workers and support start-ups, and connect the country's AI ecosystem with regional and global markets.

Nvidia said Vietnam has made significant progress in developing its AI ecosystem, with the participation of businesses, educational institutions and technology partners.

The firm is currently working with several Vietnamese companies, including FPT, Viettel and GreenNode, as well as other partners, to develop AI infrastructure and capabilities.

First, the firm proposed helping develop a Vietnamese-owned LLM. Nvidia said it was developing open-source models, including Nemotron, while providing tools, data and solutions to help countries build models tailored to their own data, languages and needs.

The two sides also discussed developing AI infrastructure and expanding GPU capacity.

According to the chipmaker, Vietnam currently has around 10,000-15,000 GPUs, while countries like the Republic of Korea have about 50,000-60,000 GPUs and plan to increase that figure to 200,000-250,000 over the next five years.

Nvidia recommended that Vietnam develop a national plan to expand AI computing capacity to serve Government agencies, businesses, universities and research and development activities.

Third, the tech firm proposed expanding its Deep Learning Institute in Vietnam, with a view to carrying out training on a national scale and integrating them more deeply into other programmes.

As for the start-up ecosystem, Nvidia described Vietnam as one of ASEAN's most dynamic start-up markets and expressed its interest in strengthening cooperation and supporting Vietnamese AI start-ups.

The two sides also discussed support for researchers, PhD candidates and students to participate in Nvidia's AI ecosystem.

Nvidia suggested connecting Vietnam's AI ecosystem with the global ecosystem, initially by helping Vietnamese AI products, businesses and capabilities gain a stronger foothold in the ASEAN market before expanding internationally.

Quan said the four proposals are in line with Vietnam's strategies and orientations for developing science and technology, innovation and digital transformation.

The minister asked relevant units under the ministry to work with Nvidia to translate the four areas into a joint action plan, clearly defining tasks, resources and implementation timelines.

The Nvidia representative welcomed the proposal and said the company was ready to work with the ministry to develop a plan with specific pillars, aiming to deliver early results for the two sides to review.

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