Hanoi (VNA) - The National Innovation Centre (NIC) under the Minis🐈try of Pla🔴nning and Investment (MPI) on July 11 collaborated with Google to launch a comprehensive initiative to develop artificial intelligence (AI) in Vietnam.

The initiative focuses on two pillars – human resources development and startup ecosystem development. Accordingly, it will provide 40,000 scholarships with 10 training courses, including the newly-launched additional course - Google AI Essentials - to equip Vietnam's young generation with the latest AI skills. Beneficiaries include officials, lecturers and students of more than 80 universities and colleges across the country. Meanwhile, Google has committed to supporting the development of the startup ecosystem in Vietnam from the early stages, an effort that recognizes the importance of the entrepreneurial environment to spur business development. This commitment is demonstrated by a series of initiatives such as Google Launchpad Accelerator (from 2017 to 2019) and Google for Startups Accelerator (since 2022). This year, with the Google for Startups Accelerator, NIC aims to support and promote Vietnamese startups in the AI era through three main programmes, namely Google AI Startups Masterclass (an eight-week online course that equips the startup ecosystem with business knowledge), "Google for Startups Accelerator Southeast Asia: Breakthrough Innovation Vietnam", and Google Startup AI Space - the first global initiative to support AI startups by creating conditions for them to quickly create prototypes and commercialise AI applications. Speaking at the launch, MPI Deputy Minister Tran Duy Dong said the initiative reflects the strong commitment and support of the MPI and Google for promoting the AI ecosystem in Vietnam. It also marks a new chapter in Google's long-term commitment to assisting with Vietnam's digital transformation efforts. This initiative aims to help the country realise its national strategy for AI research, development and application until 2030, Dong said. Marc Woo, Managing Director of Google Vietnam, Google Asia Pacific, said that Vietnam's digital economy is expected to grow 11 times to reach 220 billion USD by 2030, equivalent to nearly half of the country's current GDP. AI is one of the key factors to realise the outlook. Together with NIC, the initiative will be a solid launch pad for domestic talents, startups and businesses, helping them take full advantage of Google’s best AI products and solutions, he said. Vietnam still faces a shortage of AI personnel and experts. It is estimated that there are currently only about 300 AI experts in Vietnam's workforce. This scarcity of manpower, along with the lack of access to high-quality AI training programs, further widens the gap between market demand and the supply of human resources. In addition to the shortage of talent, AI startups in Vietnam face other challenges, such as limited access to leading AI experts and advisors to evaluate and assess AI products that meet market needs. There is also a lack of access to infrastructure, platforms, and tools readily available for businesses, which are essential factors for the development, commercialisation, and scaling of their AI products./.