Vietnam fast-tracks quantum, AI, and EV talent revolution

Vietnam’s government has positioned quantum technology as a strategic national priority under Resolution 57-NQ/TW, emphasizing a decisive shift from building mechanisms to creating tangible products and value in science and innovation. Central to this vision is the establishment of a national quantum centre designed to unify investment, research, and collaboration across state agencies, academia, and the private sector, thereby fostering a comprehensive ecosystem that integrates domestic capabilities with international resources.

International cooperation is a cornerstone of Vietnam’s strategy to master quantum technology, with partnerships involving Russia’s Rosatom and French companies like Quandela facilitating talent training, access to advanced infrastructure, joint research, and pilot applications. These collaborations aim to elevate Vietnam from a supporting role in quantum technology development to becoming a substantive bridge connecting Asia and the global quantum ecosystem, enabling Vietnamese researchers and enterprises to participate deeply in core technology innovation.

Recognizing that human capital is critical to strategic technology leadership, Vietnam is investing heavily in interdisciplinary training programs and talent attraction initiatives, including efforts to bring overseas Vietnamese scientists back home. However, as Associate Professor Lại Ngọc Điệp notes, competitive salaries alone are insufficient; robust research infrastructure and collaborative postgraduate programs modeled after successful international examples are essential to nurture specialized expertise aligned with national security and strategic autonomy goals.

To accelerate commercialization and broaden private sector engagement in quantum R&D, the government is adopting a flexible legal framework that moves away from traditional administrative controls. The introduction of sandbox models aims to create an enabling environment for startups and businesses to innovate rapidly, reflecting a pragmatic approach to integrating state-led initiatives with market-driven dynamics in the emerging quantum technology landscape.

Vietnam's ambitious AI talent program aims to train 50,000 individuals and cultivate 10,000 specialists by 2030, reflecting a national priority to close the significant skills gap where only 29.7% of workers have formal training despite rapid AI adoption. This urgency is underscored by the fact that 61.9% of jobs remain informal, necessitating educational reforms that integrate AI skills and promote continuous upskilling beyond traditional degrees to sustain workforce adaptability.

Vietnam leads ASEAN with 39% of its workforce qualifying as AI Frontier Professionals, more than double the global average, demonstrating a unique cultural approach where AI is leveraged to augment human creativity and analytical thinking rather than replace it. Nearly 90% of workers use AI outputs as a springboard for deeper insight, highlighting the country's emphasis on critical thinking and creativity as core competencies alongside technical expertise.

Strategic partnerships with global tech leaders like Nvidia are pivotal in scaling Vietnam’s AI education ecosystem, with plans to expand Nvidia’s Deep Learning Institute nationwide and support AI researchers and PhD candidates. This collaboration aligns with Vietnam’s national science and technology strategy, aiming to foster startups, research, and education through a joint action plan endorsed by Minister Vu Hai Quan, ensuring that AI talent development is integrated with innovation and digital transformation goals.

Vietnamese higher education institutions are undergoing transformative reforms to embed AI-related interdisciplinary content and ethical governance into curricula, supported by national policies such as Circular No. 54/2026/TT-BGDDT. Universities like the University of Social Sciences and Humanities have trained 80% of their lecturers in basic AI, promoting learner-centered teaching that fosters creativity and critical thinking while upholding principles of transparency, accountability, and data protection in AI research and education.

VinFast is strategically addressing critical skills gaps in the electric vehicle sector through a localization-driven manufacturing approach that spans Vietnam, India, and Indonesia, aiming to build resilient supply chains and support export growth. This global expansion is tightly integrated with workforce development, as evidenced by the company’s alignment with regional market demands and supply chain shifts toward Southeast Asia, highlighted by manufacturing hubs in India and Indonesia serving as export bases.

To bridge the EV talent gap, VinFast has forged deep partnerships with educational institutions, notably collaborating with VinUniversity since 2025 to advance battery technology and materials research while embedding hands-on training and internships into the curriculum. By 2026, the company extended this model to 19 Vietnamese universities, standardizing EV curricula and supplying authentic repair tools and diagnostic equipment, ensuring graduates are job-ready and prioritized for recruitment through outstanding internship performance.

VinFast’s workforce development transcends national borders, emphasizing local hiring and upskilling in overseas plants to sustain its global growth. For instance, at its Tamil Nadu facility in India, approximately 80% of 3,000 to 3,500 jobs are earmarked for local fresh graduates and trainees, supported by participation in Tamil Nadu’s Naan Mudhalvan skilling initiative, while in Indonesia, Vietnamese experts actively train local technicians, fostering a robust, localized talent pipeline.

By standardizing EV education and training across multiple institutions, VinFast creates a shared technical foundation that benefits automakers, academia, and students alike. Transportation researcher Nguyễn Văn Việt underscores this approach’s value, noting it aligns curricula with industry demands and provides students with direct access to quality career pathways, thereby enhancing the overall ecosystem’s responsiveness to evolving technological and workforce needs.