Foreign enterprises contribute to promoting the Vietnam-US cooperation and relationship

December 2019, Head of the Party Central Committee's Economic Commission Nguyen Van Binh met with Mr. Alex Rogers, President, Qualcomm Technology Licensing and Global Affairs, Qualcomm Incorporated, to discuss the development of the science and technology industry.

While Vietnam has been exporting food products and textiles to the US market, the US, in turn, is the source of various high-level imports, including high-tech equipment, which is much in demand in Vietnam. As of June 2020, the US had 988 projects and total registered capital of more than $9.3 billion, covering 42/63 localities across Vietnam. Many well-known companies such as Citigroup, Qualcomm, Chevron, Ford, and Coca-Cola have a strong foothold in Vietnam. Notably, Qualcomm's investment and cooperation activities in Vietnam have played an important role in supporting economic and social development, especially in technology, helping to strengthen the Vietnam-US partnership further.

US tech giant’s contributions to the nation’s ICT industry development

Qualcomm has been working closely with Vietnamese enterprises to develop and deliver innovative, next-generation wireless technology solutions for many years as a world leader in wireless technology. With offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and a product test lab in Hanoi, Qualcomm plays an important role in the way people are connected and communicate in Vietnam. Qualcomm’s technology, products, and collaboration with Vietnam’s mobile network operators and equipment manufacturers have long supported the growth and success of the nation’s industry and economy.

Initiatives to help uplift Vietnam competitiveness, innovation, infrastructure, community

With the rise of digital transformation, which was further accelerated by COVID-19, in 2019, the company launched Qualcomm Vietnam Innovation Challenge (QVIC) to promote innovation and technological creativity among start-ups in Vietnam. This program fosters further development of Vietnam’s rising technology ecosystem by identifying and nurturing innovative small- and medium-sized companies designing products that enable cities, factories, consumer devices, and automobiles to be intelligently connected to the cloud 100% of the time utilizing Qualcomm mobile platforms and technologies. Qualcomm also offers shortlisted startups business training and engineering support at Qualcomm Vietnam’s Hanoi labs for product development, assistance in protecting intellectual property through guidance in filing patents, and financial grants to support incubation.

In 2020, Qualcomm joined Dariu Foundation to donate more than 900 “Always On – Always Connected” laptops to 23 schools in Tien Giang, Soc Trang, Hau Giang, Vinh Long, and Lam Dong. These computers are equipped with LTE (Long Term Evolution) cellular technology, which allows any time, anywhere connection to the Internet and greatly facilitates distance learning. This project is part of Qualcomm's 'Wireless Reach' program, which brings advanced wireless and low-power compute technologies to underserved communities worldwide. Initially, this program was deployed across Southern provinces. Still, the partnership is actively expanding its reach and including Northern provinces with the support from The Kind Heart Foundation, a Vingroup subsidiary.

Qualcomm also contributes to the development of women's empowerment in Vietnam. With help from the Developer Program, implemented in collaboration with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, women entrepreneurs across Vietnam can benefit from mobile learning tools and online mentoring support to overcome business challenges. The journey starts with the HerVenture mobile app, which provides free and flexible means for women entrepreneurs to receive essential business training and support to achieve next-level growth. To date, the HerVenture app has supported and empowered over 35,000 women to transform their small businesses into thriving, profitable, and sustainable enterprises, with the project being highly appreciated by the Vietnam Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., SonKim Land Corporation and Infinite Computer Solutions, Inc signed a collaboration agreement to bring comprehensive Internet of Things solutions to The 9 Stellars Project in the new Thu Duc City.

Empower local companies to create “Make in Vietnam” products

To further strengthen the firm's commitment to Vietnam and enable local enterprises to create “Make in Vietnam” products, Qualcomm has been working with local equipment manufacturers to help them develop, manufacture, and commercialize mobile devices and solutions for the market.

Qualcomm began collaborating with VinSmart in 2018 to leverage disruptive technologies in enriching Vietnamese people’s lives and contributing to the development of domestic industries. This cooperation enabled the launch of 3 domestically designed and produced smartphone models, including Vsmart Live 4 powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 mobile platform, Vsmart Joy 4 powered by Snapdragon 665, and Vsmar Aris powered by Snapdragon 730, which is also one of the world’s first smartphones with camera under-display (CUD).

Qualcomm also works with BKAV to develop and design IoT products, as shown in the commercial launch of the Bphone - Vietnam’s first domestically made smartphone; Bosch Healthcare in producing wearables with cellular connectivity; HomaTech to develop the first Designed in Vietnam Smart Home Hub solution using Qualcomm’s latest AI-powered chipsets; and more recently, SonKim Land Corporation and Infinite Computer Solutions to bring comprehensive Internet of Things solutions to The 9 Stellars Project, creating a luxury smart city in the new Thu Duc City.

Unlock the 5G mmWave ecosystem in Vietnam

As one of the fastest-growing economies globally, Vietnam is undergoing a major transformation, upgrading, diversifying, and digitizing its economy. By 2025, Vietnam’s digital economy is expected to reach USD 30B, provided it can complete its digital transformation. Therefore, government and industry have policies and plans to develop and deploy 5G mobile communications rapidly. 5G, including mmWave technologies, will positively impact industries from healthcare to education and from automotive to smart cities and factories. Importantly, all these developments contribute towards the Government’s policy objectives.

Qualcomm is committed to helping make mmWave an integral part of Vietnam’s 5G deployment. Our efforts have included working with the Vietnamese government as a 5G technology and policy resource, making technologies available to Vietnamese companies, providing technology training to network operators including Viettel, Mobifone, VNPT, as well as network design, optimization, and testing in support of 5G trials and deployment in both sub-6 and mmWave.

Qualcomm has helped create a synergy between Viettel’s connectivity platforms and Qualcomm’s hardware platforms, which form the backbone of the Viettel Innovation Lab. The Viettel Innovation Lab plays a crucial role in helping Vietnam develop and test solutions such as 5G-enabled devices, smartphones, Always On, Always Connected PCs, cameras, and wearables.

Qualcomm will continue working with Vietnamese partners to create and grow a robust mobile ecosystem, specifically for 5G networks, devices, and services, slated to launch commercially in Vietnam by the end of this year. This includes working with telco companies to ensure they have the proper infrastructure to deploy commercial 5G, including leverage mmWave technologies—the cornerstone in ensuring 5G is better than previous generations of cellular technology.

“For Vietnam to be able to take advantage of 5G fully, it needs the collaboration between both public and private stakeholders right from the start, and Qualcomm is ready to work with local stakeholders to create a 5G network that is truly comparable to those of other 5G pioneer countries,” said Mr. Thieu Phuong Nam, General Director of Qualcomm for Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

With positive contributions to Vietnam and strengths in technology, Qualcomm has demonstrated the enterprise's long-term commitment to create sustainable value for Vietnam and further promote the comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam-US, especially in the ICT industry.

Former US Ambassador Ted Osius: In US-Viet Nam relations, ‘nothing is impossible’! Former US Ambassador Ted Osius has shared some thoughts on Vice President Kamala Harris’ upcoming visit to Viet Nam and prospects of US-Viet Nam cooperation ...

Viet Nam has potential to boost exports to US Viet Nam and the US have huge potential to boost cooperation in trade and supply chains after COVID-19 is brought under control, which opens up ...