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Vietnam Is Building the Capabilities to Move Up the Value Chain
Vietnam has become an increasingly important global manufacturing base. Recent developments suggest that its role is gradually broadening beyond production and assembly toward more advanced activities.
The latest signal comes from Apple, which recently launched its first Education Hub in partnership with Hanoi University of Science and Technology, making the country one of four markets with a physical Apple Education Hub globally. The center will provide training in smart manufacturing and automation, including robotics programming, operation and maintenance. Apple also plans to extend the curriculum across more than 30 supplier facilities nationwide.
This follows other moves earlier this year. In May, Qualcomm opened an R&D center in Hanoi focused on AI and system-on-chip development, with plans to expand into automotive technology and IoT and make the country its third-largest AI R&D hub globally. In January, ASML said it was exploring opportunities to establish a local presence, including cooperation on a semiconductor training and R&D center. Samsung has also added semiconductor training to its Innovation Campus program this year.
Taken together, these developments point to a more technology-intensive industrial ecosystem, with advanced technical functions gradually developing alongside traditional production.
The longer-term implication could be important. Physical capacity can be relocated relatively quickly, but skilled engineers, supplier know-how and technical expertise take years to build. As this base strengthens, it could anchor more complex activities locally and deepen Vietnam’s integration into global supply chains.
Original article from VNEpress
