Rome (VNA) – Vietnam should leverage its global network of Vietnamese experts working at leading universities, research institutes and technology companies to make breakthroughs in the AI era, according to Assoc. Prof., Dr Nguyen Thanh Phuong of the Department of Information Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics (DISIM) at the University of L’Aquila in Italy.
Phuong told Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondent in Rome that Vietnam should develop a “borderless national intellectual network”, enabling Vietnamese professionals living abroad to contribute as visiting professors, strategic advisers, research leaders or co-directors of key laboratories. Such a model would help tap into global expertise without requiring specialists to return home permanently.
He noted that many scientists are motivated not only by income but also by the opportunity to contribute to Vietnam’s development and train future generations. This sense of purpose, he said, is a unique advantage that no other country can replicate.
Data is also becoming a strategic resource in the AI era. Phuong suggested Vietnam adopt a multi-layered data sovereignty model consisting of physical sovereignty for sensitive data stored on infrastructure located within Vietnam's territory, legal sovereignty to ensure Vietnamese control over access and use, and cryptographic sovereignty through domestic management of encryption keys. The key issue, he stressed, is not where servers are located but who controls the data.
Regarding participation in global technology value chains, Phuong warned against focusing solely on domestic products or imitating successful international technologies. Instead, Vietnam should concentrate on niche areas where it can develop core technologies and become an indispensable player. Potential fields include Southeast Asian data infrastructure, digital identity solutions, IoT cybersecurity and secure public data platforms.
On AI, he recommended prioritising applied AI rather than competing to develop large-scale foundation models such as GPT or Gemini. By building on advanced open-source models such as Llama, Mistral, Qwen and DeepSeek, Vietnam can create practical solutions for education, healthcare, agriculture, public administration and manufacturing.
Phuong also highlighted the potential of small language models (SLMs), which are less expensive, require lower computing power and can be deployed within enterprise or government systems, enhancing data security. Applications could include public service assistants, legal chatbots and support tools for schools and hospitals.
He further proposed an “AI + sector” strategy, integrating AI into areas where Vietnam already has strong data resources and market demand, including healthcare, education, agriculture, digital government and software development. These sectors, he noted, offer domestic firms advantages over global technology giants.
Another promising area is safe and trustworthy AI. As governments worldwide focus more on AI governance and risk management, demand for technologies that assess, monitor and ensure AI safety is expected to grow rapidly, creating opportunities for Vietnam to enter the market early.
To support these ambitions, Phuong stressed the need to strengthen links between universities, research institutes and businesses. He called for investment in shared infrastructure such as national GPU clusters, standardised open-data repositories and joint laboratories involving academia and technology enterprises.
According to Phuong, competitive advantage in the AI era does not necessarily come from having the largest financial resources or the most advanced technologies. Rather, it depends on identifying the right place in global value chains, making effective use of talent and data, and developing solutions that address real-world needs.
With a focused strategy and clear priorities, Vietnam can harness AI and digital technologies as new drivers of growth and enhance its national competitiveness in the years ahead, according to the expert./.
VNA
