Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the inauguration of Samsung’s US$220-million Research and Development Center in Hanoi, its biggest research facility in Southeast Asia, on Friday morning.

Construction of the center, which is designed to have 16 floors and three basements, began in March 2020.

At the ceremony, Roh Tae Moon – CEO of Samsung Electronics – stated that the R&D center will help nurture Vietnam's IT talents and establish leading technologies, contributing to improving the country’s industrial competitiveness.

Considered a leading R&D center in Southeast Asia, the facility focuses on in-depth research on core technologies of mobile phones such as multimedia and security.

"We will take the lead in enhancing Vietnam's technological competitiveness by expanding training cooperation programs with universities in subjects such as artificial intelligence, big data, multimedia, and security,” Roh elaborated.

In his speech, PM Chinh hailed Samsung as the biggest Korean investor and also the biggest foreign investor in Vietnam with a total registered capital of nearly $20 billion, contributing to Vietnam’s export turnover, job creation, and budget revenues.

The launch of the R&D center in Hanoi is evidence of Samsung’s orientations and commitments to long-term operations in the country, he said, adding that it is also a good start to deliver its close-ended production chain in electricity and electronics in Vietnam.

The premier suggested that Samsung continue to expand investment and business activities in Vietnam and consider Vietnam its important and global strategic base in terms of production, research, and development of key products for the international market.

He also asked Samsung to step up specific cooperation activities in researching and linking with the network of Vietnamese experts and intellectuals so as to push forward technology projects.

The Vietnamese leader wished that the tech giant would quickly prepare necessary conditions for the early trial production of flip-chip ball grid array products, toward mass production at its factory in northern Thai Nguyen Province from July 2023.

During a reception for Samsung’s executive chairman Lee Jae Yong, who came to Vietnam for the inauguration of the R&D center, PM Chinh thanked Samsung for contributing to social welfare and the fight against COVID-19 in Vietnam.

He suggested that Samsung increase the local content of its products manufactured in Vietnam and reduce imports. 

Lee said Samsung will step up workforce training in Vietnam to help them meet global working requirements, as well as coordinate with Vietnam to further enhance the local content in both hardware and software products and recruit more Vietnamese workers.

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