Latest news with #JileiHou
Business Times
10-06-2025
- Business
- Business Times
US tech giant Qualcomm opens AI R&D centre in Vietnam
[HO CHI MINH CITY] Qualcomm on Tuesday (Jun 10) launched its artificial intelligence (AI) research and development (R&D) centre in Vietnam's capital, Hanoi. The US giant wants to develop the new facility as its third-largest R&D centre, behind those in India and Ireland, noted Jilei Hou, vice-president of engineering at Qualcomm Technologies, as he spoke with Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung earlier in April. The company has already operated an R&D centre in Hanoi since 2020, among a network of its multiple R&D operations outside of its headquarters in San Diego, California. The new centre aims to capitalise on the South-east Asian country's extensive talent pool to develop generative AI (GenAI) and agentic AI solutions applied to various sectors, including smartphones, personal computers, extended reality (XR) technologies, automobiles and Internet of Things (IoT). 'This also serves as a vivid testament to the deepening comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the US,' said Le Xuan Dinh, Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, during his appearance at the event on Tuesday morning. In April, Qualcomm finalised its acquisition of MovianAI, a GenAI subsidiary of Vietnam's private conglomerate Vingroup, for an undisclosed amount. Established in 2024, MovianAI is a former division of VinAI – another firm in the Vingroup ecosystem. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up Last December, US chipmaker Nvidia also announced its acquisition of Vingroup's affiliate firm VinBrain as well as its plan to open an R&D centre in Vietnam to bolster AI development, without providing details. These moves align with Vietnam's strategy to attract global giants to establish high-tech facilities and projects in the country. Its Investment Support Fund offers government subsidies covering up to 50 per cent of initial investment costs for the establishment of R&D centres focused on semiconductors and AI in Vietnam. Domestic conglomerates are also fuelling the AI race through the establishment of various new tech hubs. In March, Vietnam's home-grown tech champion, FPT Group, launched its R&D centre at the newly opened Software Park No 2 in the central city of Da Nang, with a focus on AI and semiconductors. The hub gathers 500 technology experts and aims to develop at least 10 new products each year for the software and telecommunications giant. On Jun 1, FPT's archrival, CMC Corporation, also broke ground on the CMC Creative Space in Hanoi – the second location in the chain after the first one in Ho Chi Minh City. The new US$300 million office complex is designed to become an open AI centre, encompassing a data centre, R&D space, training area and startup incubation zone for more than 5,000 technology engineers.
Forbes
02-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Vietnamese Billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong's VinGroup Sells AI Venture To Qualcomm
AI. Big data concept. 3D render getty Vingroup—controlled by billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong, Vietnam's wealthiest person—has sold its generative artificial intelligence (AI) division to U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm. Qualcomm has acquired MovianAI Artificial Intelligence Application and Research, the San Diego, California-based company said in a statement, without disclosing the amount. MovianAI is the former generative AI division of VinAI Application and Research JSC, part of Vingroup, Vietnam's largest conglomerate. 'By bringing in high-caliber talent from VinAI, we are strengthening our ability to deliver cutting-edge AI solutions that will benefit a wide range of industries and consumers,' said Jilei Hou, senior vice president of engineering at Qualcomm. This acquisition will help make Qualcomm 'the driving force behind the next wave of AI innovation.' VinAI founder and CEO Hung Bui, who previously worked at Google DeepMind, will join Qualcomm as part of the deal. He built VinAI's expertise in generative AI, machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing. Qualcomm said it has been building up its AI research and development capabilities internally to create advanced AI solutions for smartphones, computers, and vehicles. 'We are ready to contribute to Qualcomm's mission of making breakthroughs in fundamental AI research and scale them across industries,' Hung said. 'Our team's expertise in generative AI and machine learning will help accelerate the development of innovative solutions that can transform the way we live and work.' The U.S. tech giant said it's been working with the Vietnamese technology ecosystem in the past two decades to create and deliver innovative solutions. Its innovations in the areas of 5G, AI, Internet of Things and automotive helped boost Vietnam's information and communication technology industry and put Vietnamese companies globally. With a real-time net worth of $7.7 billion, Pham got his start from an instant noodles business he founded in Ukraine in 1993. He sold the business to Nestle in 2010, using the proceeds to start Vingroup, which has since grown to become a diversified conglomerate with interests in real estate, retail, healthcare, education, autos and technology.
