Singapore, Vietnam expand tech and manufacturing ties

Mr Lam’s visit comes just over a year after Singapore-Vietnam ties were upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Singapore has remained Vietnam’s largest source of foreign direct investment inflows since 2020.

An MOU was signed between Singapore’s A*STAR Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre and Vietnamese industrial park developer Becamex IDC to establish the Vietnam Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.

Sitting within the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks ecosystem, the centre will provide a platform for companies in Vietnam to turn research into “tangible outcomes” for their industry by piloting and deploying advanced manufacturing solutions in real-world industrial settings, Dr Tan said.

Dr Tan noted both sides’ investment and commitment to their respective ecosystems. 

Under Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2030 plan, around S$37 billion (US$29 billion) will be invested over the next five years in areas including artificial intelligence, data, advanced manufacturing, and semiconductors, with a focus on translating research into real economic and societal outcomes.

Vietnam’s Politburo Resolution No 57 reflects a major national commitment to using science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation as key drivers of economic growth, he said.

“We are seeing strong momentum in Vietnam’s development of artificial intelligence capabilities, alongside efforts to build up its semiconductor ecosystem and advanced manufacturing base,” Dr Tan added.