AICAP signed an agreement to purchase 1,000 robots with China’s Robot Industry Development Alliance and Aibrain during GRECO 2026 in late October. VnExpress reported growing Vietnamese interest in automation, alongside concerns about integration costs and the people needed to operate equipment.
An agreement rather than completed deployment
AICAP technology executive Vương Quan Trường said the mix of robot types and purchasing schedule would depend on customer requirements and trial results. The 1,000 figure therefore describes the agreement, not machines already installed.
VnExpress cited the International Federation of Robotics on more than five million industrial robots operating worldwide and 603,000 new installations in the previous year, up 11%. Market estimates for all production and service robots should be distinguished from estimates covering industrial robots alone.
Trường put an indicative complete robot station at US$30,000–80,000, with an estimated three-to-five-year payback depending on the application and operating conditions. These are attributed estimates, not guaranteed returns.
The work beyond buying hardware
The report’s total-cost discussion includes system design, software, site alterations, training, maintenance, replacement parts and disruption during installation. Trường warned that a low purchase price need not mean a low overall cost where integration or support is difficult.
CDRA representative Tang Zhisu advocated small trials on specific processes before expansion. The next concrete step for AICAP is to settle configurations and schedules against those trials. VnExpress also cited HUTECH’s Nguyễn Thanh Phương on cooperation between education and industry to develop staff who can design and integrate practical automation systems.