Turning technology into production capability
At an APEC workshop on artificial-intelligence management held on October 19-20, Industry and Trade Ministry official Phạm Văn Quân argued that AI should be judged by its contribution to productivity, product quality and business value rather than simply the number of models or applications developed.
The presentation linked practical AI adoption to Vietnam's growth ambitions and industrial autonomy. Examples included visual quality inspection, predictive equipment maintenance, production scheduling, energy management, mineral analysis and logistics planning. These were potential applications, not evidence that every Vietnamese factory already uses them.
A 2025 AWS and Strand Partners survey cited in the presentation found AI adoption among about 18% of businesses in its sample, mostly at a basic level. That sample result should not be generalised into a verified share of all Vietnamese enterprises.
Support and risk-based governance
Quân described industrial autonomy as the ability to select, integrate, operate and improve important technology, rather than developing every component independently. Smaller firms could begin with specific existing production processes instead of replacing an entire factory.
Recommendations included readiness assessments covering strategy, workforce, data and implementation capacity; shared technical centres; targeted support linked to industrial programmes; and retraining workers. Suggested outcome measures included labour productivity, defect rates, energy costs, downtime and domestic value added.
The presentation also favoured risk-based governance, stronger controls where safety and rights are affected, and simpler compliance for lower-risk uses. These are conference proposals and professional analysis. They should not be presented as newly enacted compulsory duties for all businesses.