Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently visited Thailand and Vietnam, continuing his commitment to the region. His visits to Southeast Asia are notable follow-ups from his 2023 trip, indicating significant progress in fulfilling Nvidia's promises to local governments and partners.
Nvidia summed up Huang's visit with the statement, "Thailand and Vietnam embrace Sovereign AI to drive economic growth," highlighting the global trend of governments recognizing the need to control computing power and AI technology. While Nvidia is crucial in providing AI infrastructure, local participation remains key.
In Bangkok, Thailand, Huang met with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and attended the Thailand AI Vision event held by AI startup SIAM.AI, Nvidia's first cloud partner in the country. The company's CEO, Ratanaphon Wongnapachant, is the nephew of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the current PM's father, underscoring close business-political ties. Huang emphasized that Thai data belongs to its people and endorsed an Nvidia DGX H200 system.
In Hanoi, Vietnam, Nvidia has made significant strides by announcing plans to launch an AI research and development center, marking Vietnam as a pivotal partner, dubbed Nvidia's "second home" by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
The launch reflects a commitment made a year earlier and was formally recognized during a ceremony attended by Pham and the Minister of Planning and Investment, Nguyen Chi Dung.
Collaborations with key local groups, including Viettel, a military-owned telecommunications firm, bolster Nvidia's presence in Vietnam. Viettel has long been a customer of Nvidia's tech and is set to engage deeply with the AI center as part of an existing memorandum of understanding focused on AI research and application. Another prominent partnership involves the telecommunications giant FPT, which will receive 127 Nvidia HGX H100 server units, as reported by the Business Times.
Beyond telecoms, Nvidia has expanded its influence by acquiring VinBrain, a Vietnamese AI startup specializing in healthcare innovations through AI and IoT. VinBrain, under the umbrella of Vingroup, Vietnam's largest conglomerate, exemplifies Nvidia's strategic investments in the region.
Vingroup has invested over US$126 million in VinBrain, highlighting its robust 49.7% ownership stake as of late September. These developments emphasize Nvidia's growing footprint and commitment to AI advancements in Vietnam.
In December 2023, Huang embarked on a tour of Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam, laying the groundwork for future collaborations. A year later, these initial commitments are bearing fruit, particularly with YTL Power's partnership with Nvidia on a data center project in Johor, Malaysia.
Although Huang did not revisit Malaysia, the data center's development is progressing, with a focus on sovereign AI, and has attracted the attention of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
YTL Power's managing director, Yeoh Seok Hong, disclosed that there are potential buyers for the data center's services. The Star reported that the facility is projected to reach a capacity of MW by the second quarter of 2025. Southeast Asian leaders have expressed enthusiasm over Huang's original visit, eager to utilize Nvidia's AI expertise to bolster their technological infrastructure and maintain competitiveness in the AI field.
