During the Plug and Play Silicon Valley November Summit 2026 which was held from November 3–5, 2026, in Sunnyvale, California, USA, Plug and Play—a global innovation platform founded in Silicon Valley—along with the Saigon Innovation Hub (SIHUB) and the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), announced plans to establish the first AI Center of Excellence (AI COE) in Asia.
The center is expected to be located in Ho Chi Minh City.
This initiative follows the Memorandum of Understanding signed on September 30, 2026, in Ho Chi Minh City between SIHUB, UEH, and Plug and Play Singapore, aiming to establish a regular connection channel between the Ho Chi Minh City innovative startup ecosystem and Silicon Valley.
At this event, UEH officially joined Plug and Play's Global University Partner Network.
According to Associate Professor Bui Quang Hung, Director of UEH, Ho Chi Minh City serves as the country's economic center and a concentration of abundant human resources. UEH provides multidisciplinary education and research ranging from economics and management to technology and digital design.
The university is committed to maximizing resources to accompany SIHUB and Plug and Play in efficiently operating the AI COE model, creating the most favorable conditions for venture capital funds and international enterprises to carry out projects in Vietnam.
According to the announced cooperation orientation, SIHUB acts as the focal point connecting the city's innovative startup ecosystem, while UEH contributes multidisciplinary research, training foundations, and human resource development. Plug and Play brings enterprise connection capabilities, startup acceleration programs, and a global partner and investment fund network. This coordination is expected to form a linkage chain ranging from demand identification, research, and testing to application, fundraising, and market access.
The core focus of the units' cooperation orientation is connecting research and enterprises' AI application demand with startup acceleration programs, markets, and international capital, thereby promoting the transformation of technology into products, services, and practical business opportunities.
Ho Chi Minh City's promotion of cooperation with Plug and Play demonstrates the orientation of shifting from expanding the innovation network to enhancing application capacity, technology commercialization, and developing enterprises with international competitiveness. The effectiveness of the cooperation therefore lies not only in the number of agreements or focal points formed, but must be demonstrated through applied solutions, supported enterprises, and economic value generated for the city.
