Vietnam: A Shining Example in the R&D field
Vietnam is positioned as a next-generation workshop and a burgeoning market poised to evolve into an advanced research and development (R&D) center, according to an article published by the Dong-a Ilbo newspaper of the Republic of Korea (RoK).
The article highlights the presence of approximately 1,000 R&D professionals specializing in automotive electronics and electronic equipment at LG Electronics Vietnam’s R&D subsidiaries in Hanoi and the central city of Da Nang, with only six of them being of Korean descent.
In 2019, LG’s R&D workforce in Vietnam numbered 200, but by January 2023, a department with around 750 employees had been spun off into an independent unit.
The article attributes Vietnam’s growing R&D competitiveness to changes in government policies. The Vietnamese Government aims to move beyond the previous “Made in Vietnam” model, which relied heavily on outsourcing, and instead transform into a manufacturing center with indigenous technological capabilities. Efforts to promote the information and communications technology (ICT) sector have been intensified.
Domestic universities are now focusing on training engineers specializing in information technology (IT), further enhancing Vietnam’s R&D landscape.
In line with this trend, the R&D center of LG Electronics Vietnam is witnessing increased prominence. Vietnamese developers, primarily responsible for developing and testing basic electronic functions based on automaker directives, are now also involved in designing core functions.
Jeong Seung-min, director of LG Electronics Vietnam’s R&D center, emphasizes their responsibility for developing software related to LG’s automotive electrical and electronic equipment.
Initially capable of handling only 20% of the R&D process, LG’s research facilities in Vietnam now manage up to 60%, with expectations for further growth in the near future.
