Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has agreed to increase funding for the Aus4Innovation (A4I) in Vietnam by USD 2.7 million, raising the total to USD 10.4 million for the period of 2017-2022.
A4I is a collaboration between Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and National Science Agency (CSIRO) and Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). Under this program, Australia and Vietnam together explores emerging areas of technology and digital transformation, trialing new models for partnerships between public and private sector institutions, and strengthening Vietnamese capability in digital foresight, scenario planning, commercialization, and innovation policies.
Originally open across all sectors, A4I has narrowed the focus in the first phase of work to two areas: future digital economy, and resilient agriculture and food systems. In 2020, MOST and DFAT agreed to plan for a second phase of work (to 2025) and to fund transitional initiatives in 2021 and 2022 that respond to Covid-19 recovery priorities. Artificial intelligence activities, under the future digital economy theme, were the first to be supported.
Some examples of key recent initiatives in the context of this program include the promotion of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the organization of the Vietnam AI Festival 2020, as well as the support to creative AI start-ups and to Vietnam’s AI Strategy. After 2022, a second phase of the program has already been confirmed, which will run until 2035.
(Sources: Hanoi Times; VN Express International)