FPT IS Chairman: “Innovation Stimulation – A Launch Pad for Enterprises to Go Global”
Recently, Mr. Tran Dang Hoa, Chairman of FPT IS, attended and delivered a speech at the Inno Vietnam – Japan Meet-up Vol.3. This event was jointly organized by JETRO, the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) in Vietnam, and the Vietnam Innovation Challenge (NIC).
The meeting aimed to launch a collection of case studies titled “Open Innovation Promotion – Cooperation between Vietnam and Japan” complied by JETRO in collaboration with the Tokyo Institute of Technology. FPT IS Chairman was one of eight leaders from top companies invited by JETRO to discuss the need for open innovation to create cooperation opportunities between the two countries.
In his presentation, “Open Innovation at FPT”, Mr. Hoa stated: “Vietnam is currently known as one of the countries with a dynamic innovation ecosystem worldwide. According to NIC’s Vietnam Innovation & Tech Investment Report 2024, throughout the period 2014-2023, more than USD 4.6 billion was invested in Vietnamese startups through 835 deals.”
FPT IS Chairman was one of 8 leaders of top companies invited by JETRO to deliver speech at the event.
Mr. Hoa added that, as a leading technology partner in Vietnam and the region, FPT Corporation has strived to embed a gene for creativity into each of its employees across three core aspects over the past 35 years. First, build an innovation culture and startups within the enterprise. FPT encourages employees to start businesses within the company, creating challenges and driving creativity in technology, which in turn acts as a trampoline for FPT’s globalization.
Second, develop an internal innovation program. For example, FPT established the iKhien Innovation Awards to recognize technology initiatives that can be applied in the workplace to boost both financial and governance efficiency. The Awards have provided a platform for creators to introduce, develop, and replicate their products, forming a network of people with the same passion and vision. To date, the iKhien program has generated over 7,000 innovative ideas throughout the company, leading to the launch of numerous technology products that have raised FPT’s labor productivity by 30%.
Finally, expand open innovation with external resources and build a talent pool through training. FPT has cooperated with schools and institutes globally to train students to become high-quality workforces and accelerate the innovation process. The company established the Quy Nhon AI Research and Development Center, and its subsidiary, FPT IS, built the Da Nang R&D Center to attract and nurture technology talents, aiding Vietnam in facilitating the substantial expansion of technology incubators.
Mr. Tran Dang Hoa, FPT IS Chairman, shared his thoughts at the event
Talking about FPT’s promotion of startups within the enterprise, FPT IS Chairman expressed: “Starting a business within the company is how we challenge and drive our employees to be more creative in technology. To bring a product from idea to reality, we provide a comprehensive support ecosystem, including processes, human resources, market and finance, allowing the team to focus primarily on product development (product fit), which is the top priority in the early stages. Up to now, FPT has released a “Made by FPT” ecosystem with more than 200 products and services catering to over 200 million end users. Various technology solutions have been introduced to address urgent market demands, such as semiconductor chips, the Carbon Accounting solution – VertZéro, and the Process Automation Solution – akaBot, among others.”
In the bilateral dialogue with JETRO representatives and enterprise leaders of the two countries, Mr. Hoa analyzed strategies to help international companies, including those from Japan, start a successful business in Vietnam. Specifically, as customer demands vary in each market, companies first need to learn and understand users’ problems. When enterprises put their major effort into tackling these issues and bringing real benefits to their customers, profits will follow. Mr. Hoa affirmed FPT IS’s commitment to partnering with Japanese businesses in identifying customer needs and building their development strategies in Vietnam based on FPT IS’s previous implementation experience in key areas.
FPT is committed to joining forces with Japanese businesses in identifying customer needs and building their development strategies in Vietnam
“In a booming digital economy landscape with paramount customer needs and problems, Vietnam has become a destination for global companies to realize their business strategies. This opens up a unique opportunity for Vietnam to accelerate innovation and develop technology product ecosystems to satisfy pressing market demands. On that journey, FPT is committed to cooperating with companies to co-create new solutions, leveraging technology to Co-create the Next with Vietnam, Japan, and the world,” said Mr. Hoa.
Previously, FPT IS collaborated with JETRO Vietnam in the “Inno Vietnam – Japan Fast Track Pitch” program, taking on the role of a Challenge Owner who defined challenges and evaluated initiatives from both countries’ 14 start-ups. For the challenge “Creating a cross-border carbon credit trading and management platform”, FPT IS awarded and promoted its cooperation with the winner, Faeger (a decarbonization-oriented agricultural development company in Japan). Through their combined effort, the two companies aim to foster the application of technology in agriculture and forestry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thus facilitating the green transformation process in Vietnam. The cooperation project between the two parties has also enhanced the efficiency of Japanese investment capital use in green transformation projects, ensuring sustainability in agriculture and forestry.
