The forum was jointly organized by Vietnam's Ministry of Finance, Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE), and the Embassy of Vietnam in South Korea to mark the state visit of General Secretary Tô Lâm. The event was attended by General Secretary Tô Lâm, South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min Seok, high-ranking delegations from both nations, and nearly 600 delegates from the Vietnamese and Korean business communities.

Photo 1: General Secretary To Lam delivering remarks at the Vietnam – Korea Economic Forum

Under the witness of senior leaders, ministries from both countries and the Vietnam – Korea business community, CMC and Samsung C&T signed an MOU to cooperate in developing CMC’s Hyperscale Data Center project in Ho Chi Minh City (CMC Hyperscale DC) — the “AI Heart” of the city. Phase 1 of the project will have a capacity of 30 MW with a total investment of USD 250 million, and subsequent phases will exceed 100 MW, bringing the total investment to approximately USD 1 billion.

Accordingly, Samsung C&T will:

• Invest in and implement CMC’s Hyperscale Data Center project in Ho Chi Minh City’s High-Tech Park, meeting international standards for technology and information security.
• Develop a long-term cooperation model applying environmentally friendly technologies to CMC’s data center ecosystem.
• Share expertise, technology, and its global partner network to ensure the project’s timely completion and optimal performance.

Photo 2: MOU handover ceremony between CMC Technology Group and Samsung C&T in the presence of General Secretary Tô Lâm and South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min Seok

Samsung C&T – A Global Strategic Partner

Samsung C&T is one of the core companies of the Samsung Group, with a history spanning more than 87 years, currently operating in over 50 countries. The company is renowned for its infrastructure, data center, and renewable energy projects, as well as its ability to execute iconic developments such as the Burj Khalifa (Dubai) and Marina Bay Sands (Singapore). In the technology sector, Samsung C&T is expanding aggressively into digital infrastructure, green energy, and next generation data centers.

CMC Hyperscale DC – The “AI Heart” of Ho Chi Minh City

CMC envisions the project as the “AI Heart” of Ho Chi Minh City, aiming to become one of the region’s leading hubs for large scale data storage, processing, and analytics. With an initial scale and capacity of 30 MW, the center can be expanded to 120 MW, meeting international Uptime Tier III+ and Tier IV operational standards.

The facility will integrate advanced technologies, including AI-as-a-Service, Cloud Infrastructure, Big Data, Cybersecurity, and apply XGS-PON, SD-WAN, SASE, and 800G DWDM technologies for ultra-high bandwidth and ultra-low latency. A Digital Twin system will be used to simulate and optimize operations in real time.

With a green data center philosophy embedded from the design stage, CMC Hyperscale DC is expected to meet Vietnam’s and ASEAN’s AI, cloud computing, and big data infrastructure needs, attracting technology corporations, AI startups, and international R&D centers.

Photo 3: Rendering of CMC’s Hyperscale Data Center project in Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park

Making Vietnam a Regional Data and AI Hub

Speaking at the forum, Mr. Nguyễn Trung Chính – Chairman/Executive Chairman of CMC Corporation – affirmed:

“The cooperation with Samsung C&T is not only significant in terms of technology and investment, but also marks a strategic milestone in CMC’s AI-X and Go Global journey. This will be a leading digital infrastructure project in terms of scale and standards in the region, directly contributing to making Vietnam a data and AI hub in the Asia-Pacific.”

This agreement not only allows CMC to tap into the global network of Samsung C&T but also helps attract international capital, advanced technologies, and high-quality human resources to Vietnam. In the long term, it will be a key digital infrastructure pillar supporting Vietnam’s digital transformation, knowledge economy development, and national competitiveness in the AI era.

In addition, CMC signed 14 other MOUs with 3 technology enterprises and 11 leading South Korean universities and educational institutions in AI, GDC (Global Delivery Center), Hyperscale DC, AI services, and talent training. These agreements reaffirm CMC’s technology capabilities and global delivery experience while opening up deep cooperation opportunities between Vietnam and South Korea in the strategic tech sectors of both countries.

CMC – CoAsia Semi Korea Corporation: Cooperation in AI chip design and semiconductor training labs.

CMC – Kaon Group Company Limited: Joint AI-based development and strategic GDC partnership between Kaon Group and CMC Global.

CMC – Tmaxsoft: Cooperation in AI services and Hyperscale Data Centers.

CMC University – Busan University of Foreign Studies: Student exchange, joint international training programs, research and teaching collaboration, and dual-startup model promotion.

CMC University – Pukyong National University: Cooperation in human resources, joint training programs, academic exchange, research, and events.

CMC University – Gwangju University: Cooperation in tech-startup education, experience sharing, joint job creation programs, talent exchange, networking, and global market expansion support.

CMC University – International Coach Training Institute: Joint training programs, information exchange, workshops, talent exchange, and international training support.

CMC University – Konyang Cyber University: Global education network development, academic exchange, online and offline education support, and shared resources.

CMC University – Korea Nazarene University: Support for faculty and students in research, internships, volunteering; joint scientific publications; and development projects.

CMC University – Visang Education: Cooperation in operating smart Korean-language classrooms.

CMC University – Kangwon National University: Faculty, staff, and student exchanges; academic events; short-term courses; and teaching innovation exchange.

CMC University – Mokpo National University: Faculty exchange, joint research, and resource sharing.

CMC University – Dongseo University: Credit recognition; scholarships for Korean language students; research collaboration; workshops; and short courses.

CMC University – Seoul University of Foreign Studies: Faculty and staff exchange in translation and interpreting training; international academic event cooperation; joint research implementation.