AI during the pandemic - Adapting to the new normal

Artificial Intelligence during the pandemic - Adapting to the new normal

The Artificial Intelligence Accelerator Challenge 2021 (AAC 2021) is hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology with the sponsorship and support of the Aus4Innovation Program and VSV Foundation.

Launched in February 2021 with the theme "Artificial Intelligence during the Pandemic – Adapting to the New Normal", AAC 2021 aimed to find, incubate, and develop applications of AI technology in diverse fields, including finance, commerce, electronics, telecommunications, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, education, transportation, and smart city.

Through the selection rounds, from 111 initial applications, 15 projects were selected for training and the five most outstanding projects were selected to undergo a 16-week customised boot camp to foster knowledge and experience in business operations for startups, perfect their business models, and improve their presentation skills to potential investors and customers.

At the Demo Day, the five startups had the opportunity to present their potential in front of a large community of investors, partners, and the startup community to raise capital and seek cooperation opportunities, including tMonitor, Movan, CyberPurify, MiSmart, and EM&AI.

Expressing his high regards for the programme, Vice Minister of Science and Technology Bui The Duy said, “The government is trying to implement many activities to cope with disruptions caused by COVID-19, in which innovation and application of advanced technologies have been defined as a key to increasing the resilience of businesses and the recovery of the economy. AI is one of the core technologies that may revolutionise many of Vietnam's key socioeconomic sectors such as health, education, business, finance, and agriculture.”

Bui The Duy, Vice Minister of Science and Technology

The ACC 2021 programme runs under the framework of the Australian government's support agenda through the Aus4Innovation Program with the goal of promoting AI to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic as well as to adapt to the new normal of Vietnam. Kim Wimbush, programme director of Aus4innovation, assessed: “We acknowledge and appreciate the effort by the Vietnamese government to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Through initiatives such as sponsoring and promoting innovative applications using AI, Australia has made a strong commitment to supporting Vietnam’s COVID-19 recovery both in the short and long term.”

"Although AI is complicated and still fairly new to Vietnam, the startups are helping Vietnam stay on the cutting edge of technology and innovation," said Huy Pham, investment director of VSV Foundation, "I'm pretty proud of these young entrepreneurs for their perseverance and commitment to innovation, especially during these unprecedented times. The pandemic has led to shifts in how we work and connect, and our start-ups are building the tools and services that will make work – and life – more efficient, interactive, and collaborative."

"AAC 2021 has brought new talent and energy to Vietnam's startup ecosystem. Building on this momentum, Demo Day is the chance for our fearless entrepreneurs to put their potential on display and show how they can contribute to the growth and success of the country," said Thang Tran, AAC 2021 programme director.