SK Partners with Vietnam to Build AI Ecosystem

SK Group is embarking on cooperation to build an artificial intelligence (AI) industry ecosystem in Vietnam. SK Innovation and SK Telecom have signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with the Vietnamese government of Nghe An Province and the National Innovation Center (NIC) respectively, for comprehensive cooperation related to AI. These agreements, under the directive to strengthen cooperation in future growth sectors, exemplify the concretization of private-sector collaboration in the AI and semiconductor fields, and are expected to become the first overseas expansion case for SK's 'Korean-style AI Full Stack' model.

SK Innovation and SK Telecom have signed an MOU with the Nghe An Provincial Government to jointly explore projects for building AI data centers (AI DC) and related infrastructure. SK Innovation plans to pursue power supply for the data centers in conjunction with the 'Quynh Lap LNG Power Project'.

SK Telecom and SK Innovation have signed a comprehensive cooperation MOU with Vietnam's National Innovation Center (NIC) to create an AI ecosystem. NIC is an agency fostered by the Vietnamese government for advanced technology development, leading the AI and semiconductor sectors. Both parties will collaborate in areas such as AI data center construction, energy infrastructure development, and the establishment of policy and institutional frameworks for nurturing the AI industry.

Leveraging its capabilities in AI DC development, construction, and operation, SK will concretize an AI data center cooperation model optimized for the Vietnamese market. SK Innovation explained that this Vietnamese collaboration represents the first instance of SK's 'AI Full Stack Provider' strategy, which consolidates SK's AI DC, power, and energy solution competencies, being pursued overseas.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won announced his vision to evolve SK into an AI Full Stack Provider. This strategy aims to implement an efficient AI infrastructure model based on SK's competitiveness across the entire AI industry value chain, including semiconductors, data centers, power and energy solutions, and AI services. SK possesses a portfolio of capabilities spanning the entire AI ecosystem, from energy to semiconductors, AI models, and applied services, and will contribute practically to the development of Vietnam's AI industry based on these strengths.

Attending the signing ceremony from the Korean side were SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, SK Innovation CEO Choo Hyung-wook, and SK Telecom CEO Rhee Jae-hwan. From the Vietnamese side, attendees included Nghe An Province Party Secretary Nguyen Khac Thanh, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee Chairman Vo Trong Hai, and National Innovation Center (NIC) Director Vu Quoc Huy.