Nvidia and the Vietnamese government will jointly set up an AI research and development center and an AI data center in the Southeast Asian country under an agreement signed Thursday.

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Nvidia also said it has acquired healthcare startup VinBrain, a unit of Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, but didn't provide the value of the deal.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said during a visit to Hanoi a year ago that the artificial intelligence chipmaker wanted to expand its partnerships with Vietnam's top tech firms and support the country in training talent for developing AI and digital infrastructure.

In April, Vietnamese tech firm FPT said it planned to build a $200 million artificial intelligence factory using Nvidia's graphic chip and software.

Thursday's agreement between Nvidia and the Vietnamese government was signed in Hanoi in the presence of Huang and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. They did not give financial details regarding the planned R&D center and data center.

Chinh said AI would boost growth and that Vietnam also wanted to use it to develop clean energy.

"We want to conquer not only AI, but also space and the ocean," Chinh said. "AI will turn the sun, the wind and the waves into clean energy for us."