Phu Tho Promotes the Application of AI in Labor and Production

As part of its economic transformation strategy, Phu Tho Province is gradually integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into manufacturing, business management, and workforce development. From high-tech factories and automated production lines to small and medium-sized enterprises applying AI in business operations, the province is building a new foundation for a digitally skilled workforce capable of meeting the demands of a modern economy.

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AI Paves the Way for a High-Tech Workforce Transformation

Artificial intelligence is transforming the way people produce, manage, and make decisions. While competitive advantages once relied primarily on capital, low-cost labor, and production scale, productivity, data, and technological capability have become the key drivers of success in the new era.

In Phu Tho, strategies for science and technology development, innovation, and digital transformation are closely linked to improving the quality of economic growth. The application of AI is viewed not merely as the adoption of a new tool but as a process of restructuring operations, enhancing labor productivity, and creating higher value-added jobs.

One clear indicator of this transformation is the province’s success in attracting high-tech industrial projects, laying the foundation for a modern manufacturing ecosystem. Recently, Japan’s Meiko Group broke ground on the Meiko Yen Quang Electronics Manufacturing Plant in Yen Quang Industrial Park, Thinh Minh Commune.

The Meiko Yen Quang project is one of the corporation’s strategic investments, focusing on AI technologies and aerospace technologies, with an initial investment of USD 500 million. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to generate annual revenue of approximately USD 530 million and create around 2,000 jobs for local workers.

The significance of the project lies not only in its investment capital but also in its demand for high-quality human resources. Semiconductor, electronics, and smart-device industries require employees who can work in highly automated environments, possess digital skills, operate intelligent equipment, and adapt to AI-supported production processes.

Alongside Meiko, a network of electronics and supporting-industry enterprises in the province—including BYD Vietnam, Jawa Vina, Heasung Vina, Pratron Vina, and Power Logics Vina—is helping integrate Phu Tho into global supply chains. Many electronic components manufactured in the province are exported to markets such as the United States, Japan, South Korea, and the European Union, requiring continuous technological innovation and quality control through digital systems.

AI is no longer a technology reserved for large corporations. Increasingly, enterprises across Phu Tho are applying AI at various stages of production and management to improve productivity, enhance quality, and reduce operating costs.

At Lita Foods Joint Stock Company in Thanh Son Commune, operating under the Truong Foods brand, AI is being used in marketing, customer analytics, and market expansion. Products such as fermented pork, cured pork, roasted rice-coated meat, and fermented fish are currently distributed through approximately 10,000 retail outlets nationwide, with annual output reaching around three million products. By leveraging data analytics, the company can better understand consumer demand, optimize marketing content, and select more effective distribution channels.

Building an AI-Ready Workforce – The Foundation for Future Growth

Many enterprises are actively applying AI in production and business activities. AI technologies support process automation, data analysis for market forecasting, marketing strategy development, and customer service enhancement. As a result, businesses can address challenges related to high-quality human resources while saving time and significantly reducing operational costs.

Mr. Nguyen Van Doan, Head of the Building Materials Sales Department at Viet Lam Trading and Services Co., Ltd., stated that AI technology has greatly supported enterprises in marketing communications, brand building, and the creation of promotional sales videos.

For AI to become a true driver of development, however, people remain the decisive factor. Recognizing this, Phu Tho Province is implementing numerous programs to develop skills in science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation.

According to Mr. Duong Thanh Son, Chairman of the AI Capacity-Building Project for Local Administrative Agencies and Enterprises, AI enables businesses—particularly small and medium-sized enterprises—to develop comprehensive marketing strategies.

“AI can help businesses create their own communication content and identify the most effective methods to deliver advertising messages to the right target audience. A tea producer, for example, needs to reach the appropriate customer segment. AI can address all of these challenges,” Mr. Son explained.

In implementing Politburo Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation, the Provincial People’s Committee has issued a training plan for the 2025–2030 period aimed at improving digital capacity among government officials, businesses, and citizens.

Numerous training programs on science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation are being actively implemented across the province.

The province aims for 100 percent of public officials, civil servants, employees, workers in enterprises and cooperatives, and staff in educational institutions to gain access to knowledge related to science and technology, digital transformation, and information security. By 2030, at least 80 percent of the working-age population is expected to be proficient in using essential digital services.

Previously, during the 2021–2025 period, the province supported 44 small and medium-sized enterprises in technology innovation projects with total funding exceeding VND 19.22 billion. Following implementation, participating businesses recorded average revenue growth of nearly 70 percent, employee income increases of more than 22 percent, and budget contributions rising by over 80 percent.

These results demonstrate that the technological foundation of Phu Tho enterprises is steadily improving. However, the adoption of AI also creates new requirements regarding data management, cybersecurity, and operational capabilities. Enterprises need appropriate implementation roadmaps, beginning with areas where benefits can be clearly demonstrated, while also training employees so that AI becomes an effective support tool rather than creating excessive dependence on technology.

With a strategic focus on high-tech industrial development, innovation, and digital transformation, Phu Tho is gradually building a new production ecosystem where technology, data, and people work together to create value. In this journey, AI is not merely a trend—it is becoming one of the key drivers enhancing the competitiveness of the province’s economy.

Ngoc Tuan