Japan backs Southeast Asia’s AI and semiconductor growth through investment and training

Malaysia’s Johor state has emerged as a major data center hub, benefiting from its proximity to Singapore, lower land and electricity costs, and growing demand for AI computing capacity.

Japanese company NTT Data is developing a data center campus in Johor with a planned power capacity of 290 megawatts (MW). The first building is scheduled to begin operations in April 2027. The company also plans to introduce direct liquid cooling technology to improve energy efficiency in AI-focused data centers.

Vietnam is also strengthening its role in global semiconductor supply chains. US-based Intel operates its largest assembly and test facility in Ho Chi Minh City and plans to transfer some operations from Costa Rica to the Vietnamese site. South Korea’s Samsung Electronics is also expanding its semiconductor activities in the country, with a memory-chip testing and packaging facility planned in Thai Nguyen Province.

Japan is contributing to Vietnam’s semiconductor development through workforce training. The Vietnamese government aims to train 50,000 semiconductor professionals by 2030, with Vietnam Japan University among the institutions supporting the initiative.

The university launched a semiconductor talent development program in October 2025. Its first two cohorts enrolled 106 and 107 students, respectively, according to Tsuyoshi Usagawa, a special adviser to the university’s rector and senior adviser at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The program aims to prepare graduates for careers with semiconductor companies in Vietnam and abroad, including Japan. Developing local expertise could also help Vietnam expand its semiconductor industry, including areas of production not yet established in the country.

Earlier, Qazinform reported that over 70% of people in Japan supported the integration of artificial intelligence and robotics into healthcare.