Meta Platforms is planning to manufacture its Quest mixed reality headsets in Vietnam from 2025.
That is according to an announcement made in Hanoi by Meta’s President for Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, a week after his meeting with Vietnam’s President To Lam in New York.
Reuters reported on the event and shared the Facebook owner’s intentions to up its investment in Vietnam’s AI innovation in order to grow its footprint there.
The news agency quoted Clegg confirming the decision to relocate it production base for the Meta Quest:
“Beginning 2025, Meta will expand manufacturing of its latest Mixed Reality device Quest 3S to Vietnam.”
Meta Quest 3S was launched at Meta’s annual ‘Connect’ conference last month.
Meta in Vietnam
Although Meta did not respond to Reuter’s request for confirmation on what the size of its investment will be and to clarify the scope of its current operations in the country, there have already been some indications.
According to the global business magazine ‘Fortune’, Clegg shared his prediction on the impact that its manufacturing plans would have on the Vietnamese jobs market, while speaking at the tech conference in Hanoi: “We will, with our local partners, be manufacturing them here in Vietnam, and we estimate that this will create well over 1,000 new jobs.”
The company also revealed that it will soon start testing its Meta AI technology in Vietnam, following its testing of Business AI for Messenger there in June.
Meta is no stranger to Vietnam as it already has tens of millions of Facebook users based there, which Clegg pointed to as part of his statement: “Vietnam continues to be an important country for Meta. Millions of small businesses and consumers rely on our platforms.”
Last month, Meta’s launch plans to boost its metaverse technology investments in Vietnam entered public discourse.
VN Express International reported that Joel Kaplan, Vice President for US Public Policy, Meta, said his company had in fact begun shifting production to the nation four years ago.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, Meta shelved its plans to move forward with the initiative.
Vietnam is Open for Business
Meta is not the only one eyeing up the potential of doing business on Vietnamese soil.
Elon Musk’s aerospace company, SpaceX, was widely reported as planning to plough $1.5 billion into the country.
Fortune asserts that Vietnam is looking to strengthen its position within the microchip supply chain as weakened relations between the US and China have created new opportunities for Vietnam.
On his recent trip to the US, To Lam met with Joe Biden who visited Vietnam last year on a similar mission of bolstering trade and diplomacy between the two countries.
As well as speaking to Clegg, To Lam also took the opportunity to rendezvous with the heads of Apple and Supermicro.
Earlier this year, Apple sought to maintain its connections the Chinese markets by partnering with the Chinese internet and technology company ‘Tencent’, which is effectively able to bypass China’s strict market regulations in a country where Apple is also unable distribute its own video content.
