UEH Becomes a University Partner of Plug and Play Tech Center (Silicon Valley), Expanding Global Innovation Connections

07 Nov, 2026

The announcement ceremony took place during the “Business & Artificial Intelligence” session, as part of the Silicon Valley November Summit 2026, held from November 3 to 5, 2026, at the headquarters of Plug and Play Tech Center. The summit brought together more than 4,000 attendees, 90 leading speakers, experts, and CEOs from technology corporations, as well as over 300 startups from more than 20 accelerator programs across various sectors.

The event was attended by Mr. Saeed Amidi - Founder and CEO of Plug and Play; Mr. Jupe Tan - Managing Director of Plug and Play Asia-Pacific; Mr. Mike Maceda - Director of Corporate Partnerships & Open Innovation, Plug and Play Asia-Pacific; Ambassador Hoang Anh Tuan – Consul General of Vietnam in San Francisco; Mr. Don Graves - former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of EDGE Partners; along with representatives of corporations, startups, universities, and experts from the global Plug and Play network.

The UEH delegation included Dr. Tran Nam Tu - Deputy Director General of the Department of Science, Technology and Information, Ministry of Education and Training; and Dr. Chu Thuc Dat - Deputy Director General of the Agency for Innovation, Ministry of Science and Technology. Representing UEH were Assoc. Prof. Bui Quang Hung - President of UEH; Assoc. Prof. Pham Khanh Nam - Head of the Department of Research - Development and Global Engagement; and Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao - Deputy Director of the Institute of Innovation.

UEH Joins Plug and Play’s University Partner Network

At the “New Partner Announcement 2026” session, Mr. Saeed Amidi highlighted UEH’s positive contributions to Vietnam’s innovation ecosystem and emphasized the pivotal role of universities: “While waves of technology continue to evolve, from artificial intelligence to quantum technology, universities remain central to developing high-quality technical talent and driving technological progress.” He also underscored the need to strengthen collaboration between universities and innovation partners worldwide.

Mr. Saeed Amidi announces the new University Partner

Speaking at the event, Assoc. Prof. Bui Quang Hung, President of UEH, shared: “This partnership opens up significant opportunities for the global startup community, venture capital funds, and businesses to engage with Vietnam – a rapidly growing economy with tremendous potential. This is particularly true of Ho Chi Minh City, with its significant economic scale, abundant human resources, and UEH’s central position in the city’s innovation ecosystem. Together with Plug and Play, I believe Vietnam has tremendous business opportunities in the international market.”

Assoc. Prof. Bui Quang Hung introduces UEH and shares insights into collaboration opportunities

With this milestone, UEH becomes one of only three universities in Asia to join Plug and Play as a University Partner, alongside Tsinghua University and Peking University. UEH also joins a global university network that includes Stanford University, Harvard University, MIT, UC Berkeley, and Princeton University (United States); the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, and University College London (United Kingdom); TU Delft (the Netherlands); and the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland), among others.

The University Community is one of the key components of the Plug and Play ecosystem, promoting research collaboration, human resource development, startup support, and technology commercialization. According to Plug and Play’s University Startup Ranking, based on PitchBook and Crunchbase data from January 2014 to September 2025, the top 50 universities in the ranking have collectively generated approximately 64,200 companies, which have raised a total of around USD 3.2 trillion in funding.

Towards Developing an International Innovation Hub at UEH

Prior to the announcement ceremony, on November 3, 2026, UEH and Plug and Play held discussions to exchange ideas and shape the key areas of their strategic collaboration. Both parties aim to establish a long-term partnership and promote the development of an international innovation hub at UEH, connecting research and technology with market needs.

The partnership focuses on three key areas:

Developing startup acceleration capabilities: Transferring methodologies, tools, and operational experience in running accelerator programs; connecting startups with businesses’ innovation needs.
Strengthening talent and ecosystem capabilities: Implementing technology transfer, training, knowledge-sharing, and mentoring activities.
Establishing an innovation hub development model: Co-designing strategies, governance models, and development roadmaps; connecting UEH’s research, technologies, and startups with Plug and Play’s international network of businesses and investors.

The UEH delegation working at the Plug and Play office

The two parties also plan to establish a Plug and Play office at UEH, serving as a focal point for connecting resources, supporting the commercialization of research outcomes, and expanding international market access opportunities for Vietnamese startups.

At the event, Mr. Saeed Amidi shared his ambition to support the acceleration of 100 startups and spin-off companies, invest in 10 startups, and help Vietnam develop a unicorn company within the next five years. These ambitions reflect Plug and Play’s strong interest in the growth potential of Vietnam’s startup ecosystem.

Assoc. Prof. Bui Quang Hung presents a UEH 50th Anniversary commemorative gift to Ambassador Hoang Anh Tuan, Consul General of Vietnam in San Francisco, in recognition of his efforts to promote collaboration between Plug and Play and UEH

UEH Joins the Development of Ho Chi Minh City’s AI Center of Excellence

One of the key strategic areas of collaboration is the joint development, together with Ho Chi Minh City, of Vietnam’s first AI Center of Excellence (AI CoE), involving the city, the Department of Science and Technology, the Saigon Innovation Hub (SIHUB), UEH, and Plug and Play. Building on their previous collaboration, the parties aim to establish a platform connecting research, technology, businesses, and AI talent; accelerate technology startups; and connect practical challenges faced by government agencies and businesses with advanced technological solutions.

Under a three-year roadmap comprising eight program components, UEH will lead three core areas: working with Plug and Play to research global trends and connect international AI technology solutions; conducting research, evaluation, and testing of technologies in real-world environments; and providing AI training and capacity-building programs for startups and businesses.

UEH will also be responsible for accelerator programs for spin-off companies originating from university and institute research, supporting international market connections, and co-organizing events that connect the global innovation ecosystem. Through these roles, UEH will contribute to the AI CoE as an academic and research hub, while developing a highly skilled workforce and helping strengthen the city's AI innovation capabilities.

Expanding Opportunities for Learners and Vietnam’s University Community

Through the Plug and Play network, UEH will collaborate on implementing international internship programs for Vietnamese students at Plug and Play’s Silicon Valley office and at global companies within its network. These programs will expand students’ opportunities to gain exposure to international technology and business environments.

Through the Venture Clienting program, UEH will connect research outcomes, technologies, and innovations with the practical needs of businesses, promoting technology transfer and the application of new technologies in the market.

In addition, UEH aims to extend collaboration opportunities to universities nationwide, enabling students, scientists, and Vietnamese startups to connect with international experts, businesses, investors, and markets. This direction supports the goal of bringing the knowledge, technologies, and innovations developed by Vietnamese universities to the world, while attracting global resources to strengthen the domestic innovation ecosystem.

The UEH delegation and partners pose for a commemorative photo

About Plug and Play and the UEH Innovation Ecosystem

Plug and Play, headquartered in Silicon Valley, United States, is one of the world's leading innovation platforms and startup investment firms, connecting startups, corporations, investors, government organizations, and universities. Plug and Play currently connects more than 550 corporations and major businesses, over 50 government organizations across five continents, and more than 100,000 startups worldwide. It makes over 250 investments annually, has more than 40 unicorns in its portfolio, and manages over USD 1 billion in assets.

UEH has strong capabilities in multidisciplinary education and research, with more than 40,000 students, over 280,000 alumni, more than 125 international partners, and over 500 corporate partners. UEH’s startup support pipeline encompasses idea development through the UEH BizTech Hackathon, business model validation through the Sandbox Program, in-depth incubation, acceleration, investor connections, Demo Day, and international market expansion. As of July 2026, UEH had incubated 200 startups and helped them raise a total of USD 1.7 million in venture capital.

With the vision of becoming an innovation hub at the heart of the city – UEH UniverCity Innovation Hub for the 2026–2045 period, UEH aims to develop an integrated ecosystem connecting universities, businesses, government, communities, and the environment. Key initiatives, including NEXT F FieldLab, AI Center, Tech Convergence Hub, and Living Lab, will operate in a complementary manner, forming an interconnected value chain from research and technology development to real-world validation and commercialization.

Text, photos: UEH Institute of Innovation (UII), Department of Communications and Partnerships