Facebook parent company Meta will produce it Next generation virtual and augmented reality headsets in Vietnam, creating more than 1,000 jobs, the company said Tuesday.
This announcement comes in the context of Vietnam’s desire to increase its attractiveness as an investment destination for the world’s largest companies and as an important part of the global supply chain.
Speaking at a technology conference in Hanoi, Meta’s President of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, said the company will focus on producing the Quest 3S headset in this Southeast Asian country.
“We will produce them in Vietnam with local partners and we estimate that this will create more than 1,000 new jobs,” he said.
Communist Vietnam – long a low-cost destination for the production of clothes, shoes and furniture – is eyeing a rapid climb up the global supply chain and last week the government said Elon Musk’s SpaceX plans to invest $1.5 billion in the country.
Vietnam’s senior leader To Lam made a trip to New York last month to meet with the bosses of Apple, Meta and IT company Supermicro.
He also met President Joe Biden, a year after the US leader paid a state visit to Vietnam to strengthen diplomatic and trade relations.
Vietnam is particularly intent on developing its capabilities in the lucrative chip industry, in the face of global supply chain shocks and concerns about US dependence on China for key resources push investment there.
Meta’s Facebook is widely used in Vietnam and Clegg said the country is among the world’s leaders in using the Messenger platform “not only to send messages to family and friends but also really communicate with businesses and thereby promote trade and commerce across the country.”
But Facebook has also faced criticism from human rights groups in recent years for blocking content considered illegal by the country’s government.
Facebook is a popular platform for activists in Vietnam, where all independent media is banned.
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