Building Cross-Border Bridges: Lessons from Berlin for Vietnam’s Innovation Leap

Friday, August 15th, 2025
Block71, Ho Chi Minh City

3:00pm - 5:30pm

Vietnam’s startup engine is running fast — but global scale takes more than speed.

It takes systems. Governance. Financial discipline. And the right partners.

This special forum brings together founders, VCs, operators, and ecosystem leaders from Vietnam and Berlin to explore how AI, talent, and capital can move more intelligently across borders.

Vietnam doesn’t need to follow someone else’s playbook — it can write its own.

VanguardConnect is where that begins.

Why VanguardConnect

Most startup events celebrate exposure. We’re here for execution.

VanguardConnect is for founders ready to shift:

From messy cap tables to investable structures
From local hustle to international discipline
From pitching to planning — with global capital in mind

Backed by strategic partners like AsiaBerlin, we connect Vietnam’s most promising startups with global systems, investors, and scale-stage expertise.

Host

Mike Nguyen brings over 25 years of expertise in semiconductors, spanning silicon intellectual property, advanced packaging solutions, and end-to-end product development. He has a proven track record in building and leading engineering teams, driving go-to-market strategies, and delivering growth across technology, manufacturing, and innovation sectors.

Mike currently serves as a Senior Principal Technical Consultant at the World Bank, where he advises on Vietnam’s semiconductor ecosystem. His strategic insights on advanced packaging and integrated circuit (IC) design have helped shape national semiconductor priorities and guide the scale-up of key industries.

Previously, Mike was Sr. Director of Strategy and Operations at Intel Vietnam, managing daily operations for its Assembly Test Manufacturing site and spearheading the site’s strategic growth. He partnered with the Vietnamese government to define a national semiconductor strategy, attract foreign investment, and strengthen local ecosystem capabilities. His career also includes leadership roles at GlobalFoundries, Micron, and Intel Corporation, where he contributed to product innovation and global market expansion.

Mike is passionate about bridging global semiconductor expertise with Vietnam’s emerging technology landscape, empowering the next generation of local talent and driving the country’s role in the global tech supply chain.

Mike Nguyen — Senior Consultant, World Bank