Tokyo, July 24 -- Vietnam stands a strong chance of inserting itself into the global technology value chain as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and smart manufacturing race ahead all at once, Ta Duc Tung, associate professor of robotics and information technology who runs the Tung Laboratory at Japan's Keio University, told the Vietnam News Agency.

Tung's studies sit right where digital fabrication, soft robotics and human-computer interaction meet, with a heavy emphasis on dexterous robotic hands, tactile sensing and AI built specifically for robots.

For Tung, a Vietnamese scientist deep in Japan's advanced-tech world, the biggest gift overseas researchers can give isn't simply handing over technology. It's linking up knowledge, ...