$1B Intel Plant Helps Vietnam Reinvent Itself

Intel's choice of Vietnam for a massive superconductor plant surprised the tech world 2 years ago, but the firm's trailblazing has sparked a wave of high-tech investment that is transforming the country, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The plant is still more than a year away from completion, but Intel's presence is helping a nation that had no tech industry to speak of build one from the ground up.

Intel spent years investigating conditions before choosing Vietnam, in much the same way it picked Malaysia for its first site outside the US 35 years ago. "We are not afraid to be the first," said a manager. The company is hosting a conference next month for 200 tech vendors, many of them eyeing investment in Vietnam. (More Intel stories.)