Digital banking software provider Backbase has launched its first global Center of Excellence (COE) for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The COE, led by Backbase’s Head of AI Chris Shayan, will focus on developing AI solutions to enhance customer engagement and business outcomes in the banking sector.

Located near Saigon Center in District 1, the COE will host a team of engineers specialising in web, mobile, backend, AI, and machine learning, and large language models (LLM).

This initiative reflects Backbase’s focus on Asia, utilising Vietnam’s growing digital landscape and skilled workforce.

Under Shayan’s leadership, the COE plans to launch its first product within six months, emphasising a rapid development cycle.

Shayan, who has over a decade of experience in Vietnam, previously held senior roles at Techcombank and HDBank, where he led significant digital transformations.

The COE will integrate AI capabilities into Backbase’s existing architecture, aiming to boost customer lifetime value and engagement.

This move aligns with broader industry trends, as McKinsey forecasts generative AI could create up to US$340 billion in value for banks.

Backbase will host its flagship conference, ENGAGE, in Ho Chi Minh City on 11-12 September, featuring insights from global leaders and showcasing innovations in digital banking.

This event will highlight the role of AI and the new COE in shaping the future of banking.

Through its investment in Vietnam, Backbase seeks to drive AI innovation and enhance customer engagement in the banking sector worldwide.

“At this stage, our focus for the COE is to harness this talent pool to create world-leading AI capabilities that help banks solve business problems on a global scale, leveraging the wealth of knowledge and experience from Backbase’s portfolio of banks and tech experts.

The Center of Excellence will harness AI to deepen the value our customers can obtain from the Backbase Engagement Banking Platform, by increasing customer usage and servicing experience, as well as provide access to analytics for informed decision-making,”

said Shayan.

Featured image credit: Edited from Freepik

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