(VOVWORLD) - Vietnam has prepared the necessary infrastructure and conditions and is ready to develop the semiconductor industry, says Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung. The central government and localities across Vietnam have increased investment in this field.
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Minister Dung said Vietnam has completed a one-stop mechanism, developed a project to train 50,000 semiconductor industry engineers by 2030, and established the second facility of the National Innovation Center (NIC) at Hoa Lac High-Tech Park in Hanoi to host investment projects in the semiconductor industry.
The Government has approved the National Power Development Plan VIII and established a State Steering Committee for other key energy projects to provide stable, sustainable electricity for projects in the semiconductor sector, said Minister Dung.
“At its sixth session, the National Assembly issued a resolution allowing the Government to establish an investment support fund for semiconductor and other high-tech projects. We hope to issue a decree in mid-2024 establishing mechanisms and policies to support human resource training, socio-economic infrastructure investment, and research and development centers,” Dung noted.
Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc says Vietnam has strengths in mathematics and chemistry, which is a good foundation for the semiconductor and information technology industries.
According to Phuc, “200,000 Vietnamese students are studying abroad. Vietnam has 40 universities that can provide training in fields related to semiconductors. If the demand for semiconductor chips increases, students will get more interested in technology. Every year, 65,000 students begin studies in computer science and IT.”
That means in 4 years there will be 250,000 students and Vietnam will be able to fulfill the human resources need, Phuc concluded.
Yen Phong Industrial Park in Bac Ninh province (Photo: viglaceraip.com)
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The central government and many local governments such as Ho Chi Minh City and Bac Ninh province are pouring investment in this field.
Vuong Quoc Tuan, Deputy Chairman of Bắc Ninh province’s People's Committee, said Bac Ninh has the largest industrial park area in the north – 6,400 hectares.
“We have a policy of paying 50% of high-tech engineering students’ tuition fees at local colleges and vocational schools. Since 2023 Bac Ninh has spent 16,300 USD to support tuition fees. In 2024, the provincial People's Council will promulgate a resolution to support training facilities and tuition fees for students majoring in semiconductors,” said Tuan.
 The Saigon Hi-tech Park in HCM City has attracted more than 12 billion USD in domestic and foreign investment since its establishment 20 years ago. (Photo: VNA/VNS) |
Nguyen Anh Thi, Head of the Management Board of the Ho Chi Minh City Hi-Tech Park, says the city is developing strategic industries like the semiconductor chip industry. Thi said he believes HCMC will be the best place for IC investors, for the following reasons, “First of all, we have a relatively seamless ecosystem. Take the design stage of the semiconductor industry, for example. 80% of 50 design businesses in Vietnam, about 40 businesses, are operating in Ho Chi Minh City.”
“Second, we possess highly-qualified human resources and a culture of innovation. Third, since 2002 when Vietnam first began to promote investment in chips, we’ve identified human resources as the key. In the City's high-tech park, we’ve collaborated with Synosys to establish an IC design training center and we plan to collaborate with other partners like Siemens," Thi said.
 Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park has 81 valid investment projects with total registered capital of 3 billion USD. (Photo: baodautu.vn) |
Tran Dac Trung, Deputy Director of the Management Board of Hoa Lac High Tech Park in Hanoi, says Hanoi’s administration will continue investing in the Park to ensure it will have the right infrastructure to welcome semiconductor investors.
Trung said, “Hanoi is about to invest in a high-speed railway line leading to Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park and complete logistics infrastructure. Hoa Lac NIC was recently inaugurated, creating ideal conditions in infrastructure, institutional environment, and testing policies to welcome large businesses in the technology sector and promote Vietnam's innovation ecosystem to develop and reach the global level.”
Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park has available high-quality human resources, says Trung. He says it’s a venue for universities like Vietnam National University-Hanoi and FPT University which offer specialized training for the semiconductor industry. In the future, the park will continue to attract universities to form a human resource pool for the semiconductor industry.
All these factors make it clear that Vietnam takes semiconductors seriously and is pushing to build its first chip-making plant by the end of the decade.