"Three Houses" Cooperation: Vietnam Realizes Becoming a Hub in the Global Semiconductor Supply Chain

In the context of the semiconductor industry becoming a strategic driving force, developing high-quality human resources is an urgent problem for Vietnam. The workshop "Developing human resources for microchip design and introducing the Taiwan INTENSE scholarship program" organized by the National Innovation Center (NIC) on July 21 gathered experts to discuss solutions, in which the "three-party" cooperation model (State - School - Enterprise) was emphasized as the core direction.

The "Three Houses" Model - The Foundation of Development

The focus of the discussions was on the multi-stakeholder cooperation model. Representatives from Siemens EDA, Vietbay, and Dolphin Technology discussed future human resource and skills needs in the semiconductor industry.

Sharing about the three-party cooperation model - the state, schools and enterprises - in developing human resources for the semiconductor industry, Ms. Dam Thi Hong Lan, Director of Vietbay Technology Company, authorized distributor of Siemens EDA Company, said that in reality, this cooperation model is not limited to three parties, but depending on each specific project or task, there can be more parties involved, even four, five, or six parties.

"Each party takes on its own roles, responsibilities and benefits, but all work towards a common goal," said Ms. Lan. According to her, in the semiconductor industry in Vietnam, the role of the State is very clear. The State is responsible for building a national development strategy, issuing mechanisms and policies to support the semiconductor industry, creating conditions for investment projects and providing financial support.

On the school side, including universities, colleges, and in the future, possibly high schools - as the Prime Minister and some ministries have mentioned - will participate in the process of training human resources. Schools provide a team of experts and researchers, and are also beneficiaries of policies and investment programs from the state. Thereby, schools play an important role in training high-quality human resources for the semiconductor industry and society in general.

On the business side, businesses play a role in determining labor market needs, ensuring appropriate and effective human resource capacity. At the same time, businesses provide technology, hardware, software, related services, and are the direct users of human resource products from this cooperation model.

Ms. Dam Thi Hong Lan, Director of Vietbay Technology Company: The gap between human resource needs and available resources is growing. The three-party cooperation model is the solution to take advantage of each party's strengths.

Overview of the event.

"All participants take advantage of their strengths to create human resources and products that meet market needs, while achieving harmonious benefits," said Ms. Lan. "The State builds an ecosystem, promotes innovation and develops talent. Schools approach reality, build appropriate training programs, create practice environments and receive technological and financial support. Enterprises disseminate technology, develop brands, recruit suitable human resources and fulfill social responsibilities."

According to Ms. Dam Thi Hong Lan, the semiconductor industry is new in Vietnam, but requires rapid development with large investment resources, especially in human resources, technology and finance. The gap between human resource needs and available resources is growing. The three-way cooperation model is the solution to take advantage of each party's strengths, make up for the shortage, narrow the gap between training and practice, and develop synchronously towards the common goal of the country.

Completed multiple IC design training programs

Within the framework of the workshop, the closing ceremony of microchip design training programs took place in cooperation with enterprises.

The first is the IC and Electronic System Design Training Program jointly organized by NIC, Siemens EDA and Vietbay. This is an IC and Electronic System Design Training Program, marking the completion of the first pilot training course using IC/PCB design and verification software in teaching semiconductor electronic design for universities in Vietnam. The training course lasted 21 days, attracting the participation of more than 37 lecturers, engineers and researchers from universities, research institutes and enterprises across the country.

The program aims to provide comprehensive knowledge and practical skills in integrated circuit (IC) and printed circuit board (PCB) design through leading EDA toolkits such as Tanner, Calibre, Questa, HyperLynx, Valor and Xpedition. Students are guided step-by-step through the design process, directly practice and in-depth answers by Siemens EDA experts and a team of experienced lecturers.

The Organizing Committee has awarded certificates of course completion to students who have participated in the training program. This is a testament to the continuous efforts in learning and mastering modern microchip design technology. The awarding of certificates not only recognizes the students' academic achievements but also contributes to standardizing professional qualifications, opening up opportunities for application and transfer of electronic design technology in training institutions and Vietnamese enterprises.

The second is the Closing Ceremony of the "NIC - Dolphin - Cadence Digital IC Design Training Program". The course is designed specifically for lecturers, final year students of IC design majors and newly graduated engineers, with the goal of developing digital circuit design capacity (Digital IC) and contributing to training a generation of high-quality engineers in the semiconductor industry.

During the 13-week training (3 hours/week), students will be exposed to core knowledge of digital design, hardware description languages, object-oriented thinking, as well as advanced knowledge such as SystemVerilog, UVM, instructions on using Cadence's simulation tool, and participate in practical activities of designing and testing integrated circuits.

In particular, the program applies the "learning-by-doing" method, helping students combine theory - practice - mentorship, developing critical thinking, teamwork and problem-solving skills - essential competencies in the digital technology environment.

This is an integrated learning model - connecting resources from businesses, schools and policy agencies, making a practical contribution to the goal of developing semiconductor human resources in the spirit of Resolution 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo and Decision 1017/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister, and is also one of the activities implemented to build a training ecosystem linked to market needs, especially in the context that Vietnam is aiming to train at least 50,000 semiconductor industry engineers by 2030, including 5,000 specialized AI human resources.

Expanding International Cooperation: INTENSE Scholarship from Taiwan

To implement the program of developing human resources for the semiconductor industry according to the Government's direction, Vietnam has set a goal of training 50,000 engineers in this field by 2030.

Under the direction of the Ministry of Finance, NIC is actively cooperating with the world's leading technology corporations. Key tasks include implementing training programs, building research centers and incubators to promote semiconductor product design and development in Vietnam.

The workshop also introduced the Taiwan (China) INTENSE scholarship program - an initiative to attract international talent to study and work in the semiconductor field.

The INTENSE Scholarship is a key academic initiative of Taiwan to attract talented international students to study and work in Taiwan in key areas including: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), Finance, Semiconductors.

According to Mr. Vo Duc Thang, representative of the INTENSE scholarship program, not only does it support all tuition and living expenses, the INTENSE scholarship also creates conditions for students to intern and work directly at leading semiconductor corporations in Taiwan such as TSMC, UMC, MediaTek, ASE... Selected candidates will study in-depth programs on analog/digital chip design, SoC, IC layout, packaging, MEMS and other advanced microelectronic technologies.

Students will also have the opportunity to study and conduct research in internationally standardized labs, while receiving advice from leading professors and experienced technical experts from the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and key enterprises in Taiwan's semiconductor supply chain.

Starting in 2024, the INTENSE Scholarship program will prioritize students from Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, affirming its commitment to strengthening educational cooperation and developing high-quality human resources in the region.

Mr. Vo Xuan Hoai, Deputy Director of NIC, said that in recent times, NIC has actively connected with enterprises, universities and international organizations, especially from Taiwan, to promote the development of the semiconductor industry in Vietnam. NIC leaders emphasized that the INTENSE scholarship program is a vivid demonstration of the effectiveness of international cooperation in human resource training.

From identifying the "three-house" cooperation model as a foundation, implementing practical training courses domestically, to expanding international connections through valuable scholarship programs, Vietnam is gradually building a comprehensive and sustainable ecosystem, determined to realize the goal of becoming an important center in the global semiconductor supply chain./.

According to Vietnam Science and Technology Journal

Source: https://mst.gov.vn/hop-tac-ba-nha-viet-nam-hien-thuc-hoa-tro-thanh-mot-trung-tam-trong-chuoi-cung-ung-ban-dan-toan-cau-197251025163024945.htm