Vietnam aims to provide 100,000 engineers for the semiconductor industry.

On the morning of December 17th, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City jointly organized a workshop on developing policies and solutions to promote Vietnam's semiconductor industry.

Attending the workshop were Mr. Huynh Thanh Dat - Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department; Mr. Bui Hoang Phuong - Deputy Minister of Science and Technology ; Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City; and Mr. Lam Dinh Thang - Director of the Department of Science and Technology of the city.

Central and Ho Chi Minh City leaders attended the workshop. Photo: Hong Phuc.

In his opening remarks at the workshop, Mr. Bui Hoang Phuong, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, emphasized that Vietnam is positioning itself as a new destination and an important part of the global semiconductor chain, attracting many leading global corporations to invest.

With a significant competitive advantage in scientific and technological human resources, the Vietnamese government aspires to become a center for attracting and supplying semiconductor personnel not only for the domestic market but also for the global market. To realize this goal, the government has issued a plan for developing semiconductor human resources and is currently reviewing and doubling the target from 50,000 to 100,000 semiconductor engineers.

Mr. Bui Hoang Phuong, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, delivered the opening remarks at the workshop. Photo: Hong Phuc.

Despite having a significant advantage in human resources, especially software engineers, Mr. Phuong also acknowledged that this is currently only a potential advantage. In reality, the percentage of engineering graduates working in the semiconductor industry is only 0.4%, much lower than in developed countries.

Vietnam's development strategy focuses on specialized semiconductor chips and their development in parallel with the electronics industry, because semiconductor chips are indispensable components for creating electronic devices, and if Vietnam cannot achieve self-sufficiency in the electronics industry, there will be no market for the domestic semiconductor industry.

In the value chain, domestic businesses are gradually participating in various stages. However, foreign businesses still hold a dominant share. Vietnam has attracted leading global corporations in packaging and testing, opening up opportunities to become the world's semiconductor chip packaging hub.

The chip design sector also sees the participation of over 50 foreign companies and a team of approximately 7,000 domestic engineers, although overall design capabilities remain limited. To overcome these shortcomings, the Government has implemented several solutions to promote development. The National Steering Committee for the Promotion of Semiconductor Industry Development has been established, chaired by the Prime Minister.

For the first time, the inclusion of legal regulations on semiconductors in the Law on Digital Technology Industry has created a solid legal foundation. Simultaneously, many special incentive mechanisms have been enacted, including exemptions and reductions in corporate income tax, preferential land lease rates, and exemption from work permits for highly skilled personnel.

The Ministry of Science and Technology is urgently establishing a National Semiconductor Chip Produced Manufacturing Support Center based on the MPW model to immediately address bottlenecks in cost and time for chip production trials for individuals and startup businesses. The long-term goal is to build a chip manufacturing plant in the country, aiming to achieve self-reliance in strategic semiconductor technology.

On behalf of the Ho Chi Minh City leadership, Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, delivered a speech, emphasizing that science and technology and innovation, including semiconductor chips, are identified as "new engines" to boost the country's economy . The Prime Minister has issued a strategy for the development of the semiconductor industry until 2030, with a vision to 2050, reflecting the country's aspiration for self-reliance and advancement .

Ho Chi Minh City, currently leveraging its new look after urban planning reorganization, has created a semiconductor ecosystem that converges three key elements: an R&D and human resources hub; a manufacturing and logistics center; and, in particular, the Ba Ria - Vung Tau area, with the Cai Mep - Thi Vai port and direct connection to Long Thanh International Airport, ensures a supply chain for high-purity materials and the fast, cost-effective global transportation of chip products.

" The city is committed to creating the most favorable conditions for investors, utilizing the special mechanisms granted by the National Assembly (Resolution 98) to establish functional zones within the free trade zone . The city affirms that it will be the largest customer for semiconductor chip products, while ensuring stable energy supply, the best digital connectivity infrastructure, and improved quality of life to attract global experts," Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong emphasized.

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Huynh Thanh Dat, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department, stated that the semiconductor industry has transcended the boundaries of purely high-tech manufacturing to become a strategic infrastructure of the digital economy and digital society, related to technological security and national self-reliance.

The industry development strategy until 2030, with a vision to 2050, requires a systematic, long-term approach to achieve tangible results. Therefore, Mr. Huynh Thanh Dat suggested that discussions at the workshop focus on clarifying that the decisive factor for the success of the semiconductor industry is human resources, which is currently identified as the biggest bottleneck.

Human resource development must be placed within the overall context of educational and training breakthroughs, and a strong reform of the model should be implemented towards close collaboration between the State, schools, and businesses.

Mr. Huynh Thanh Dat also acknowledged that the private sector needs to be identified as an important partner, playing a leading role, especially startups, in order to develop endogenous capacity and strengthen linkages with the FDI sector.

Mr. Huynh Thanh Dat, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department, speaks at the workshop. Photo: Hong Phuc.

The workshop also needs to clarify the policy mechanisms that should be designed to strongly encourage private sector participation in investment, research, production, and training in the semiconductor sector. Innovation centers, especially Ho Chi Minh City, need to play a pioneering role, serving as a hub for policy, technology, and human resources, promoting the tripartite cooperation model.

The goal of these guidelines is to make the semiconductor industry development strategy more substantive and effective by proposing clear, feasible solutions that can be implemented immediately in human resource training, developing shared centers, and promoting public-private partnerships.

CHENG LUN

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/viet-nam-dat-muc-tieu-cung-cap-100-000-ky-su-cho-cong-nghiep-ban-dan.html