Promoting a supporting ecosystem for semiconductor chip manufacturing businesses will help Vietnam increase its attractiveness to large global chip manufacturing corporations.
The dream of chip production in Vietnam
Exactly 4 years ago, the Ministry of Information and Communications organized a seminar on orientation and solutions for developing chipsets and 5G network equipment in Vietnam with the participation of Vietnamese IT experts abroad, ICT businesses, associations, and university research institutes.
According to the Department of Information Technology (Ministry of Information and Communications), developing a 5G network is one of the key directions in improving digital infrastructure capacity to serve national digital transformation. To implement this orientation, one of the particularly important solutions is that Vietnam needs to research and master the design and production of chips and 5G network equipment.
At the seminar, Mr. Nguyen Cuong Hoang, Deputy General Director of Viettel High-Tech Industry Corporation, said that Viettel has more than 1,000 IT engineers and dedicates up to 300 experienced engineers to the 5G production research program. This group has approved a budget estimate of 500 billion VND for the development of Microcell 5G and is investing in a 5G Lab worth 200 billion VND. Viettel is cooperating with many partners from the US, Korea, and India on chipsets, hardware, and software for 5G.
“Vietnam's history has never been able to make a chip from start to finish. When we said we would produce chipsets, many people didn't believe us. But after only 3 years, Viettel was able to make chips," Mr. Hoang said.
Speaking at the seminar, the FPT representative shared that producing chips is extremely difficult, so FPT very much respects Viettel for only 3 years to produce chips. FPT has launched a chip production strategy for 10 years and takes each step quite cautiously. After 5 years, FPT has more than 100 engineers who can design chips. Initially, FPT did not make its chips but only had a team of engineers making chips for foreign partners.
FPT representative also said that Vietnam is currently becoming a hub for IC design. Vietnam has more than 3,000 IC design engineers. Therefore, Made in Vietnam chip production is not too far-fetched.
Chip manufacturing is no longer a dream
Exactly 3 years after the Ministry of Information and Communications held a discussion on 5G chip and device production, FPT Semiconductor - a microchip design and manufacturing company (part of FPT Group) announced the launch of the first microchip line. applied in Internet of Things (IoT) products for the medical field, realizing the dream of manufacturing semiconductor components created by Vietnamese intelligence.
The integrated semiconductor chip (IC-Integrated Circuit) line is directly designed and structured by FPT Semiconductor engineers, aiming to serve specific industries and products. Designs completed in Vietnam are transferred to a factory located in Korea for production and packaging.
The first customer and now a strategic partner of the business work together to distribute FPT Semiconductor's chip products in the Australian and Chinese markets. Not only bringing products to foreign markets, FPT Semiconductor plans to focus on deploying and providing "Make in Vietnam" chips to domestic corporations, for sustainable development and contributing to perfecting the manufacturing supply chain. devices for users in Vietnam, in the period 2023 - 2025.
Recently, FPT Semiconductor signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Silvaco Company (USA) to develop semiconductor human resources and business in this potential field. Silvaco, FPT Semiconductor, and FPT University commit to cooperate in developing human resources for semiconductor companies in the US.
If successful in the semiconductor industry, Vietnam will be able to "insert" into the supply chain of products with high technology content such as communications equipment, computers, medical equipment, or military equipment.
Dr. Nguyen Manh Hung, RMIT University
Not only FPT, discussed Viettel has also produced chips for 5G devices. This is high technology that only a few countries can produce. However, Viettel is currently quite cautious when reporting on the chip production issue of this enterprise.
Thus, up to now, FPT and Viettel are two enterprises that have produced semiconductor chips and opened up new opportunities for Vietnam to put its name on the world map in this field.
Dr. Nguyen Manh Hung, lecturer at the Faculty of Business and Management, RMIT University also said that chip production in Vietnam is consistent with the development orientation "Make in Vietnam". “Almost every aspect of modern society requires semiconductors. If successful in the semiconductor industry, Vietnam will be able to "insert" into the supply chain of products with high technology content such as communications equipment, computers, medical equipment or military equipment. ”, Dr. Nguyen Manh Hung commented.
Vietnam has the opportunity to become a semiconductor center
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's recent visit to the US opened up opportunities for cooperation in a number of areas that are Vietnam's focus, including the semiconductor industry. According to Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, this is the next step to deploy cooperative activities between organizations and businesses in the US semiconductor industry with Vietnamese partners to bring opportunities. expand the market and improve Vietnam's capacity in this industry.
Currently, many semiconductor manufacturing corporations around the world are starting to come and cooperate with Vietnam. Ms. Linda Tan, Southeast Asia Semiconductor Industry Association, said that Vietnam's semiconductor industry is on the rise, with many potentials and advantages. Vietnam has been attracting more and more large corporations in the semiconductor industry from Korea, Taiwan (China), and the US.
Sharing this issue, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Huy Dung said that Vietnam will have the opportunity to participate more deeply in the global semiconductor supply chain with national strategies, long-term plans as well and commitments. Build trust in international cooperation to attract investment and participate in all stages. Vietnam hopes to become a semiconductor human resource center that not only serves Vietnam's needs but also meets regional and world needs.
Mr. Nguyen Thien Nghia, Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Information and Communications Industry (Ministry of Information and Communications) emphasized that promoting a business ecosystem to support chip manufacturing businesses will help Vietnam increase its attractiveness to customers. large chip manufacturing corporations.
Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (Ministry of Information and Communications) Nguyen Thien Nghia
The characteristic of the semiconductor chip industry is that all stages of product production such as design, processing, packaging, equipment, materials... are very specialized and have roles. clear.
This means that each stage of production is carried out by a few corporations, or more accurately, a few countries with leading technology. To join this production chain requires a market, huge investment in technologyIC-integrated circuits, several, and several geopolitical relations. “Promoting a business ecosystem that supports chip manufacturing businesses will help Vietnam increase its attractiveness to large chip manufacturing corporations, turning Vietnam into a country with many chip manufacturing activities. in the supply chain. There are more and more capable businesses participating in supporting industries for chip production," said Mr. Nguyen Thien Nghia.
(VietnamNet)