Vietnam Aims to Train 50,000 Semiconductor Engineers

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has directed four government bodies to collaborate in training a significant number of engineers and experts in digital transformation and semiconductor manufacturing. During a meeting, he assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Education and Training, and Ministry of Science and Technology to work together to achieve this goal. The Prime Minister has also called upon both domestic and foreign entities to support Vietnam in its semiconductor production efforts.

Last year, during the inauguration of Samsung’s first research and development center in Vietnam, Prime Minister Chinh urged the company to expedite the necessary preparations for testing and mass-producing semiconductors at their factory in the northern province of Thai Nguyen, starting from July. In April of this year, the Prime Minister tasked the Ministry of Planning and Investment with establishing a national center for innovation and implementing a semiconductor manufacturing program.

Furthermore, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen expressed the United States’ willingness to assist Vietnam in semiconductor production. Several Vietnamese companies have already begun research and development in the semiconductor field. Viettel, a state-owned telecommunications giant, sought government permission in August of last year to conduct research, design, and manufacture semiconductors for domestic and export purposes. In September of the same year, a unit of tech giant FPT launched its first semiconductors designed for medical use.

Steve Long, Intel’s General Manager of Asia-Pacific and Japan, mentioned last year that Vietnam has the potential to establish the necessary infrastructure and policies to support semiconductor manufacturing. However, he also acknowledged that it is a lengthy and costly process. Electronics and semiconductors account for approximately one-third of Vietnam’s exports, but the majority are produced by foreign direct investment companies. Samsung, LG, Intel, Apple’s suppliers, and Xiaomi all have factories or research centers in Vietnam.