Marvell Plans to Establish a New Facility in Vietnam
The announcement was made by Marvell’s chairman and CEO, Matt Murphy, at the US-Vietnam Innovation and Investment Summit in Hanoi on September 11. The summit was presided over by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Vietnamese Minister for Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, and included President Joseph Biden and Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Marvell is currently expanding its physical presence in the country, with a new facility expected to be operational by the end of 2024. This move is part of Marvell’s strategy to enhance its semiconductor design and engineering activities in Vietnam.
The US manufacturing company intends to set up a state-of-the-art design centre in Ho Chi Minh City. This location will house advanced semiconductor engineering and provide a premier technology workspace for employees to develop their skills and gain exceptional career opportunities.
Moreover, Marvell is dedicated to increasing its Vietnamese workforce by 50% within the next three years. The company is intensifying its internship and university relations programs and plans to double the funding for the Marvell Excellence Scholarship program to assist talented students studying engineering and computer science at select universities in Vietnam.
Since its establishment a decade ago, Marvell’s Vietnam location has evolved into a crucial strategic research and development hub for the company. The company’s work in Vietnam is predominantly focused on high-speed data centre optical connectivity, storage, and analog mixed signal semiconductor technology.
“Engineering talent is one of the major challenges facing the industry. To succeed, we need to invest worldwide. Vietnam is emerging as a hub of semiconductor innovation. With our design centre and scholarship program, we are dedicated to creating high-value semiconductor jobs in the country that will further aid Marvell in fulfilling its mission of optimizing the world’s data infrastructure,” stated Murphy.
More US chip companies have announced plans to invest or expand their operations in Vietnam. Amkor Technology, a US-based company, has a $1.6 billion semiconductor plant in the northern province of Bac Ninh, which is Amkor’s largest facility globally and is set to start trial production by late October 2023.
Additionally, Intel Corp is contemplating a significant increase in its existing $1.5-billion investment in Vietnam to enlarge its chip testing and packaging plant in the Southeast Asian country.
A new partnership has been formed between Vietnam and the US to investigate semiconductor supply chain opportunities. The US State Department is collaborating with the Vietnamese government to explore opportunities to grow and diversify the global semiconductor ecosystem under the International Technology Security and Innovation (Fund), established by the CHIPS Act of 2022. This partnership aims to create a more resilient, secure, and sustainable global semiconductor value chain.
Vietnam appears to be a promising partner for the US in ensuring the semiconductor supply chain is diverse and resilient. Semiconductors are increasingly used in various products, from vehicles to medical devices, and are considered the foundation of today’s economy.
By leveraging Vietnam’s existing strengths in assembly, testing, and packaging, this collaboration aims to identify new opportunities that attract industry investments and expand the technical workforces in both countries.