Although nonetheless at an early stage of improvement, Vietnam’s semiconductor industry has recorded notable progress because of the concerted engagement of the whole political system, pushed by strategic insurance policies on science, expertise, innovation and digital transformation.
Thanks to a beneficial coverage framework, a sequence of large-scale funding initiatives, alongside expanded human useful resource coaching, is steadily shaping a nationwide semiconductor ecosystem.
Policy-driven benefits
The Politburo’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in the improvement of science, expertise, innovation and nationwide digital transformation; The Prime Minister’s Decision No. 1131/QD-TTg on strategic applied sciences; and Decision No. 1018/QD-TTg approving the nationwide technique for semiconductor industry improvement – which targets the institution of 10 superior testing and packaging crops by 2030 – have introduced contemporary momentum to Vietnam’s semiconductor sector.
In current years, Vietnam has attracted main funding initiatives from main world expertise firms equivalent to Intel, Samsung, Amkor and Hana Micron, alongside rising participation from home enterprises together with Viettel, FPT and VNChip. On January 16, the Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group (Viettel) broke floor on Vietnam’s first semiconductor chip manufacturing plant primarily based on the 32nm course of at the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park, with trial manufacturing anticipated to start in 2028. Earlier, on January 28, FPT introduced the institution of a complicated semiconductor chip testing and packaging plant – the first of its form in Vietnam totally mastered by Vietnamese engineers.
According to Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui Hoang Phuong, Vietnam possesses important benefits in capturing world provide chain shifts, together with its strategic geopolitical place in Southeast Asia, excessive financial openness, an in depth community of free commerce agreements, and a big electronics manufacturing base with {hardware} exports exceeding 132 billion USD in 2024. The nation additionally advantages from a younger and considerable workforce, with round 1.9 million individuals employed in the expertise sector and greater than 7,000 chip design engineers.
Documents ready for the 14th National Party Congress determine science, expertise, innovation and digital transformation as key drivers of fast and sustainable improvement. In this context, creating and mastering strategic applied sciences equivalent to semiconductors is thought to be a important pillar for enhancing nationwide autonomy, competitiveness and Vietnam’s place in world worth chains. Phuong harassed that sturdy and constant political dedication from the highest leaders stays Vietnam’s best benefit in advancing this subject.
Human sources for “semiconductor race”
Human sources are seen as a decisive consider semiconductor improvement. The Government has authorized the programme on creating human sources for the semiconductor industry to 2030, which goals to coach no less than 50,000 university-level and better personnel. Of these, round 15,000 will specialize in chip design, whereas 35,000 will serve manufacturing, packaging and testing. The programme additionally targets the coaching of a further 5,000 synthetic intelligence specialists and the upskilling of 1,300 college lecturers and researchers.
According to the Ministry of Education and Training, round 35 greater schooling establishments are at present concerned in semiconductor-related coaching, a determine anticipated to rise considerably over the subsequent two to a few years. Major universities equivalent to Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City; Hanoi University of Science and Technology; Vietnam National University, Hanoi; and the University of Da Nang, together with a lot of private and non-private universities, have opened new programmes and specialisations in semiconductor applied sciences.
To help coaching and analysis situations, the Ministry of Science and Technology lately issued Circular No. 30/2025, permitting enterprises to import used equipment and tools for semiconductor manufacturing with a most age of 20 years, double the earlier restrict.
Meanwhile, instructional and analysis establishments should not topic to age restrictions on imported tools. However, all tools should meet strict standards on expertise requirements, environmental safety, occupational security and vitality effectivity. For manufacturing traces, effectivity should attain no less than 85% of the unique design capability, to be able to keep away from importing out of date, inefficient or energy-intensive methods.
According to regulatory authorities, this method is meant to assist enterprises and coaching establishments entry applied sciences suited to their funding capability whereas guaranteeing technical requirements important for the industry’s improvement.
With an more and more full coverage framework, increasing funding inflows and a structured human useful resource improvement technique, the semiconductor industry is anticipated to change into a strategic technological pillar of Vietnam in the coming interval.
Nevertheless, specialists held that to understand the purpose of deeper integration into world worth chains, guaranteeing coaching high quality, mastering core applied sciences and constructing a coherent ecosystem linking enterprises, instructional establishments and regulatory companies stay key challenges for Vietnam’s semiconductor industry./.VNA