The semiconductor chip industry has become a spearhead industry of many countries around the world. In Vietnam, statistics from Technavio Research Company recently showed that our country's semiconductor market is expected to increase by 1.65 billion USD in the period 2021-2025, with a compound growth rate (CAGR). ) about 6.52%/year.
Great demand for use
According to the Information and Communication Technology Industry Agency (IT-IT, Ministry of Information and Communications), in 2021, the Asia-Pacific region has the largest demand for microchips, about 50% of the world with an estimate of about 50%. estimated value of about 300 billion USD. The remaining regions such as the Americas, Europe, and Japan have each region's chip demand of about US$100 billion... Although high expectations are set, in reality, the semiconductor chip manufacturing industry In Vietnam, there are still many difficulties, most businesses do not have a national development plan and have not invested methodically. Currently, our country is still dependent on 100% of the supply of semiconductor chips from abroad of corporations such as Broadcom, Hitachi, Qualcomm, Samsung, SK Hylix...
Research on microchip production in Ho Chi Minh City Hi-Tech Park. Photo: HOANG HUNG
Mr. Nguyen Thien Nghia, Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Information and Communication Technology, said that the growth rate of Vietnam's ICT sector increased from 7% to 9% per year. In 2021, the industry's revenue will reach 130 billion USD, of which the software sector accounts for about 5.5 billion USD, the hardware sector is 110 billion USD. However, the hardware segment currently has up to 99% of electronic and telecommunications equipment in use, all of which are foreign. Vietnam has issued many policies to create favorable conditions for prioritizing investment and development of high-tech products, including the field of semiconductor chips. However, for many years, the domestic microchip industry is still struggling with no clear direction.
"The research on industrial production of semiconductor chips is enjoying many incentives from the Government, but for successful development, it needs a more methodical and specific roadmap," emphasized Mr. Nguyen Thien Nghia at the conference. Solutions, mechanisms and policies for the development of Vietnam's semiconductor chip industry" organized by the Information Technology Industry Department and the Management Board of the High-Tech Park of Ho Chi Minh City (SHTP).
Focus on training and design
ICT experts say that Vietnam has a great advantage in terms of population size, the need for human resources to design chips, and at the same time is a country that is receiving investment from many leading corporations in the world. - is a favorable condition for the development of the domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing industry, but in order to develop the domestic microchip industry as expected, it requires leaders at all levels, especially at the strategic level, to take drastic action, political vision and determination.
Specifically, Dr. Huynh Phu Minh Cuong, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Science and Technology (HCMC National University), said that in order to produce the semiconductor chip industry, it is necessary to form a company. IC design owned by Vietnamese people. Therefore, it is necessary to have a strategy to train good human resources because in fact, Vietnam does not have many highly qualified engineers in semiconductor IC design. In addition, it is necessary to have a policy to support capital sources and a specific mechanism to carry out research projects on manufacturing microchips and semiconductor chips from schools, institutes, start-up businesses, etc., because they want to design chips. it takes 2-3 years, costs up to millions of dollars.
According to Mr. Nguyen Manh Hai, Head of Research and Production Department, Viettel Group, Vietnam should focus on the IC chip manufacturing industry, soon come up with long-term and long-term policies to attract high-quality human resources. . At the same time, strengthen cooperation between the Government and large companies to help Vietnam develop the IC manufacturing industry; from there we can buy machines, equipment, learn more experience from partners.
Recently, Ho Chi Minh City Hi-Tech Park inaugurated the Circuit Design Center (SCDC) and launched the Chip Design Lab. SCDC is the place that provides design software to schools and institutes; organizes training courses on IC design for lecturers of schools and institutes.... Chip Design Lab is the infrastructure to deploy the cooperation contents that SHTP has signed with partners specializing in design. circuit meter. “In the short term, SHTP focuses on design, which is a high value-added step of the semiconductor chip manufacturing process. Particularly in terms of technology and specific products, the focus of SHTP's development is still the microchip, specifically the fabrication laboratory (fablab), which will make a difference for SHTP", Mr. Nguyen Anh Thi, Head of SHTP Management Board, emphasized.
Assessing the prospects of the chip industry in Ho Chi Minh City in particular and the whole country in general, Prof. Dr. Dang Luong Mo, an advisor to SHTP, who plays an important role in proposing to establish and advise the Research and Training Center create IC design, put faith: "From these good signals, I hope this time to see Vietnam's IC industry really take shape with both design and manufacturing segments".
According to Baomoi.com