Increase autonomy so that semiconductor chips are strategic technology products

(Dan Tri) - The National Center to Support Semiconductor Chip Trial Production is expected to remove bottlenecks, helping Vietnam move deeper into the global semiconductor supply chain.

On the morning of June 26, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) held the Launching Ceremony of the National Center to Support Semiconductor Chip Trial Production (Vietnam National Multi-Project Wafer Coordination Center - VNMPW/CC) with the participation of many technology enterprises, semiconductor corporations, research institutes and key universities in the field of semiconductors.

VNMPW/CC is Vietnam's first national center to support semiconductor chip trial production, playing the role of connecting domestic chip research and design needs with the global semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem.

The launch of the center shows that Vietnam is gradually improving its technological autonomy, aiming to become an important link in the global semiconductor supply chain according to the Vietnam Semiconductor Industry Development Strategy to 2030, vision to 2050; making Vietnam one of the few Southeast Asian countries with infrastructure to support chip trial production at the national level.

Solve the semiconductor industry's biggest bottleneck

Currently, domestic research and trial production infrastructure is limited, making it difficult to produce semiconductor chips on an industrial scale. Research, training facilities and chip design businesses mainly have to place trial production at foreign factories, increasing costs, lengthening deployment time and limiting the ability to commercialize products.

According to Mr. Nguyen Khac Lich, Director of the Department of Information Technology Industry, the National Center for Support of Semiconductor Chip Trial Production will contribute to removing bottlenecks in trial production, creating a bridge between design, trial manufacturing, testing, evaluation and gradually commercializing chip products.

"The center will be a new link in the national semiconductor ecosystem, helping ideas from design drawings, simulations or laboratories take a decisive step forward to become real chip products, tested, evaluated, completed and gradually brought to market," Mr. Nguyen Khac Lich said.

Twitter builds shared infrastructure to support small and medium-sized businesses

The National Center for Semiconductor Chip Trial Production Support has the role of providing shared infrastructure to support the entire process from design, trial production, packaging, testing to product commercialization.

The center provides design tools, support for design appraisal and verification; Acting as a connection point with chip factories (foundries), packaging and testing units and international technology partners to organize trial production for universities, research institutes and domestic businesses.

After trial production, the Center supports chip quality assessment and connects with State support programs and investment funds to promote product commercialization. In the coming time, the Center will gradually build a laboratory for evaluation, testing and post-manufacturing analysis (Post-Silicon Lab).

Speaking at the event, Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan emphasized that in recent times, the Ministry has completed many law projects, issued decrees and guiding circulars, and created the best institutions so that the semiconductor industry in particular and high technology and strategic technology in general receive priority; At the same time, support small and medium enterprises participating in the semiconductor industry chain.

"Many small and medium-sized enterprises have technology but still have difficulty receiving investment and research and production infrastructure. That's why we need shared infrastructure to support and create the best conditions for them to deeply participate in the semiconductor chip industry," Minister Vu Hai Quan emphasized.

Development roadmap and regional vision

Vietnam's semiconductor industry development strategy to 2030 and national vision 2050 have determined that Vietnam will become a global human resource center for semiconductors, forming basic capabilities in all stages from research, design, to production, packaging and testing, and aim to become one of the world's leading countries in the semiconductor industry by 2050.

The center will be developed in three phases.

- Period 2026 - 2027, the State supports 100% of trial production costs to promote universities, research institutes, businesses and design groups to participate in research, development and testing of semiconductor chip products, and gradually form the capacity to operate the MPW model in Vietnam.

- In the period 2028 - 2030, the Center will continue to receive partial support for trial production costs, while completing shared infrastructure, laboratory systems, design tools, testing environments and in-depth technical support services, contributing to improving design quality and the ability to commercialize products.

- From 2030 onwards, the Center aims to master advanced technologies, expand international cooperation and gradually become a reputable semiconductor chip trial production support center in Southeast Asia, contributing to enhancing Vietnam's position in the regional and global semiconductor value chain.

"The center will synthesize and coordinate research and chip design projects of research institutes, universities, businesses and startup groups; connect with wafer factories, packaging and testing units at home and abroad; support the implementation of pilot production according to the Multi-Project Wafer model, thereby helping to reduce costs, shorten time, increase opportunities to verify designs and create conditions for Make in Vietnam chip products to gradually take shape," he said. Nguyen Khac Lich emphasized.

Strengthen cooperation, training and development of Vietnam's semiconductor ecosystem

"One of the most important priorities in developing the semiconductor ecosystem is training high-quality human resources who participate in research, production, and development of Vietnam's semiconductor industry," Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan emphasized.

To have high-quality human resources, good teachers and experts in the fields of science, technology and semiconductors are needed to participate in training and teaching. Besides, we need the participation of universities, research institutes, technology corporations... to cooperate and exchange experiences.

At the launching ceremony, the Center signed a memorandum of cooperation with 19 domestic and foreign partners, including many large domestic and foreign technology corporations and universities.

The agreements focus on research and training of high-quality human resources; support design, trial production, packaging, and chip testing; sharing technical infrastructure and connecting experts and businesses with training and research facilities, contributing to forming a network of links between the State, businesses, research institutes and universities.

Also within the framework of the event, the Center announced the establishment of a specialized consulting expert group with the participation of 21 reputable experts in the field of semiconductors from technology corporations, universities, and research institutes at home and abroad to support consulting on development strategies and in-depth technical expertise for the Center and for domestic universities, research institutes and businesses.

Many booths of businesses, research institutes and universities introduced typical products, solutions and research results in the field of semiconductor ICs, creating opportunities to connect and promote cooperation between subjects in the industry.