Da Nang has been preparing resources to develop the semiconductor industry, with a focus on strengthening infrastructure, human resources and policy mechanisms, thereby creating new growth breakthroughs from this potential industry.

Representatives of DSAC and Intel Corporation ink a memorandum of cooperation to implement the Intel programme for future human resources in the city at the ‘Meet Da Nang 2024’ event on January 26. Photo: M.Q

Currently, in Da Nang, there are about 250 businesses operating in the field of manufacturing, processing and assembling electronic components with a combined total of nearly 10,500 employees.

Among them, seven businesses specialise in the field of microchips and semiconductor with a 550 semiconductor IC engineers. Some companies operate in IC design such as Synopsys, Renesas, Synapse, Fptsemi and Sannei Hytechs.

Da Nang is on track to compile highly practical policies to call for more students to study IC and semiconductor fields as well as encourage those who have graduated from related majors to study IC and semiconductor fields. Meanwhile, universities across the city have been building up training programmes and training departments for the semiconductor chip industry.

Specifically, the University of Science and Technology, a member school the Da Nang of University, recently announced the opening of the training programme ‘Microelectronics - IC Design’ and enrolled about 60 students by mid-March 2024.

The training programme has been designed by the Faculty of Electronics and Telecommunications to provide students with a comprehensive theoretical and practical foundation in the IC design process.

Currently, the Faculty of Electronics and Telecommunications has five laboratories and one electronics workshop and Cadence software serving subjects in the field of microelectronics - IC design.

Previously, at the end of 2023, the Viet Nam-Korea University of Information and Communication Technology announced the opening of a new IC and semiconductor design major with 40 enrollment slots in 2024, and the school plans to transfer 180 students from in related majors to the semiconductor circuit design field.

Mr. Trinh Thanh Lam, the Sales Director of Synopsys South Asia, said that Viet Nam is one of the company's strategic investment destinations in Asia-Pacific.

During the period 2020-2022, Synopsys Viet Nam has expanded to 4 offices in two major cities, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, attracting a total of nearly 500 engineers.

Particularly in Da Nang, human resources have increased rapidly over the years, showing the city's development potential in the field of microchip and semiconductor industry.

Sypnosys has been coordinating with the city’s authorities on development in the field of microchip and semiconductor industries and cooperating with many universities in the city to jointly develop human resource training programmes according to international standards for this industry.

A positive sign is that the city established the the Da Nang Semiconductor and Artificial Intelligence Centre for Research and Training (DSAC) on January 26. The centre has three main functions, namely training and fostering IC design, semiconductors and AI; attracting investment in microchips, semiconductors and AI; cooperating with domestic and foreign partners to promote research and incubate startup businesses in the fields of IC design, semiconductors and AI.

Also on January 26, at the ‘Meet Da Nang 2024’ event, representatives of DSAC and Synopsys International Limited inked a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in training human resources for semiconductor chip design.

Also, DSAC and Intel Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in implementing the Intel® programme for future human resources in the city. It is expected that this year, DSAC will coordinate with Intel Corporation to organise lecture training classes in the field of AI.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Thanh, the Director of the Da Nang Department of Information and Communications said that in terms of infrastructure, the city currently has one hi-tech park, 6 industrial parks and 3 information technology (IT) parks and software park (Da Nang Software Park, FPT Complex, Da Nang Centralised IT Park Phase 1).

Software Park No. 2 is completing legal procedures and it is expected to be put into operation in the third quarter of 2024 and will become an important infrastructure serving the field of IC and semiconductor design.

When it comes to policy mechanisms, the microchip and semiconductor industry belongs to the hi-tech industry, so investment in this field will enjoy the same mechanisms as other hi-tech industries according to the current regulations.

In addition, the city’s administration is proposing support mechanisms to attract experts, teachers, learners and policies on infrastructure use and tax incentives in the draft amendments and supplements to Resolution 119. /2020/QH14 dated June 19, 2020 on piloting the organisation of urban government models and specific mechanisms and policies to develop Da Nang.

Reporting by MAI QUE - Translating by A .THU