Developing manpower for semiconductor industry at Hoa Lac High-tech Park

The conference, co-organised by the HHTP management board and Hanoi Centre for Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion (HPA), was part of the Hanoi Semiconductor Investment Festival 2024, which will run until July 31.

Policymakers, businesses, and experts gathered at a conference in Hanoi on July 30

Making the opening speech, Tran Dac Trung, deputy head of the HHTP Management Board, said that in high-tech, semiconductors are the top priority and are receiving development support from the government. Preparing the necessary conditions to develop this industry, such as human resource training, is vital. HHTP is cooperating with institutes and businesses to prepare human resources for research activities and to meet the needs of large projects.

“HHTP expects to attract powerful businesses in the semiconductor and microchip sectors. The park has a big advantage because it is now home to schools, research institutes, and high-tech businesses. The HHTP management board has pledged to work with institutes, schools, and businesses, especially in training and research, to develop semiconductor human resources for the park, as well as in Hanoi and across the country,” he added.

Tran Dac Trung, deputy head of the HHTP Management Board

He added that this year and next year, HHTP plans to draw investment in social infrastructure projects to meet the needs of experts, researchers, students, and businesses working and studying there. The park is also the headquarters of large technology enterprises such as FPT, Viettel, VKIST, and NIC, and many more who participate in connecting and training semiconductor human resources.

At the event, participants discussed opportunities and challenges, and proposed supporting policies to Hanoi and the government to attract investment, promote research, and develop human resources.

According to Dr. Vo Xuan Hoai, deputy head of the National Innovation Centre (NIC), under a scheme to develop human resources for the semiconductor industry chaired by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam needs about 50,000 engineers. A survey of major Vietnamese universities found that the country is fully capable of training 50,000 engineers in the industry. However, challenges remain.

Dr. Vo Xuan Hoai, deputy head of National Innovation Centre (NIC)

“The number of high-quality engineers in Vietnam is still not enough to meet the growing needs of the semiconductor and AI industry supply chains. University courses do not yet meet international standards, so they need to be diversified, while international training cooperation should be implemented more effectively. Developing human resources must go hand in hand with building the semiconductor industry ecosystem based on Vietnam's strengths and development roadmap,” he admitted.

Dr. Le Truong Tung, president of FPT University, added that there are three big challenges to training human resources in the semiconductor industry. The first is training such a large number of workers for the industry. The second is the relatively short amount of time Vietnam has to train them (three years maximum). Lastly, this workforce will be thrown in to the global game, meaning they must be trained in line with international standards.

“This year, FPT University plans to recruit 1,000 candidates for IC design training. This is one of the four stages of the semiconductor industry that Vietnam has advantages in. The school is also looking for international cooperation with universities in the US, South Korea, Japan, and others. However, to ensure success, it requires two very important factors: attracting foreign partners to participate, and responsive learners,” he stated.

A representative of the Vietnam-Korea Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST), which is located in HHTP, said that it has placed the semiconductor industry as one of its nine key development industries. In the near future, with support from the Korean Institute of Science and Technology, it will train human resources and build a laboratory for microchip research in Vietnam. The construction of the laboratory at VKIST is expected to be carried out in cooperation with Acretech, which operates in semiconductor manufacturing and precision measurement systems.

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