US enterprises follow through on semiconductor pledges

US enterprises follow through on semiconductor pledges, Source: freepik.com

In mid-July, US-based chip manufacturer Qorvo teamed up with the National Innovation Centre (NIC) to launch an analogue design course to enhance the workforce in the semiconductor sector.

Qorvo plans to build its workforce and presence in Vietnam, where the company has a well-established integrated circuit (IC) research and development team. Qorvo already has more than 100 hardware and software engineers in Vietnam who are focused on meeting the growing demand for power management ICs, battery management systems, and intelligent motor control solutions.

Bob Bruggeworth, CEO of Qorvo, told VIR, “We believe Vietnam is a great place to expand. The key is to strengthen Vietnam’s technical workforce by investing in training and education to foster the next generation of engineers and IC designers, transforming Vietnam into a stronger semiconductor technology hub.”

Creating a strong partnership between universities and the semiconductor industry through the NIC will be key to developing a strong and capable workforce, Bruggeworth added.

“We believe that innovation begins with education. That is why Qorvo is committed to providing IC design lecturers, specialists and US-standard training curriculum to the NIC,” he said.

Similarly, electronics and system design company Cadence has partnered with the NIC, FPT Semiconductor, TreSemi, Qorvo, and Sun Education to launch digital and analogue IC design courses in Vietnam. The initiatives reflect the US company’s strong support to empower Vietnam to become a reliable partner and an important hub in the global semiconductor value chain.

Michael Shih, corporate vice president of sales for Asia-Pacific and Japan at Cadence, said that as semiconductor industry continues to pursue cutting-edge technologies, training highly skilled, experienced chip engineers will contribute to the development of talents and businesses in the design and product development of semiconductor in Vietnam.

“Through our continuous collaboration with the NIC and Saigon High-tech Park, Cadence is now providing Vietnamese universities, training centres, and startup companies with the technology and education required for learning IC design software tools for the fast-growing, local semiconductor and electronics ecosystem,” Shih said.

In a move aimed at training 50,000 semiconductor engineers by 2030, education trailblazers play a valuable role in shaping the future of technology by cultivating the next generation of engineers. By continuously providing access to IC design software tools along with training programmes to academic institutes, those students and trainers will get an opportunity to gain real-world experience creating innovative IC designs.

“We believe that equipped with knowledge about essential skills and practical experience, we could contribute to a valuable talent pool for the growing IC design industry in this region. For example, Cadence’s partnership with the NIC to support over 30 universities in IC design training, including many of the top-tier universities with specialised IC design programmes, is unmatched in Vietnam, benefiting many students in the workforce development programme,” Shih said.

In May, American semiconductor giant Marvell Technology also announced that it has accelerated the growth of its workforce and presence in Vietnam in the past year since the company announced plans to expand research, engineering, and design activities across the country.

Marvell committed to 50 per cent growth of its workforce in Vietnam in three years, a target shared by the company during last year’s US-Vietnam Innovation and Investment Summit. Today, Marvell is ahead of its plans, achieving around one-third of growth in just eight months.

“We are excited about the momentum we’ve gained since we announced our design centre plans last year, including our progress in adding top engineering talent to our team and expanding our number of sites,” said Marvell chairman and CEO Matt Murphy. “Vietnam is rapidly becoming a centre of semiconductor innovation, and we are committed to being part of that.”

Elsewhere, US chip software firm Synopsys is also committed to advancing IC design talent and chip development in Vietnam. Last year, the company signed three MoUs with the NIC, Danang People’s Committee, and the Authority of Information and Communication Technologies to fulfill these commitments.

The US is collaborating closely with Vietnam in its CHIPS Act outreach programme to help Vietnam expand its worldwide semiconductor ecosystem, including production and distribution outposts. Vietnam ranks third in semiconductor exports to the US, and the US-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership included $2 million in funding from the US to help Vietnam develop its semiconductor workforce.

Shih from Cadence added that the Vietnamese semiconductor industry has the potential to fully participate in all stages of the value chain, with more investment from US companies that are actively considering opportunities for growth and expansion in the country.

“Talented students and professors are key to keeping the chip industry competitive. The training provided to the local universities via collaboration between Vietnam and US companies can ensure practical skills and real-world experience creating innovative IC designs, especially given the rapid pace of technological change, and at the same time can enable our customers to achieve future design success,” he said.

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