On the morning of June 1st, the Da Nang People’s Committee held a seminar on the project titled “Development of Semiconductors, Microchips, and Artificial Intelligence.” The seminar was co-chaired by Standing Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee Ho Ky Minh and Director of the Department of Information and Communications Nguyen Quang Thanh.

Establishing an internationally standardized training network

In his remarks, Director of the Department of Information and Communications Nguyễn Quang Thanh emphasized that Da Nang must propose pilot mechanisms and breakthrough policies to effectively leverage its local human resources. At the same time, a strong sense of national pride and the aspiration to contribute are needed, along with adequate material incentives, to attract experts and scientists from other regions and from abroad. This will help Da Nang rapidly enhance its training capabilities and technology transfer, enabling the city to directly engage in high-value segments of the electronic, microchip, and artificial intelligence value chains.

In addition to human resource development, Da Nang must also implement investment attraction policies and strengthen cooperation with countries that have strengths in the field, aiming to build a comprehensive semiconductor industry ecosystem. During the first expert consultation seminar on the “Semiconductor and Microchip Development Project in Da Nang,” more than 20 comments were received. These focused on the project’s urgency and offered new insights, recommendations, and enhancements to the proposed solutions.

The drafting committee has carefully considered and incorporated expert feedback into the revised proposal, with a focus on promoting two core areas: talent development and cooperation in the semiconductor and AI sectors. According to a report by Mr. Lê Hoàng Phúc, Director of the Da Nang Center for Research and Training in IC Design and Artificial Intelligence (DSAC), there are currently 10 microchip design companies operating in Da Nang, including 7 branches of foreign-invested companies such as Synopsys and Marvell, and 3 domestic firms including FPT Semiconductor and Viettel Hi-Tech.

In terms of human resources, Da Nang is estimated to have around 550 IC design engineers, accounting for 7% of the country’s total IC design workforce. Most students are trained at the University of Science and Technology – University of Da Nang. By 2030, the city aims to establish a network of internationally accredited training institutions and to transition at least 10% of the current IT workforce into the semiconductor field.

The development project also targets the establishment of 20 IC design and design service companies, one packaging and testing firm, and at least five startups in the semiconductor and artificial intelligence sectors.

A specific market segment must be selected.

Contributing his opinion at the seminar, Dr. Nguyễn Quân — former Minister of Science and Technology — stated that Da Nang is one of the top three cities in Vietnam in the fields of semiconductors and artificial intelligence. He emphasized that, in addition to building mechanisms and policies, the city must demonstrate strong leadership commitment, which is a key factor in the success of the project. This determination should be reflected through significant investment in human resource training, particularly in the areas of design and packaging.

Mr. Đoàn Quang Hoan, former Director General of the Authority of Radio Frequency Management, agreed with Dr. Nguyễn Quân on the importance of selecting a specific market segment in the implementation of the project. He also suggested that the city consider including artificial intelligence in the project’s title, as the semiconductor industry focuses on hardware, while AI is a combination of algorithms and software — each following distinct development directions.

In his concluding remarks at the seminar, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee, Mr. Hồ Kỳ Minh, stated that the presentations and opinions shared had provided diverse perspectives, enabling the city to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the appropriate models for developing the semiconductor, microchip, and artificial intelligence industries. He emphasized that these insights would serve as valuable references for finalizing and implementing the development project and related special policies in the near future.