(MPI) - Speaking at the Seminar "Promoting the role of Vietnamese enterprises in developing human resources for the semiconductor industry" combined with the Closing Ceremony of the IC design training program organized by the Ministry of Planning and Investment in collaboration with Cadence Group, FPT Group and Tresemi, USA on the afternoon of August 9, 2024 under the chairmanship of Minister Nguyen Chi Dung, Secretary of the Da Nang City Party Committee Nguyen Van Quang emphasized that Da Nang city is determined to create a favorable environment for enterprises to participate in developing human resources for the semiconductor industry.

Secretary of the Da Nang City Party Committee Nguyen Van Quang speaks. Photo: MPI

According to Secretary of the Da Nang City Party Committee Nguyen Van Quang, it can be affirmed that the transformation and focus on the high-tech sector of the city is the result of a leadership and direction process over the past 20 years of Da Nang City with Resolution No. 07-NQ/TU dated October 3, 2000, Resolution No. 06-NQ/TU dated March 12, 2003 of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee related to the development of software industry, application, information technology development and digital economy of the city, especially Resolution No. 05-NQ/TU dated June 17, 2021 of the City Party Committee on digital transformation in Da Nang City by 2025, with a vision to 2030.

In particular, since Vietnam and the United States upgraded their comprehensive strategic partnership in September 2023 with strong joint statements on the development orientation of the semiconductor industry; from October 2023 to present, the city has drastically and synchronously implemented many specific steps with the main orientation being to focus on developing human resources in semiconductors and artificial intelligence, focusing on linking and cooperating with large, reputable domestic and foreign enterprises and partners to attract investment, train human resources and form an ecosystem of semiconductors, semiconductors and artificial intelligence in the city.

Accordingly, the City organized a Workshop on human resource development solutions to serve the Da Nang semiconductor industry; organized business trips to the United States, Taiwan (China), worked with many of the world's leading corporations in semiconductor design; surveyed, worked, and partners highly appreciated the potential and investment opportunities in the field of semiconductor design and artificial intelligence of Da Nang city. At the same time, agreed to propose cooperation, support and call for investment in infrastructure and training of human resources in semiconductors and artificial intelligence to meet the development of the city and the human resource needs of the businesses themselves.

According to statistics, in Da Nang city, there are about 10 microchip design enterprises such as Synopsys, FPT, Viettel, Savarti, Renesas, Synapse... with about 550 engineers trained from Polytechnic University and universities in the city. The city decided to build a project to develop the microchip, semiconductor and artificial intelligence fields based on the needs of enterprises that have and are planning to invest in Da Nang city, at the same time, aiming to cooperate in training according to international standards to provide for domestic and foreign microchip and semiconductor enterprises with which the city has and is establishing cooperative and investment relationships. Da Nang plans to set a target of training and developing at least 5,000 engineers in the field of microchips and semiconductors by 2030 (of which, 2,000 engineers in the field of design and 3,000 engineers and technicians in the field of packaging and testing).

Mr. Nguyen Van Quang emphasized that in an effort to create a favorable environment for businesses to participate in developing human resources in the semiconductor industry, the city has been implementing many solutions and tasks, focusing on 3 groups of solutions. Firstly, Da Nang city has been building political and legal foundations to create policies to attract, encourage investment, and cooperate in development in the fields of semiconductor chips and artificial intelligence.

Da Nang is well aware that attracting investment and developing the fields of microchips, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence is not a short-term, movement-like activity, but the result of a process of effort, determination, research, and careful, long-term preparation for sustainable development. Based on the summary of 5 years of implementing Resolution No. 43-NQ/TW of the Politburo (12th tenure) on building and developing Da Nang city to 2030, with a vision to 2045, the city advised the Politburo to issue Conclusion No. 79-KL/TW dated May 13, 2024, in which, identifying the microchip, semiconductor, and artificial intelligence industry as one of 5 important, breakthrough industries, creating a driving force for rapid and sustainable development for Da Nang city in the coming time.

At the same time, the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 136/2024/QH15 dated June 26, 2024 on the organization of urban government and piloting special mechanisms and policies for the development of Da Nang city. These include outstanding preferential policies for strategic investors and strategic partners in the fields of microchips and artificial intelligence such as the policy of exempting corporate income tax and personal income tax; the policy of supporting training and fostering costs in the microchip and semiconductor industry; the policy of attracting experts and scientists; the policy of supporting costs for purchasing support equipment for businesses; the policy of directly leasing information infrastructure assets without auction, implementing designated bidding, purchasing special equipment from strategic partners in the fields of microchips and semiconductors, artificial intelligence, etc.

To enjoy the incentives of strategic investors and strategic partners, enterprises and investors, in addition to meeting the requirements on capital, revenue and technology, must sign long-term cooperation agreements with the city in human resource training, technology transfer and investment expansion in the city. These policies are expected to create important momentum and changes to attract investment and cooperation from domestic and foreign enterprises to the city in the fields of microchips, semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

In order to promptly concretize and implement Resolution No. 136/2024/QH15, the city is currently focusing on developing a Resolution regulating policies to support the development of the semiconductor, microchip and artificial intelligence sectors, promptly promulgating and applying it in early 2025, contributing to quickly creating a favorable environment, encouraging and strongly attracting students to study semiconductor, microchip and artificial intelligence, experts to work, transfer technology as well as having a mechanism to support businesses operating in the field of semiconductor microchips and artificial intelligence in the city.

Second, prepare land funds, infrastructure of concentrated information technology zones, software parks, high technology for businesses to implement projects and cooperate on microchips, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence. Da Nang City has 01 High-Tech Park and 03 concentrated information technology zones recognized by the Prime Minister. Currently, the city is constructing and putting into use from the end of 2024 Software Park No. 2 with a floor area of ​​over 90,000 m2, meeting the needs of more than 6,000 employees and is currently promoting investment in 03 new information technology zones to receive investment projects. At the same time, focus on investing in and completing the infrastructure of international fiber optic cable networks, electricity, traffic, and logistics to fully meet the high requirements of investors in microchips, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence.

To facilitate infrastructure for laboratories and high-performance computing centers to serve research and training in line with practical requirements, the city has researched and discussed cooperation with Viettel, Synopsys, Intel, and Sovico corporations to call on businesses to jointly invest, exploit, and operate these important infrastructures.

At the same time, the city advised the government to issue Decree No. 09/2024/ND-CP dated February 1, 2024 amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 144/2016/ND-CP dated November 1, 2016 of the Government stipulating a number of specific mechanisms on investment, finance, budget and decentralization of management for the city, thereby removing difficulties and obstacles in the management, exploitation and operation of Software Park No. 02.

Third, linking and cooperating with businesses in training, developing human resources and attracting experts in the fields of microchips, semiconductors and artificial intelligence. In the process of building training programs, universities in the city have worked and coordinated closely with microchip design businesses to build training programs suitable to business requirements.

Da Nang City has successfully launched the Semiconductor Microchip Human Resource Training Kick-off Ceremony and organized a training course for Microchip and Semiconductor training lecturers, including 25 lecturers from universities in the city. This program is the result of cooperation between Da Nang City, Synopsys Company, and Vietnam - Korea University of Information and Communications Technology.

With the support and consultation of Synopys Group, in the fourth quarter of 2024, Da Nang city will select the best lecturers to attend the lecturer training course at Sicada Academy (a cooperation unit of Synopsys in Taiwan). In addition, the city is also cooperating with large corporations such as Nvidia and Qualcomm to implement innovation programs, develop human resources in the fields of microchips, semiconductors and artificial intelligence. At the same time, based on working with international semiconductor enterprises, the city has identified international universities with experience in providing qualified human resources to connect with universities in the city to improve the quality of training and development.

Mr. Nguyen Van Quang expressed his hope that through today's event, there will be more information, solutions, and specific and practical cooperation opportunities to improve the training and development of human resources in the field of semiconductor microchips associated with artificial intelligence in Da Nang city. At the same time, Da Nang city proposed 3 contents to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. First, submit to the Government soon to issue a Strategy on developing human resources for the semiconductor industry, in which, allocate appropriate resources, focus on creating conditions for localities with strengths, including Da Nang city, to develop human resources for microchips and semiconductors.

Second, soon have a plan to invest in a National Semiconductor Industry Service Center in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang to promptly support semiconductor enterprises investing in Vietnam.

Third, there is a mechanism to establish investment funds and national microchip and semiconductor human resource development support funds to support localities, including Da Nang. Work with and attract international corporations to support Vietnam's semiconductor ecosystem./.

Tung Linh

Ministry of Planning and Investment