To achieve its ambitious goal of training 50,000 semiconductor engineers by 2030, Vietnam must invest $1 to $1.5 billion annually in developing a comprehensive, multi-tiered human resource ecosystem. This is the assessment of Dr. Chu Duc Hoang, Chief of Office for the National Technology Innovation Fund under the Ministry of Science and Technology, who emphasized the need for a foundational approach rather than solely focusing on attracting top-tier talent without adequate support structures.
Dr. Hoang’s remarks came during a recent workshop titled “Strategic Human Resource Management in Vietnam’s Semiconductor Industry Development,” hosted by the University of Economics – Vietnam National University, Hanoi. He highlighted Vietnam’s 2030 targets, which include approximately 50,000 chip-related engineers and experts, alongside efforts to attract major foreign direct investment (FDI) players and establish three integrated semiconductor technology hubs in Hoa Lac, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang. Concurrently, Vietnam aims to foster a domestic supply chain with 5-7 chip design companies generating over $100 million in annual revenue and holding more than 200 international patents for semiconductor IPs.
Despite these aspirations, significant hurdles persist in developing Vietnam’s semiconductor workforce. Dr. Hoang pointed to a lack of strategic quality and structural planning. Currently, the training system only meets 22% of specialized skill requirements, resulting in an 85% shortage of leading experts. Alarmingly, the “brain drain” rate stands at 35%, with 70% of outstanding students studying abroad not returning and 65% of engineers trained overseas not coming back after five years of work.
To sustain a 25% annual growth rate for Vietnam’s semiconductor industry, Dr. Hoang proposed a 7:2:1 ratio for training, retaining, and developing the 50,000 engineers: 70% operational engineers, 20% design engineers, and 10% research engineers.
Dr. Hoang employed the metaphor of an “elephant” and “ivory tusks” to illustrate a multi-tiered human resource ecosystem. The “elephant” represents the entire semiconductor workforce ecosystem, comprising over 50,000 individuals distributed in a 15:35:50 ratio. This includes: 10,000 personnel in supply chain, IP commercialization, and the development of 3-5 innovation centers in Hanoi, HCMC, and Da Nang. 15,000 experts in materials, testing, and packaging, requiring 7-10 collaboration programs with industry leaders like TSMC and Samsung to meet international standards. 25,000 engineers in design, process, and factory operations, demanding an annual investment of $500 million for training at 15 key universities.
The “ivory tusks,” in contrast, symbolize the visible, high-profile talent that attracts initial media attention and an estimated $200-300 million in annual investment. This segment includes: 3-5 overseas Vietnamese chip design experts from Silicon Valley (earning $25,000-$30,000/month) with experience at companies like Qualcomm, Nvidia, and Intel. 10-15 AI and chip design “prodigies” graduating annually from top universities like Stanford, MIT, and Berkeley, capable of creating IP cores valued at $5-10 million. 50-70 highly skilled engineers with international ASIC/FPGA certifications, involved in SoC design for IoT, electric vehicles, and 5G applications.
Drawing on Taiwan’s experience from 1980-2000, Dr. Hoang emphasized that to reach the 50,000-engineer target, Vietnam needs to invest $1 to $1.5 billion annually across the entire semiconductor human resource ecosystem. This investment should include establishing three international training centers, five specialized laboratories, and 10 public-private partnership programs with corporations like Intel and Amkor. He argued this strategy would be more effective than simply attracting 100-200 senior talents without a robust supporting foundation.
To achieve the goal of 50,000 semiconductor engineers by 2030 and increase the value chain contribution from 5% to 15-20%, Dr. Hoang suggested significant investment in training all three tiers of the workforce. The technician tier should grow to 80,000-100,000 people, the engineer tier to 15,000-20,000 through specialized training and international cooperation programs, and the leadership tier to 2,000-3,000 experts through attracting overseas Vietnamese and investing in a Semiconductor Research Institute (similar to Taiwan’s ITRI – Industrial Technology Research Institute).
