After Vietnam and the US recently upgraded relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, many US companies have expressed a desire to help Vietnam become a major semiconductor chip manufacturing hub. What do you think about the country’s journey to participating in the field?

I was very happy to see the recent visit by US President Joe Biden to Vietnam and the visit by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to the US. The semiconductor segment is a promising step towards what Vietnam has in mind and its further development. And this has also led to many conversations between different companies and the Vietnamese Government and will bring more advances, especially in the growth of skilled workers and engineers. Such conversations hopefully bring more investment into the country, especially in the semiconductor field.

At Qualcomm, we will continue to be committed to working with our partners in Vietnam, especially in the country’s digital transformation. National digital transformation has led to many innovations and a host of companies embracing new technologies, especially in 5G and associated solutions. Qualcomm is therefore partnering with customers in that respect.

How would you assess the potential Vietnam holds for Qualcomm and other US semiconductor companies?

Qualcomm has been doing business in Vietnam for almost 20 years. During that time we have observed the determination of the Vietnamese people and the government in what they hope to achieve. Firstly, I have witnessed the determination of the government to push forward with national digital transformation, in which an important factor is mobilizing innovation, with many companies manufacturing 5G solutions and equipment, and we have at times work with some of them. National digital transformation encourages an embrace of innovation and creativity, which is key.

Secondly, we see there are a lot of skilled workers and engineers in the country. Vietnam is recognized as among countries with a lot of skilled engineers in high technology. So that is obviously an important point for the country in embracing high technologies, including semiconductors.

Thirdly, we can see that the semiconductor industry is continuing to grow globally and that demand is extremely high. Semiconductors are a key element and key component in everything from smartphones to infrastructure, medical products, motor vehicles, and IoT, etc. So I think semiconductors will continue to be a key industry and a growth industry throughout the world.

These three factors offer Vietnam great potential to play a role in semiconductors. The government is obviously playing a major part in driving the country towards that direction. I think that if Vietnam continues to go down the right path, its potential is significant.

What does Vietnam need to do to develop further in the semiconductor industry?

Vietnam is already doing a lot of things correctly. Government policy pushing digital transformation is very important, because it raises awareness, and the actual process drives many new tech solutions. So we work with a lot of companies in Vietnam in areas like smart cities, smart factories, infrastructure, and other projects. These all provide the necessary foundations in understanding innovation and creative technologies, and Vietnam should continue to focus on these.

Another thing is that Vietnam has been attracting a lot of manufacturing, and that creates different requirements and solutions in smart factories. This is important because it raises technological and technical expertise and the management of this knowledge, which will keep growing awareness and intellectual capacity. Vietnam already having skilled engineers provides a good platform for the country to grow. However, I think it should continue to have sensible discussions and cooperative endeavors with countries that are strong in semiconductors, to help it develop further in the industry.

In Vietnam, Qualcomm has been working with companies like Viettel and VinAI in enhancing digital transformation. That brings Qualcomm’s technologies and software and hardware to Vietnam, which will build the foundation of knowledge for Vietnam to approach high technology. The government has been following the right strategy in this industry.

Do you think Vietnam should follow a path of building electronics factories, including semiconductors, and then move on to building its own semiconductor brand, as happened in Taiwan (China)?

Countries are not the same, because the timing is different. I think that bringing more innovation and more creative ideas is extremely important. This is why, in Vietnam, Qualcomm also runs the Qualcomm Vietnam Innovation Challenge every year, to encourage startups to come up with ideas in 5G, AI, and IoT. With Qualcomm’s help, they can use the right technology, solutions, and business approach to create ideas with traction. Qualcomm has also been able to work with Vietnamese partners like VinAI, Viettel, SonKim Land, and Phenikaa University to apply and test innovative solutions in different fields. This is also proof of the strong digital transformation process taking place in Vietnam.

Vietnam has certainly been able to become a key manufacturing hub in the region and has welcomed global manufacturers. And its strong digital transformation, skilled workforce, and positive government initiatives will take the country forward.

What policy mechanisms and conditions should Vietnam adopt to seize the opportunities in the semiconductor market?

As I said, it already has the elements to promote a semiconductor industry. The recent visits by President Biden and Prime Minister Chinh created a lot of conversations between different companies and the governments. A key condition is a skilled workforce. Vietnam has skilled engineers and it is important to continue to grow this workforce and ensure they know how to manage and handle sophisticated equipment.

Government policy in advancing innovations and embracing digital transformation must continue to attract foreign investors and bring more opportunities.

Many analysts believe that Vietnam lacks the human resources for a semiconductor industry. What does it need to do to resolve this problem?

Many countries set up special courses to train skilled engineers. Vietnam could learn from them about university education and training in the semiconductor industry, to support its existing workforce in the field.

Attracting talent into Vietnam’s semiconductor industry is also important. The recent meetings between the Prime Minister and US companies were a positive step for Vietnam’s semiconductor industry. These companies will hopefully continue to have close cooperation with Vietnam and boost their investment in the field.

I have also been amazed by the success of the Qualcomm Innovation Challenge in Vietnam. The ideas that have come through are unbelievable. I live and work in Singapore and Taiwan (China), and I can see that Vietnam is of equal standing. The country possesses a workforce that is dedicated and wants to be successful, which is a key element in an ecosystem.

Major Vietnamese corporations such as VNPT, Viettel, FPT, and Vingroup are involved in chip research and production. What do you see their role as being in developing Vietnam’s semiconductor industry?

These companies are taking positive steps. They set up teams and groups that look at the technologies and innovations that are necessary for a semiconductor industry. Qualcomm is dedicated to helping our partners and these companies, to provide the right information for them to make the right decisions.

We are also working with them on things like AI, 5G, and other technologies that have semiconductors behind them. Creating knowledge about what semiconductors can do, having teams look at how to take them forward, and talking to many partners with experience in the field will definitely help Vietnamese companies going forward.

What are Qualcomm’s strategies and plans to participate more deeply in Vietnam’s semiconductor industry? How do you see Vietnam’s position in the global semiconductor industry in the next 3-5 years?

We continue to be committed to working with our partners here in Vietnam, especially in the areas of 5G and AI. At the beginning of this year, we announced cooperation with Viettel on radio access network (RAN) infrastructure, and are also working closely with the company to use Qualcomm’s platforms to develop Distributed Units (DU) for RAN systems that support 5G.

In recent years, we have also signed an agreement to work with companies like SonKim Land in developing smart cities, including security cameras, etc., and have worked with Phenikaa University to roll out private 5G networks inside the university.

I am optimistic that Vietnam’s semiconductor industry will continue to grow, especially thanks to cooperation with the US and further investment in the field. Along with the government’s determination in national digital transformation, we believe that Vietnam will become a leading manufacturing hub in the semiconductor industry