A Vietnamese startup partners with a US semiconductor firm to train microchip students.

VNChip Institute for Research and Development of Semiconductor Technology and Cadence Design Systems (U.S.) signed an agreement to train high-quality microchip personnel in Vietnam.

"The agreement will enhance training capacity, helping microchip engineers in Vietnam meet international standards, qualifying them for internships and jobs at domestic and foreign microchip design companies," said Mr. Lục Đức Trí, founder and CEO of VNChip Technology, at the signing event on April 24 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Mr. Lục Đức Trí, founder and CEO of VNChip Technology (left), and a representative of Cadence Design Systems in Vietnam exchange the microchip personnel training agreement. Photo: Bảo Lâm

VNChip was founded in 2020 with the goal of self-sufficiency in chip technology. The company currently has over 100 employees, primarily working in research and development (R&D) in the semiconductor sector.

Meanwhile, Cadence, founded in 1983 and headquartered in San Jose, California (USA), specializes in manufacturing software and hardware for integrated circuits, system-on-chip (SoC), and printed circuit boards. Cadence's technology is widely applied in fields such as 5G, mobile devices, automotive, healthcare, and aerospace.

At the event, Mr. Trí stated that VNChip's orientation is to become a training and research hub in microchip design in Vietnam, contributing to the creation of a generation of high-quality engineers. The chosen participants are students nearing graduation. The cooperation is under the patronage of the National Innovation Center (NIC).

"Partnering with Cadence to train microchip engineers marks a significant step in developing high-quality human resources for Vietnam's rapidly growing semiconductor industry," Mr. Trí emphasized.

Cadence will grant access to its proprietary microchip design toolset, helping students become familiar with advanced IC design processes. VNChip will be responsible for implementing the curriculum, organizing training courses, and providing human resources, ensuring the courses are highly practical and aligned with the real-world needs of the semiconductor industry. The NIC will partner in creating opportunities and supporting students, helping them develop their careers in the microchip field.

The program is offered free of charge to fourth-year students after they pass an entrance exam. Mr. Trí said the program has been approved by dozens of universities in Vietnam. The first cohort had 187 students apply, with a screening test held in May to select those who scored above 60/100 points.

Mr. Quang Lê, a former Intel engineer, assessed that Vietnam should not only focus on packaging or testing (back-end) when participating in the semiconductor sector, but should also aim for stages that require high intellect and added value to elevate the competitiveness of Vietnamese engineers on the international market. Therefore, "handshakes" like the one between VNChip and Cadence will help Vietnam create semiconductor engineers of world-class caliber.

Mr. Trường Hoàng, an expert at MediaTek with 20 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, noted that the career path of a microchip engineer is very long and demanding. He encouraged students not to hesitate to challenge themselves with new things and to access them through programs like VNChip's.

In addition to the training partnership, VNChip will also be the location for Cadence's first laboratory. This is seen as a step forward in connecting domestic startups with global semiconductor corporations.

Previously, at a seminar on semiconductor human resource development on April 19, Mr. Đỗ Tiến Thịnh, Deputy Director of NIC, evaluated that the semiconductor industry is a "very special, core industry of information technology." NIC has reported to the government that the majority of Vietnam's semiconductor chip design workforce must enter the international market. Therefore, the mindset for developing human resources in this industry is to "go and then return."

"We support universities in training students domestically, and then sending them abroad to study and work for a period before returning to develop the chip industry," Mr. Thịnh said.

According to Gartner, the global semiconductor industry was worth 620 billion USD in 2023 and is projected to reach 1 trillion USD by 2030. Vietnam aims to train 50,000 semiconductor engineers by 2030.

Bảo Lâm

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