From its Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2045, Vietnam has identified science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation as pillars for breakthrough growth and enhanced competitiveness. In particular, the semiconductor industry is considered a strategic technology, playing a key role in achieving self-reliance and deep participation in the global value chain.
This policy has been quickly concretized through committed actions. At a meeting with the Semiconductor Association (SEMI) in November 2025, the Prime Minister affirmed that semiconductors are the foundation for Vietnam's rapid and sustainable development. The government aims to have its first chip manufacturing plant by 2026, while simultaneously improving institutions, investing in infrastructure, and preparing high-quality human resources.
Instead of just testing and packaging, Vietnam is aiming for high value-added stages such as research, design, and manufacturing. In fulfilling its assigned task, Viettel has initiated the construction of its first chip factory, viewing it not only as an economic project but also as a strategic step in its journey to master core technologies.
On January 16, 2026, at 10:46 AM at the Hoa Lac High-Tech Park (Hanoi), leaders officially launched the groundbreaking ceremony for Vietnam's first semiconductor chip manufacturing plant. This is not just the construction of a high-tech infrastructure project, but also a historic milestone, marking the first time Vietnam has established domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing capabilities, laying the foundation for the goal of gradually mastering core technologies and developing a national semiconductor ecosystem.
With an area of 27 hectares, the factory is envisioned to become a national infrastructure serving research, design, testing, and production of semiconductor chips, meeting the needs of many key industries.
Historically, the global semiconductor industry has been a fiercely competitive "game" in which only a few countries have been able to participate deeply. A complete semiconductor chip product must go through six main stages: product definition, system design, detailed design, chip fabrication, packaging - testing and integration - testing. Vietnam has recently begun participating in five out of these six stages.
The construction of the factory in Hoa Lac is the final piece to complete and close the entire semiconductor chip manufacturing process in Vietnam. However, to master the manufacturing process, Viettel must face challenges involving physical limitations and technological discipline at the highest level ever known to mankind.
Essentially, a chip is formed from hundreds of thin layers of film, each with its own unique physicochemical structure. To create a complete chip, a silicon wafer must undergo a three-month process involving approximately 1,000 consecutive technological steps. During
this process, the wafer travels tens of kilometers inside the factory. This complexity demands incredibly stringent infrastructure standards: Class 1 cleanrooms with a cleanliness level 10,000 times higher than operating room standards, electricity consumption equivalent to 50,000 households, and purified water 2,000 times cleaner than medical standards.
Notably, factory vibration is only permitted at 12.3 millionths of a meter per second. Even vibrations imperceptible to humans can be considered too strong, as a single small error in any of the 1,000 technological steps can render the entire production line ineffective.
In its initial phase, Viettel chose a 32-nanometer process. This was a highly strategic and practical choice, as it aligns with the nation's strategic goals and has broad applicability in civilian sectors such as telecommunications, the Internet of Things (IoT), electric vehicle manufacturing, medical equipment, and automation.
The presence of the factory is significant not only for Viettel but also provides a strong impetus for Vietnam's entire technology ecosystem. In fact, one of the biggest obstacles for chip design companies is the cost and complexity of sending designs abroad for trial production. When the factory becomes operational, these units will have a domestic base to realize their design ideas, instead of just remaining "on paper." This is a crucial leverage to achieve the goal of forming 100 chip design enterprises by 2030, as outlined in the national semiconductor strategy.
Furthermore, the factory will serve as the most modern practical environment for the country's human resource training strategy. Vietnam aims to train 50,000 semiconductor engineers by 2030, and this number is projected to exceed 100,000 by 2040. The factory is where the "Three-Party" cooperation model is realized: the State – the University – the Enterprise. Here, lecturers and students will directly witness and participate in modern technological processes, thereby forming an elite workforce capable of enabling Vietnam to become self-reliant and strong in the high-tech sector.