Le BichLoan, Deputy Chief of Saigon Hi-Tech Park (SHTP)’s management, told theSaigon Times Daily on the sidelines of the Annual InternationalConference 2014 held at SHTP on September 18 that SSTI will develop thelargest IC-making factory in Vietnam.
The investor hasestablished a firm specializing in semiconductor technology to constructits manufacturing facility over an area covering two hectares at anestimated cost of over 257.5 million USD to supply ICs to thetelecommunications sector.
SSTI will also develop a centre forresearch and development and a multi-functional line for testingcomprising high-frequency and energy-saving devices such aslight-emitting diode (LED) and solar panels.
All productsmanufactured by the factory aim to meet the domestic demand, replaceimported products and set the cornerstone for developing thesemiconductor industry in Vietnam. SSTI is also the first localprivately-owned company to invest in semiconductor-making at the hi-techpark, according to SHTP.
Meanwhile, Saigon Industry Corporation(CNS) also has a project to build an IC-making factory that costs around6.6 trillion VND to provide 1.8 billion ICs worth a combined 90 millionUSD a year.
Although the corporation has plans to carry out thisproject, it has yet to receive a formal approval to break ground forthe manufacturing facility at the hi-tech park.
CNS’s project ispart of the city’s programme on IC industry development. The corporationstill insists on realizing the project and the hi-tech park has pledgedto allocate 10 hectares of land for its construction, according toSHTP.
The city’s authorities set out this IC programme two yearsago with an aim of obtaining 100-150 million USD of revenue, training asmany as 2,000 technicians and engineers, and establishing about 30enterprises operating in the IC industry by 2017. The programme isestimated to cost an initial 7.5 trillion VND.
Many local andforeign experts at previous seminars held in the city said if themunicipal programme on developing the IC industry is realised, it willfuel the economy, add more value to Vietnamese electronic goods and helpthe country join the global supply chain.
The AnnualInternational Conference 2014, which is themed “Advancing BiomedicalEngineering through Semiconductor Technology Applications”, was a chancefor local and foreign scientists and experts to exchange relatedinformation and look for business opportunities in the biomedical andsemiconductor sectors.
The conference also featured exhibitions of various biomedical and micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) products.-VNA