After a long wait, Viettel pioneered the construction of a semiconductor chip plant on January 16 at Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park in Hanoi. Built on an area of 27ha, the plant aims to become national infrastructure serving research, design, testing, and production of semiconductor chips. Viettel targets completing construction investment, receiving technology transfer, and beginning trial production by the end of 2027.
Once operational, the plant will have a capacity of 3,000-4,000 semiconductor wafers per month, equivalent to the minimum scale of a complete chip manufacturing line, with an output of approximately 100 million chips per year. The plant’s products will serve key sectors such as telecommunications, industry, smart transportation, healthcare, and digital infrastructure, meeting the increasing demands of digital transformation in Vietnam.
From 2028 to 2030, Viettel’s chip manufacturing plant will refine and optimize processes, enhancing line efficiency according to industry standards, thereby serving as a basis for researching chip manufacturing technology at more modern nodes.
According to Major General Tao Duc Thang, Chairman and General Director of Viettel Group, his organization is focusing on building the capacity to master chip manufacturing technology, thereby contributing to forming a long-term foundation for the development of domestic high-tech industries.
In the modern semiconductor chip production value chain, a complete chip product must undergo six main stages: product definition, system design, detailed design, chip manufacturing, packaging & testing, and integration & testing, five of which have welcomed the participation of Vietnam.
However, chip manufacturing, the most complex and crucial stage, currently cannot be performed domestically. The construction of the semiconductor chip manufacturing plant will help complete and close the entire chip production process right in Vietnam.
Nearly two weeks after Viettel’s groundbreaking, on January 28, FPT Corporation announced the establishment of the FPT Advanced Semiconductor Testing and Packaging Plant.
This is Vietnam’s first testing and packaging plant owned by Vietnamese people, contributing to completing the national semiconductor ecosystem with all stages from research, design, production, training, testing and packaging, to business, thereby penetrating deeper into the global supply chain. This plant is expected to become an advanced packaging and testing unit in the region.
In Phase 1 (2026-2027), the plant is located in Yen Phong II-C Industrial Park in both Yen Phong and Tam Giang Communes of Bac Ninh Province, with a scale of 1,600m2. It features six functional testing lines and one area with multiple specialized reliability testing and durability testing systems.
The equipment system complies with international quality management standards ISO 9001, ISO 14001, IATF 16949, and specialized semiconductor technical standards including JEDEC, AEC-Q100, and AEC-Q101, ensuring product quality, stability, and reliability throughout the lifecycle.
In Phase 2 (2028-2030), FPT Corporation plans to expand the plant scale to about 6,000 square meters, investing in an additional 18 new functional testing lines, three reliability and durability testing areas, traditional packaging lines (QFN, QFP, DFN...), CSP (Chip Scale Package) packaging lines, WLP (Wafer Level Package) lines, and advanced IC packaging lines.
FPT Corporation and Viettel Group have signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement to build autonomous capacity in semiconductor technology by linking the semiconductor technology industry value chain: training – design – manufacturing – testing – packaging – commerce.
The focus is on jointly developing AI SoC chips on Edge at the 28-32nm process for the ecosystem of camera equipment, drones, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and smart devices. Experts assess this as a strategic alliance between two leading Vietnamese corporations aimed at completing a closed semiconductor ecosystem.
Viettel’s construction of Vietnam’s first chip manufacturing plant and FPT’s establishment of an advanced testing facility demonstrate a determined push to master the semiconductor value chain. This strategic cooperation aims to develop core capabilities and integrate Vietnam deeper into the global market.
FPT Chairman Truong Gia Binh emphasized the necessity of linking up to form a domestic ecosystem. Major General Tao Duc Thang affirmed that these investments complete the “Make in Vietnam” ecosystem, aligning with Politburo Resolution No. 57. Together, these facilities provide a practical environment to train and retain domestic engineers, effectively limiting brain drain while building a core workforce for this strategic industry.
Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui Hoang Phuong highlighted Vietnam’s human resource advantage in attracting chip design investment. Although the country is central to global packaging, foreign firms still dominate. FPT’s new advanced testing and packaging plant fills this critical gap, effectively completing Vietnam’s domestic semiconductor ecosystem.
Honorary President Nguyen Bich Yen of the Institute of Semiconductors and Advanced Materials (Vietnam National University – Hanoi) praised that pioneering enterprises are actively constructing Vietnam’s semiconductor value chain through real commitments. As critical pieces like materials and production materialize, FPT stands as a major pillar, raising technological capacity while playing a vital role in connecting and leading the entire ecosystem.
In related news, FPT Corporation has just signed strategic cooperation agreements with leading domestic and international corporations in the field of semiconductor chips and electronics to consolidate the orientation of mastering technology and completing the closed semiconductor value chain.
It signed a cooperation agreement with Restar Corporation, a leading electronics equipment distribution and technology group in Japan, aiming to promote research and development of semiconductor packaging and testing technologies, and commercialize chip lines packaged and tested by FPT in the global market.
To promote Vietnam’s semiconductor ecosystem, FPT cooperates with VSAP LAB JSC in Da Nang City, agreeing to focus cooperation resources in three key areas:
- value chain cooperation from R&D to mass production of advanced packaging segments;
- cooperation in developing business for advanced packaging and testing services;
- cooperation in in-depth human resource training for the packaging segment.
