Experts asserted that for smart city construction, Binh Duong needed to develop the semiconductor industry. Binh Duong could build a better future for people and businesses through the use of technology as a driving force for socio-economic development.
A model of robot arm picking microcontroller products of Thu Dau Mot University students.
Focusing on finishing production phase
According to Peter Portheine, member of North Brabant region Council (The Netherlands), Binh Duong should focus on the finishing production phase and consider this as the best scenario for the short term of semiconductor industrial clusters. This means that investment would be limited and the employment rate must be high; in addition, it could be the base of high-tech zones, new residential areas near Binh Duong New City.
On the other hand, Vietnam is in the transition from cash payment to electronic payment. Recently, the government has urged banks to replace all bankcards with codes by cards with electronic chips in order to make cash transactions more secure and to prevent frauds. This, together with the implementation of toll collection, public transport such as metro tickets and bus tickets, would create a large demand for electronic card in the next 5 years in Vietnam.
Regarding international development, electronic chips are produced in various places in Southeast Asia (ASEAN). However, most chipmakers are based in Thailand and Philippines, some in Malaysia and Singapore. Bangkok city of Thailand has been very successful in establishing industrial infrastructure of last-stage production for NXP company (a semiconductor company previously belonged to Eindhoven city, the Netherlands, now owned by the US) - one of the key players in this market. NXP Company and many other companies are employing about 60,000 workers of Bangkok to serve the semiconductor industry of last-stage production. The semiconductor industry is seeking location alternatives for last-stage production through ASEAN countries.
Facilitating the development of semiconductor industry
The strategy of our neighboring countries in developing the semiconductor industry is the finishing phase of semiconductor supply chain must be simpler. Once they were familiar with technology and ICs, they would accelerate the supply chain to avoid failure.
According to Peter Portheine, a semiconductor industry project in Binh Duong is developed, in which Binh Duong is aiming at a modern last-stage manufacturing plant for identity and security products such as bankcards, ID cards... Besides, Binh Duong will cooperate closely with NXP Company and other semiconductor companies.
In order to carry out this project, Peter Portheine said that Binh Duong's first step was to build a solid project-launching phase in the semiconductor market in southern Vietnam; in addition, organizational and financial aspects of operations are projected, and risks are analyzed. This will lead to a comprehensive action plan of to build, manage and exploit these facilities, including target markets, technology choices, potential clients and investors. Project launching stages will provide an obvious insight into the potential semiconductor market in Vietnam in general and Binh Duong in particular.
Reported by Phuong Le – Translated by Ngoc Huynh
