Vietnam Opens National Prototyping Hub to Fast-Track Chip Ambitions

Vietnam inaugurated its first national semiconductor chip prototyping center on June 26, a key step in its strategy to secure a larger role in the global semiconductor value chain. The Vietnam National Multi-Project Wafer Coordination Center (VNMPW/CC), operating under the Ministry of Science and Technology, is designed to be a national hub linking the country’s chip designers with the international manufacturing ecosystem.

The center utilizes the Multi-Project Wafer (MPW) model, which bundles multiple chip designs onto a single fabrication run. This approach is intended to substantially lower prototyping costs and reduce product development timelines, thereby accelerating the creation of "Make in Vietnam" semiconductor products.

The VNMPW/CC will offer shared infrastructure for the entire chip development cycle, from design verification and prototyping through to packaging, testing, and commercialization. It will also provide electronic design automation (EDA) tools, support design validation, and coordinate with global semiconductor foundries and packaging and testing firms, giving Vietnamese universities, research institutes, and tech companies access to advanced manufacturing.

Following fabrication, the center will help developers assess chip performance and connect them with government support programs and investment funds for commercialization. A post-silicon laboratory for chip evaluation, testing, and analysis is also planned.

The center's development is structured in three phases. From 2026-2027, the government will fully subsidize prototyping costs to attract participation from academia, startups, and design firms while building domestic MPW operational capacity. Between 2028 and 2030, the hub will receive partial state support as it expands its infrastructure and services. Post-2030, the goal is for the center to become a leading semiconductor prototyping hub in Southeast Asia.

At the launch, the center executed memoranda of understanding with 19 domestic and international partners. Signatories included global industry leaders such as Intel, Infineon, Amkor, Cadence, Synopsys, TSMC, and GlobalFoundries, alongside major Vietnamese universities and technology firms like Viettel, FPT, and VSAP Lab. These partnerships will focus on semiconductor research, workforce development, chip design, prototyping, packaging, testing, and infrastructure sharing, promoting collaboration between government, academia, and industry.