Vietnam forms national semiconductor steering committee, backs $1.3 bn Viettel chip plant

The Prime Minister of Vietnam has been named chair of a newly created National Steering Committee for the development of the semiconductor industry. The committee brings together senior officials from the ministries of Planning and Investment, Information and Communications, Science and Technology, and Industry and Trade to research, advise and propose policies that will integrate Vietnam into the global semiconductor supply chain.

In parallel, the state‑owned telecom group Viettel has launched construction of a large semiconductor manufacturing facility in the Hoạ Lạc high‑technology zone of Hanoi. The 27‑hectare plant represents an investment of about US$1.3 billion, the first domestic chip‑fabrication line in Vietnam, designed to produce 32 nm chips. Construction began in January 2026, with trial production expected by the end of 2027 and full optimisation slated for 2028‑2030. The project is part of a broader surge in semiconductor activity, with total foreign direct investment in the sector exceeding US$14.2 billion across 241 projects and more than 50 design firms employing roughly 7,000 engineers.