Prioritize funding for semiconductor chip research topics

Today, April 17, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Science and Technology in collaboration with Hanoi University of Science and Technology organized a workshop on orientation of scientific and technological research and human resource development to serve Vietnam's semiconductor industry.

Concluding the workshop, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Hong Thai said that immediately after today, the Ministry of Science and Technology will take practical actions to promote the development of scientific and technological research in the field of semiconductor chips. In the immediate future, the Ministry of Science and Technology will prioritize funding for research topics on semiconductor chips.

Leaders of the Ministry of Science and Technology and Hanoi University of Science and Technology attended the workshop.

If we depend on FDI, we cannot master technology.

According to Mr. Thai, after the workshop, managers and experts have temporarily defined the current state of Vietnam's semiconductor industry. Questions such as whether Vietnam has touched semiconductor chip production or not, whether the world is giving Vietnam the opportunity to be a leading player in developing semiconductor chips in the world and the region... have been answered.

Specifically, in the semiconductor chip technology process chain, regarding production, according to Mr. Thai, Vietnam has not yet started (no production) but is only participating in design, packaging and testing.

"We do not have raw materials for production. The added value we achieve in this field is low. High-quality human resources are in great shortage, although we do have a team of engineers," Mr. Thai stated the current situation.

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Hong Thai (left) and Deputy Director of Hanoi University of Science and Technology Huynh Dang Chinh at the workshop

Another issue highlighted in the workshop, according to Mr. Thai, is that if Vietnam continues to depend on FDI (foreign investment) enterprises, it will never master technology. It will forever be in the role of providing low-quality and low-income human resources, unable to develop.

"Of course, we must see that FDI is very important to Vietnam. We will have to rely on them to learn and master technology. But we have to go with them to participate," Mr. Thai noted.

Mr. Thai believes that the current low-quality human resources in the semiconductor industry are due to the unclear development policy mechanism. Enterprises such as Viettel, or universities have also begun to have plans to change the situation. But the connection to create an ecosystem is not enough. That ecosystem must start from the state management agency, followed by research institutes, universities. Then from the business sector, and finally from scientists and people.

"The Ministry of Science and Technology guides scientific research and technological research. The production strategy is the Ministry of Information and Communications. Calling for FDI connections and gradually developing Vietnamese enterprises is the role of the Ministry of Planning and Investment... State management agencies must sit together and unify to have policies," Mr. Thai stated his opinion.

Support training through funding research projects

Regarding human resource training for the semiconductor chip industry, the Ministry of Science and Technology is not allowed to provide training funding, for example, scholarships are not allowed. However, the Ministry of Science and Technology will also consider taking responsibility for this issue, for example, it can support through research topics.

"After today, the Ministry of Science and Technology will orient national and ministerial-level topics on semiconductor microchips. This is a direction for universities to create conditions for masters and doctoral students to receive research support and participate in research," Mr. Thai affirmed.

Another solution, to contribute to promoting the training of high-quality human resources, is to allocate funds to send cadres abroad to study. The National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) currently has a policy of prioritizing sending young cadres to do postdoc work abroad.

"Recently, the leaders of the Ministry of Science and Technology have asked the fund's executive board to identify five priority areas each year. From now on, in addition to areas such as medicine, genetics, etc., semiconductor microchips will be prioritized," Mr. Thai said, expressing his desire to form research groups in key industries.

"This is what has been lacking in recent years," Mr. Thai acknowledged, and said he had discussed this with Director of Hanoi University of Science and Technology Huynh Quyet Thang, and affirmed that the Ministry of Science and Technology will support in many different forms, including prioritizing topics.

"In the NAFOSTED program, we have already passed a resolution that from the following years, we will prioritize young research groups. For a PhD with a 5-year project, we will support the salary of 3 staff members. The salary may not be high, but it is enough for scientists to live on," Mr. Thai emphasized.

According to him, on this occasion, units need to find ways to attract national and international experts to research topics. "Have a project, the Ministry of Science and Technology will have a mechanism to support," Mr. Thai once again affirmed.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/thu-truong-bo-kh-cn-uu-tien-tai-tro-cac-de-tai-nghien-cuu-chip-ban-dan-185240417185551538.htm