Semiconductor Industry Development: Lessons from Singapore
Professor Teck-Seng Low (National University of Singapore) recently shared Singapore's successful lessons in developing the electronics and semiconductor industry. Professor Teck-Seng Low's presentation was shared at a seminar on semiconductor technology within the framework of VinFuture Science Week.
According to Professor Teck-Seng Low, because of its small size and modest population, Singapore has chosen to focus its development on high value-added industries from the beginning. In particular, the country targets the electronics industry, from which consumer electronics are produced.
The electronics and semiconductor industry currently contributes about 9% of Singapore's GDP. Singapore's strategy is to maintain the proportion of manufacturing industries in GDP at 20%. Of which, the semiconductor and electronics industry is an important sector.
According to Professor Teck-Seng Low, Singapore currently has a complete semiconductor ecosystem. This is good for both Singapore and foreign semiconductor companies to invest. Currently, Singapore also has many supporting industry companies, universities, and research institutes to support the manufacturing industry.
Sharing the lessons learned from Singapore, Professor Tech-Seng Low said that the country has achieved its current position thanks to a lot of effort. Since the 60s and 70s of the last century, Singapore has attracted international investors to become a production site for consumer electronics companies.
The country then decided to move up the value ladder, creating its own semiconductor companies. This was accompanied by serious investment in research and development from 1991 to the present.
“ We also have a strategic investment in robotics. Through our continuous efforts, we have achieved what we are today and have made Singapore a hub for the semiconductor industry. Singapore’s next goal is to become a subsystem in the global value chain ,” said Prof. Teck-Seng Low.
At present, Singapore is investing more deeply in 2nm chips, supporting scientists to master technology at the sub-2nm process.
Singapore sees quantum computing as a very important field in the future. Therefore, the country has invested more than 300 million USD in quantum computing and photonics in the hope of attracting the world's leading scientists in these fields.
Can Vietnam learn from Singapore's model?
When asked by reporters about how Vietnam could participate more deeply in the global semiconductor race, Professor Teck-Seng Low said that when Singapore started developing the semiconductor and electronics industry, it learned from and then copied Taiwan's model.
Sharing experience with Vietnam, according to Professor Teck-Seng Low, the Singaporean semiconductor industry does not use much budget, but this will be a source of "seed capital" to build programs, attracting leading semiconductor companies to this country.
Professor Teck-Seng Low believes that to develop the semiconductor industry, Vietnam needs to attract foreign investors to form internal strength in the early stages. Foreign companies will eventually leave, so Vietnam needs to develop its own domestic semiconductor companies. Then, combine the internal strength of domestic semiconductor companies and foreign investors.
“ There have been no new companies entering the semiconductor market for a long time. So we need to develop a new generation of entrepreneurs. This is true not only in Singapore but in many other countries as well, ” said Prof. Teck-Seng Low.
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