Vietnam’s QTSC, Singapore Chip Industry Body Sign Pact on R&D and Talent
The agreement covers investment promotion, business matching and technology transfer, but no specific projects, capital commitments or implementation timetable were announced.
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Quang Trung Software City Development Company (QTSC) and the Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association (SSIA) signed an agreement to deepen co-operation between the two countries’ semiconductor industries, as Vietnam looks to build capabilities across a larger portion of the chip supply chain.
The memorandum of understanding was signed this week at the Vietnam-Singapore Semiconductor Industry Cooperation Forum in Ho Chi Minh City. It covers investment promotion, business matching, research and development, technology transfer, workforce training and international cooperation.
The parties did not announce any investment commitments, participating companies, specific commercial projects or a timetable for implementing the agreement. The pact, therefore, establishes a framework for co-operation rather than an immediate investment programme.
QTSC and SSIA plan to connect Vietnamese companies with semiconductor businesses and industry partners in Singapore, while supporting partnerships in areas such as integrated-circuit design, packaging and testing, research and workforce development.
A separate agreement was signed by SSIA, the Vietnam Semiconductor Industry Workforce Development Alliance (SEVINA) and FPT Polytechnic College. That partnership will focus on developing training programmes for semiconductor engineers and specialists.
The forum was organised by QTSC and the Vietnam Trade Office in Singapore, with government agencies, companies, research institutions and educational organisations from the two markets participating. Discussions covered investment policies, supply-chain development, R&D and the semiconductor workforce.
QTSC director Tran Huu Dung said Ho Chi Minh City had tasked the company with developing specialised digital-technology parks, with semiconductors identified as a priority sector. The initiative is intended to support activities ranging from chip research and design to packaging, testing, manufacturing and related industries.
Cao Xuan Thang, Vietnam’s trade counsellor in Singapore, said Singaporean companies were exploring opportunities to work with Vietnamese partners in integrated-circuit design, packaging and testing, talent development and regional supply chains.
Singapore gives Vietnam access to one of Asia’s most established semiconductor ecosystems. The city-state accounts for about one in every 10 chips and one in every five units of semiconductor-manufacturing equipment produced worldwide, according to the Singapore Economic Development Board.
Singapore attracted more than S$30 Bn in semiconductor investment between 2022 and 2025. Its industry spans integrated-circuit design, wafer fabrication, advanced packaging and testing, with a workforce of more than 35,000.
Vietnam, meanwhile, is seeking to move further into chip design, manufacturing and specialised semiconductor products. Under a national strategy approved in September 2024, the government aims to establish at least 100 chip-design companies, one small-scale fabrication plant and 10 packaging and testing facilities by 2030.
The strategy targets annual semiconductor revenue of more than $25 Bn by the end of the decade and a workforce of more than 50,000 engineers and graduates. Vietnam also plans to use foreign investment and international partnerships to develop capacity across research, design, manufacturing, packaging and testing.
The semiconductor pact forms part of a broader economic relationship between the two countries.
Singapore was Vietnam’s second-largest foreign investor as of May, with more than 4,500 active projects and nearly US$97 billion in registered capital, according to Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The QTSC–SSIA agreement could help open channels between Singapore’s established chip network and Vietnam’s emerging semiconductor ecosystem. Its commercial significance, however, will depend on whether the framework produces identifiable investments, company partnerships, engineering placements and measurable transfers of technology.
Quang Trung Software City Development Company (QTSC) and the Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association (SSIA) signed an agreement to deepen co-operation between the two countries’ semiconductor industries, as Vietnam looks to build capabilities across a larger portion of the chip supply chain.
The memorandum of understanding was signed this week at the Vietnam-Singapore Semiconductor Industry Cooperation Forum in Ho Chi Minh City. It covers investment promotion, business matching, research and development, technology transfer, workforce training and international cooperation.
The parties did not announce any investment commitments, participating companies, specific commercial projects or a timetable for implementing the agreement. The pact, therefore, establishes a framework for co-operation rather than an immediate investment programme.
