Abstract:
The 2027 trial production target of Vietnam’s first semiconductor factory has basically been missed. Multiple sources revealed that an agreement to purchase chip manufacturing equipment from ASML has not yet been reached, and the factory site located on the outskirts of Hanoi is still covered by weeds.
A reporter visited the factory site last week. Satellite images taken by Planet Labs in January and Airbus in October confirmed that no buildings have been built on the site. The project is being developed by Viettel, a telecommunications and defense group run by the Vietnamese military.
A person with direct knowledge of the project said,
The 2027 target will likely not be achieved because Viettel lacks experience in building chip factories.
while facing administrative hurdles in quickly obtaining government funding. The government-led project is still moving forward, but the timetable is unclear, the person said.Viettel insisted in a statement to the media that the project "is advancing according to the established plan and schedule" and that various activities are being carried out in phases according to technical requirements and will provide further updates in due course. Vietnam's Ministry of Finance did not respond to a request for comment, while ASML declined to comment on negotiations with Viettel.
It is worth noting that Viettel’s negotiations with ASML have continued for several months. Three people familiar with the matter said
negotiations covered equipment purchases, but no agreement has been reached so far.
The project broke ground in January this year, and Viettel said at the time that he hoped the factory would be fully operational in 2030 and that the chips would be supplied to the aerospace, telecommunications and automotive industries.
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