Central hub urges investment from US partners in key industries

A working visit by the central city of Đà Nẵng and Nvidia company, a global chip maker, in the US. Đà Nẵng has called for investment from the US into the semiconductor industries and AI. Photo courtesy of Liên Phương

ĐÀ NẴNG — The central city of Đà Nẵng has been pushing for cooperations with US partners and businesses in the development of the semiconductor and AI industries, human resources training, sea port management, research, innovation, the environment and waste management and treatment.

Chairman of the city’s people’s committee, Lê Trung Chinh, who paid working visits in the US recently, urged American companies to invest in Đà Nẵng and support the city in implementation of a series of key plans for hi-tech industries.

Chinh asked the San Jose based Supermicro company, a premier provider of advanced server building block solutions, to review possible investment in an AI data centre in Đà Nẵng and human training in AI management.

Senior vice president of worldwide sales at Supermicro, Phidias Chou said it will consider creating a centre in Đà Nẵng, adding that Supermicro and Sovico group from Việt Nam, had already inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed during the official visit to the US by the Vietnamese Party’s Chief Tô Lâm in September.

In a visit to wireless company Qorvo Inc, headquartered in North Carolina, Đà Nẵng city’s leader asked them to set up representative office in the city.

Đà Nẵng has been accelerating the completion of Software Park No 2 in order to provide working space for strategic semiconductor and AI and hi-tech industries investors.

Qorvo’s power General Manager, Jeff Strang said it would host a working team to make a survey and field visit to Đà Nẵng in readiness to open an office and begin expert training programmes in semiconductors and chip design.

Đà Nẵng City's working group join a meeting with assistant Secretary of State and Chief of the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, Carol Henniger, in the US. Photo courtesy of Liên Phương

Qorvo Việt Nam Inc, which has one hundred members in Việt Nam, has positively participated in chip design and manufacture in the country.

Having signed a MoU with Marvell Việt Nam in Đà Nẵng in August, the central city proposed the implementation of series items in the existing deal. Marvell Việt Nam opened an office in Đà Nẵng in May to accelerate co-operation in human resources development in chip design and AI.

Lợi Nguyễn, executive vice president of cloud optics at Marvell, said employee numbers in Việt Nam have increased by 25 per cent and the company will be supporting them in training hi-quality human resources, as well as building a lab for semiconductor, AI and chip design studies.

Chairman of Đà Nẵng City asked Nvidia company, the global chip maker, to continue the Deep Learning Institute University Ambassador programme in improving capability for lecturers at universities in Đà Nẵng.

Đà Nẵng also urged Nvidia to support start-ups, innovation and R&D programmes, as well as improving the quality and the innovation ecological system in the city.

In a working visit to ITS-Group INC and Philogix Consultant company, Đà Nẵng offered investment opportunities in building a manufacture plant in the supply chains of semiconductor equipment at Đà Nẵng Hi-tech Park.

A production of a printed circuit board in Đà Nẵng Hi-tech Park. Đà Nẵng has offered preferential policies for investors from the US in the hi-tech industries, including semiconductor and AI. Photo courtesy of Quang Huy

A series of programmes in R&D, technology transfer in biotech and pharmaceutical industries were also discussed with the US partners in the working session.

Earlier, Đà Nẵng City’s working group paid visits to New York and Washington DC, to talk about plans to build an international finance centre in the city.

Vice chairman of the Financial Services Volunteer Corps, Bill Mills said he highly appreciated the potential and opportunities of Đà Nẵng in developing a financial market.

He said that Đà Nẵng should review experiences in operating a international finance centres and offer various preferential rates for investors. The company said it would help Đà Nẵng connect partners and businesses in finance centre development in the future.

Đà Nẵng is hoping to get experience and learn more about management in waste-to-energy technology from Win Waste Innovations in operations of its Wheelabrator Westchester plant.

In a meeting with assistant Secretary of State and Chief of the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, Carol Henniger, the chairman of Đà Nẵng City asked for further supports and assistance from the US department of State and the International Technology Security and Innovation Fund (ITSI Fund) in cooperative activities in the semiconductor industry.

Đà Nẵng City urges investment and cooperation from Qorvo Inc. Photo courtesy of Liên Phương

The assistant Secretary expressed her hopes for continuous cooperation between the city and Arizona State University in Assembling, Testing and Packaging (ATP).

In a discussion with USAID, Đà Nẵng asked for implementation of co-operative fields that the two sides agreed in a MoU signed in January in environment, solid waste management, sorting waste at source and the proposal of establishment of a carbon credit office in Đà Nẵng.

It’s the second working visit by the city to call for investment from the US, after a first successful trip in 2023.