Representatives of Đà Nẵng City and Oregon State, the US share a photo session at a working visit in Đà Nẵng City. The two sides plan to promote co-operation in human resources training in sectors of semiconductor&AI, logistics and hi-tech industries. Photo courtesy of Quang Huy

ĐÀ NẴNG – The central city is looking to deepen ties with Oregon State in the United States to boost training in semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI) and logistics, seen as key drivers of growth in the coming decades.

Vice chairman of the city’s People’s Committee Hồ Kỳ Minh shared the plan at a working session with a delegation from Oregon State, stressing that Đà Nẵng University of Economics and the private Duy Tân University are key training bases for manpower in the semiconductor and AI industries. 

Minh said the two local universities, in partnership with institutions from Oregon State, should expand exchanges of educational programmes in these priority sectors.

He added that Đà Nẵng will host Economy-Finance-Technology Week this July, featuring a series of investment promotion and business matching events.

US ambassador to Việt Nam Marc Evans Knapper (second left) visits an electronic manufacturing factory of Trung Nam Group at Đà Nẵng IT Park. Đà Nẵng urged investment and co-operation from the US partners in hi-tech industries, semiconductor&AI. Photo courtesy of Quang Huy

The vice chairman also urged businesses and universities from Oregon State to explore investment and co-operation opportunities with local partners during the conference, noting that the two sides had exchanged visits in recent years.

Representatives of Oregon State also raised concerns over the development of the deep-sea Liên Chiểu Port, logistics, forwarding services and the building of a Free Trade Zone in the city.

Oregon State will share experience with Đà Nẵng City in semiconductors and AI, seaports, airports, logistics and an international finance centre.

During a previous working visit to Oregon State last year, Đà Nẵng authorities sought support in hi-tech industries, semiconductors and AI, agriculture and the food industry, chip design, logistics and Free Trade Zone infrastructure.

A working team from Oregon State visited the newly launched Đà Nẵng City Software Park No 2, the Đà Nẵng Semiconductor and AI Centre for Research and Training and the management board of the Special Economic Zone Authority for Free Trade Zone development.

Đà Nẵng has built partnerships with Oakland in California, Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania and Houston in Texas.

The city’s investment promotion centre reported that US investors had poured US$871.54 million into 100 projects in tourism, real estate, hi-tech and electronics.

Đà Nẵng has also received four ODA projects from the US worth $129.99 million.

A factory of Universal Alloy Corporation, a leading global manufacturer of aircraft components for aerospace companies from the US, is built at Đà Nẵng City's Hi-Tech Park. The US-invested factory specialised in manufacturing aircraft components for exports to Asia and global markets. VNS Photo Công Thành

The centre said 25 businesses were operating in semiconductor and AI, data centre and semiconductor advanced packaging laboratory (VSAP LAB) projects with a total investment of US$124 million.

A list of 14 businesses is operating in chip design and semiconductor facilities, including Synopsys, Uniquify, Renesas, Synapse (now Quest Global), Sannei Hytechs, Mixel Việt Nam, Marvell Việt Nam, Sibridges Việt Nam, Ideas2Silion Việt Nam, FPT Semiconductor, Viettel Hi-Tech and Acronics.

Đà Nẵng has also called for co-operation and investment programmes from Intel, Marvell Technology Group and Synopsys to help build the city into a global semiconductor manufacturing centre.

Universal Alloy Corporation, a leading global manufacturer of aircraft components for aerospace companies from the US, began producing aircraft components at Đà Nẵng Sunshine Aerospace in 2020.

The University of Đà Nẵng and Portland State University signed a Letter of Intent for co-operation in training human resources for the semiconductor industry in 2023. VNS