HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Chí Dũng has called on Japanese companies to seize early opportunities to invest in the semiconductor industry in Việt Nam as the country aims to become a regional hub in chip making.

Dũng made the statement while working with memory giant Kioxia on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 30th Future of Asia Conference.

Kioxia, formerly Toshia Memory Corporation, is Japan’s leading memory manufacturer, with a market capitalisation of around US$8.1 billion, specialising in NAND flash memory and SSD for a wide range of applications from cloud computing to smartphones, supercomputers and cars.

The firm has employed 50 Vietnamese workers, including nine currently working at its factory in Mei Province and three engineers at its research centre.

Dũng expressed his appreciation for the development of Kioxia, emphasising its increasingly important role in the formation of global technology infrastructure amid a rapid increase in demand for digital storage.

He recommended that the company provide support to skilled Vietnamese engineers who wish to start businesses or integrate into the chip supply chain, along with training programmes for Vietnamese students.

The deputy PM also urged deeper cooperation in establishing a large-scale training centre, data hubs and R&D facilities. Notably, Dũng urged the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Hà Nội to realise an AI chip production project at Hoà Lạc Hi-Tech Park.

“Việt Nam is fully creating the conditions to develop the semiconductor industry,” Dũng said, urging Kioxia to rapidly realise its investment in the country.

In response, Kioxia Executive Vice President Tomoharu Watanabe said that the company would enhance cooperation with Vietnamese ministries, agencies and enterprises, with a particular focus on welcoming Vietnamese engineers and providing training for workers in the semiconductor industry.

Việt Nam has issued a national development strategy and formed a high-level steering committee for the semiconductor industry along with a series of initiatives, including a plan to train 50,000 semiconductor engineers and efforts to attract foreign direct investment through public private partnerships. — VNS