A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Tuesday (May 30) between HCM City-based Sai Gon High-Tech Park (SHTP) and leading US intelligent system design provider Cadence Design Systems, Inc. to collaborate on fostering electronic design expertise and advance the semiconductor industry in Viet Nam.

Under the MoU, Cadence plans to explore the opportunity to provide its integrated circuit (IC) design software tools and relevant training programmes to local universities through the Cadence Academic Network.

The local universities involved in the collaboration are known for their strong engineering departments and provide access to a valuable talent pool for the growing IC design industry in the region.

The collaboration is intended to enable these students to gain practical experience in IC design and verification and a means to learn how to solve complex technical challenges when creating ICs, packages, PCBs, and complete systems.

Attending the signing ceremony, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Van Tung said foreign businesses value Viet Nam’s development potential, noting that the SHTP’s focus on training IC design manpower is the right direction for creating high-quality human resources for industries in the time ahead.

The city is now a potential destination for foreign investors, including those in the electronics and IC industry. As global supply chains are shifting, the SHTP should ready high-quality human resources to attract investment in this sector, Duong Anh Duc, vice chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, said.

Established in 2002, SHTP is located in Thu Duc city and covers an area of 913 hectares with the aim of fostering the development of high-tech industries and promoting innovation and creativity in the region.

The park is home to more than 160 companies, including multinational corporations, research institutions, and startups.

With the goal of becoming a key driver of economic growth in the region and attracting local and foreign investment, SHTP is committed to promoting technology transfer, talent development, and collaboration between academia and industry to accelerate innovation and promote sustainable development.

Nguyen Anh Thi, head of the SHTP Management Board, said SHTP is delighted to work with Cadence, which is strongly committed to advancing education and research in the field, and look forward to a fruitful collaboration.

“This collaboration will enable our students to gain access to the latest technology and methodologies in IC and system design and acquire practical experience that will help them succeed in the high-tech industry,” he said.

It will help significantly to strengthen the capability of SHTP Chip Design Centre (SCDC), contributing to the development of the local semiconductor industry and the growth of the Vietnamese economy, he said.

Michael Shih, corporate vice president of sales for Asia Pacific and Japan at Cadence, said SHTP plays a vital role in fostering the development of the high-tech industry and promoting innovation and creativity in the region.

His company is excited to collaborate with SHTP and prestigious universities to support the expansion of electronic design expertise in Viet Nam.

“By providing access to our software tools, we aim to equip the next generation of engineers with the skills they need to contribute to the growth of the high-tech industry in Viet Nam,” he said.

The company is a pivotal leader in electronic systems design, building upon more than 30 years of computational software expertise.

It applies its underlying Intelligent System Design strategy to deliver software, hardware and IP that turn design concepts into reality.

Its customers are the world’s most innovative companies, delivering extraordinary electronic products from chips to boards to complete systems for the most dynamic market applications, including hyperscale computing, 5G communications, automotive, mobile, aerospace, consumer, industrial and healthcare.

For nine consecutive years, Fortune magazine has named Cadence one of the 100 best companies to work for. — VNS