In the context of the global semiconductor industry entering a phase of strong growth driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing, Ms. Bich Yen Nguyen – Chairwoman of VSAP Lab and Senior Fellow at Soitec (France) – shared in-depth insights into technology trends, as well as Vietnam’s opportunities and challenges, during her recent appearance on the Vietsuccess Podcast.
With 46 years of experience in the international semiconductor industry, having held key roles at Motorola and Soitec, Ms. Bich Yen Nguyen offers a comprehensive, pragmatic, and long-term perspective on the transformation of the global semiconductor value chain—particularly the increasingly strategic role of advanced packaging.
Intense Competition and Price Pressure in the Semiconductor Industry
According to Ms. Bich Yen Nguyen, the semiconductor industry is inherently highly competitive, characterized by continuously increasing chip performance while product prices decline rapidly over time. Today’s chips can integrate billions of transistors, delivering performance thousands of times greater than previous generations, yet at significantly lower prices.
This reality forces semiconductor companies to continuously optimize high-volume manufacturing, improve yield rates, and reduce costs per wafer. These pressures are a key driver behind the industry’s constant innovation in technology, manufacturing models, and commercialization strategies.
A 46-Year Journey and the Philosophy of “Doing One’s Best”
Reflecting on her career path, Ms. Bich Yen noted that her journey into semiconductors did not begin with a predefined plan. Trained originally as a chemical engineer, she entered the semiconductor industry in the United States under demanding conditions that required rapid adaptation to a highly competitive technical environment.
She emphasized that the most critical factor in overcoming challenges is not one’s starting point, but rather resilience and a serious work ethic in every circumstance. Throughout her career, she has viewed each role as a responsibility not only to herself, but also to the collective team and to the country in which she was working.
The Role of Fellows and Lessons in Technology Commercialization
A notable highlight of the discussion was the role of Fellows in large technology corporations. According to Ms. Bich Yen, Fellows are not only senior technical experts but also contribute to long-term strategic direction, advise on five-year development roadmaps, resolve complex technical challenges, and help connect industry with universities to attract top talent.
At Soitec, she was directly involved in the commercialization of advanced substrate technologies, emphasizing that even the most groundbreaking inventions only create real value when they can be manufactured at scale, at competitive cost, and for broad market applications. Reducing cost, expanding applications, and scaling production are essential conditions for long-term technological viability.
Advanced Packaging – A New Pillar of the Semiconductor Industry
Ms. Bich Yen stressed that as monolithic System-on-Chip (SoC) technologies approach limits in size, cost, and complexity, advanced packaging and chiplet architectures have become critical solutions to sustain industry progress.
Advanced packaging enables systems to be decomposed into specialized chips—such as logic, memory, and analog—which are then interconnected or stacked to shorten data paths, enhance performance, and optimize power consumption. This capability is particularly vital for AI applications, data centers, mobile devices, and intelligent vehicles.
Realistic Opportunities for Vietnam in the Semiconductor Value Chain
From a practical standpoint, Ms. Bich Yen Nguyen believes that advanced packaging represents a suitable and feasible pathway for Vietnam at this stage of development. Compared to investments in front-end semiconductor fabs, advanced packaging requires lower capital expenditure, shorter deployment timelines, and allows participation across multiple technology tiers.
However, she also cautioned that Vietnam must act swiftly to avoid missing its “golden window of opportunity”, while simultaneously addressing bottlenecks in infrastructure, materials, chemicals, cleanroom facilities, and especially access to chiplets for system-level integration.
Human Capital, Overseas Vietnamese Talent, and the Role of Policy
One of Vietnam’s most significant advantages, according to Ms. Bich Yen Nguyen, lies in its young workforce and the global Vietnamese diaspora with deep expertise in semiconductors. Even if only a small portion of overseas Vietnamese professionals return or actively share their experience, Vietnam’s competitiveness would be significantly strengthened.
She believes that the national target of training 50,000 semiconductor professionals by 2030 is achievable, provided there is an open, interdisciplinary approach to education and strong, coordinated support from government policies, industry, and academic institutions.
Strategic Focus for Vietnam’s Semiconductor Future
Ms. Bich Yen Nguyen concluded that by choosing the right focus, acting decisively, and fully leveraging human capital, Vietnam can establish a meaningful presence in the global semiconductor value chain—starting with advanced packaging, where technology readiness, workforce potential, and market demand converge.
The conversation was conducted on the Vietsuccess Podcast, a reputable content platform in Vietnam known for featuring strategic perspectives, practical experience, and development stories from leading experts and executives across multiple fields, particularly technology and innovation. Through in-depth dialogue programs, Vietsuccess contributes to the dissemination of long-term thinking and knowledge exchange, supporting Vietnam’s technology ecosystem during this critical period of transformation.
Podcast link: https://youtu.be/ZgEhqoq0UME?si=m554se-Z0rQgT6Ak
(Phuc Le)
Tiếng Việt