Vietnam is eager to build a competitive semiconductor sector, and Singapore’s experience offers concrete ideas. Understanding how Singapore reduces costs and nurtures talent can help Vietnamese policymakers and entrepreneurs.

Terence Gan, executive director of the Institute of Microelectronics (IME) at A*STAR, says Singapore commits about 1% of its GDP to research, innovation and enterprise. Within that budget, S$800 million (US$625 million) is earmarked for the national RIE Flagship in Semiconductors for 2026‑2030.

Gan explains that A*STAR IME runs a single, industry‑grade cleanroom and equipment set as a national resource. Researchers access it through a controlled manufacturing execution system (MES) workflow, avoiding the need for each university to build its own fab.

The shared fab model lets startups such as NexGen Wafer Systems develop and validate equipment faster and cheaper by using the fab’s full process flow, according to Gan. This approach reduces upfront investment and frees resources for product development.

Gan notes that Singapore’s semiconductor strength comes from nearly 60 years of industrial development, stable policies, and sustained links between research, manufacturing and talent development. He advises Vietnam to adopt stable long‑term policies, connect universities, research institutes and companies, and build multi‑skilled innovation teams.