Science & Innovations

Vietnam’s First Chip Fab Faces Doubts Over 2027 Trial-Production Target

Vietnam’s first planned semiconductor fabrication plant may miss its 2027 trial-production target, Reuters reported, citing project sources and an on-site visit. Viettel says the government-backed project remains on schedule, while Vietnam’s communications ministry describes a roadmap running from construction and technology transfer to trial production by the end of 2027.

jajoy39

Oct 27, 2026 - 06:13

0 5

An official Viettel rendering of the planned semiconductor plant at Hoa Lac, Hanoi. Source: Viettel.

Vietnam’s First Chip Fab Faces Doubts Over 2027 Trial-Production Target

Vietnam’s first planned semiconductor fabrication plant is facing doubts about whether it can begin trial production in 2027. Reuters reported that the site outside Hanoi remained without buildings during a visit in the previous week, while satellite imagery reviewed by the news agency also showed no construction on the plant footprint.

A schedule under pressure

A person with direct knowledge of the project told Reuters that the target would probably slip. The source pointed to Viettel’s limited experience building chip factories and administrative delays in securing government funding. Reuters said the project is still ongoing, but its timing is unclear. The person was not authorised to speak publicly.

Viettel told Reuters that activities were proceeding in phases according to the project’s technical and implementation requirements and that it would provide updates later. That statement supports continuation of the project, but it does not independently confirm that the 2027 trial-production date will be met.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications described a more specific official roadmap in a January article: construction, technology transfer and trial production by the end of 2027, followed by completion and process optimisation from 2028 to 2030. The ministry’s account is a plan, not evidence that those milestones have already been achieved.

Equipment and technology questions

Reuters reported that Viettel has been in talks for months with ASML about a deep-ultraviolet lithography machine. Three people familiar with the discussions said the talks were continuing, but Reuters could not establish why no agreement had been reached, which machine was under discussion, or what export-control implications might apply. ASML declined to comment to Reuters.

Viettel previously presented 32-nanometre production as an ambition, but Reuters said that reference was later removed from the company’s website. The sources reviewed here do not establish whether Viettel has secured a manufacturing technology partner. Vietnam already has a larger presence in chip assembly, testing and packaging, which is less capital-intensive than wafer fabrication.