HCMC – Vietnam is seeking to deepen cooperation with Dutch chipmaking equipment group ASML to develop its semiconductor industry, the Ministry of Finance said after a meeting on January 15.
Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang met Eduard Stiphout, ASML’s senior vice president in charge of strategic supply and procurement. Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam Kees van Baar also attended the meeting, reported dangcongsan.vn.
Thang said ASML’s senior-level visits to Vietnam and its participation in SEMIExpo Vietnam 2025 showed the group’s interest in long-term cooperation with the country. He said this reflected Vietnam’s investment potential and its improving policy framework for attracting global technology companies.
The minister said Vietnam is prioritizing semiconductor development as part of its economic growth strategy and is advancing policies related to institutions, workforce development and long-term planning for the sector.
He proposed that ASML coordinate with the Dutch Embassy, the National Innovation Center (NIC) and relevant partners to develop an overall roadmap, financial mechanisms and public-private funding models. The aim is to establish a semiconductor training, research and development center at the NIC’s Hoa Lac campus.
Vietnam also asked ASML to help connect qualified local firms to its global supply chain to diversify and strengthen supply resilience in Asia, according to the ministry.
Other proposed areas of cooperation include support for production infrastructure, research and testing facilities, and semiconductor-related technical services. Vietnam also sought advice on technology standards and management practices to help build domestic manufacturing capacity, with the longer-term goal of establishing the country’s first chip manufacturing plant.
The ministry said the two sides also discussed training programs, expert exchanges, internships and scholarships to develop Vietnamese engineers and specialists meeting ASML’s technical standards and the requirements of the global semiconductor equipment industry.
Thang said the Ministry of Finance would provide strong support for the cooperation and assigned the NIC to act as the main coordinating body to work closely with ASML and related agencies.
Stiphout said ASML is working with the NIC to explore cooperation in semiconductors, workforce training and high-tech ecosystem development.
Based on initial discussions, ASML is studying the possibility of expanding its supply chain in Vietnam, cooperating on a semiconductor training and R&D center at the NIC with support from the Dutch government, and establishing an official presence in Vietnam. The company is also assessing the potential to supply equipment to customers in the country.
ASML is the world’s leading semiconductor equipment manufacturer and the sole supplier of extreme ultraviolet lithography technology, which is used to produce advanced chips for artificial intelligence, 5G and high-performance computing.
The Dutch group has a market capitalization of about US$400 billion, annual revenue of around US$30–35 billion, and more than 40,000 employees across 60 locations worldwide, according to the company.
