US chip design giant Synopsys to bolster Vietnam activity

The company, one of the biggest chip design software makers in the world, will train electrical engineers in Vietnam and donate software licenses for a chip design center in the country, Nikkei Asia reported.

Robert Li, Synopsys sales vice president of Taiwan, Southeast Asia and India, said Vietnam could climb the value chain by designing integrated circuits for fridges and air conditioners.

Synopsys has two offices in Ho Chi Minh City and two in Da Nang with more than 400 staffers and plans to add a further 300 to 400.

It is one of many global companies that plan to increase investment in Vietnam, with the other being Apple, Foxconn, Lotte, and Samsung.

Intel has set up its largest assembly and test factory in HCMC with 2,800 employees and an investment of $1.5 billion.