Bangladesh has the potential to lead the global semiconductor design industry if it can successfully establish a Very Large-Scale Integration technology ecosystem through coordinated efforts among the government, academia, and industry, the experts said.
They were speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Ulkasemi VLSI Training Institute in the capital on Tuesday.
Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb, the聽special assistant to the chief adviser (with the rank of state minister), in charge of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology,聽said that the VLSI technology sector is 100 per cent export-oriented and zero per cent import-dependent.
鈥楢s a true knowledge industry, it could play a vital role in diversifying the country鈥檚 export basket, and it is the future,鈥� he added.
He also said that if Bangladesh could establish export diversity in such a new and advanced field, it would lead to significant national progress.
He emphasised the need to introduce VLSI-centric long- and short-term courses at universities to meet the demands of this emerging industry.
鈥楾he academia still lags behind in this sector and the universities should implement industry-oriented curricula,鈥� he added, acknowledging the challenges ahead.
The government is constantly trying to strengthen this engagement, but introducing new courses and the support聽they require聽would take time.
鈥楾he government plans to set up 18 laboratories under four clusters in the coming years, under a project worth Tk 2,000 crore, to boost research and innovation capacity in the field,鈥� he added.
Faiz also hinted at the possible revival of the 鈥楲earning and Earning鈥� project in a modified form, in which Ulkasemi could provide six- or nine-month training programmes to equip young talent with practical skills.
He also said that Ulkasemi could share curricula, textbooks, and training materials with educational institutions to help teachers build capacity and align university education with industry needs.
鈥楢 strong government-academia-industry partnership is essential to create a truly knowledge-based society,鈥� he added.
According to the Ulkasemi, UVTI would initially offer hands-on training in IC Layout Design, IC Physical Design, and Circuit Design, delivered by Ulkasemi鈥簊 experienced semiconductor professionals.
The future modules would also expand into IT & Firmware, ensuring trainees gain comprehensive exposure.
The institute would serve as a critical bridge between academia and real-world chip design practice, where trainees would work with industry-standard EDA tools and gain mentorship from Ulkasemi鈥簊 experienced engineers with the latest knowledge of advanced technological nodes.聽
鈥楢s the world鈥簊 semiconductor industry is growing, we are trying to grow as well. We are planning to have world-class 1,000 employees by 2026-27 and 5,000 employees by 2030,鈥� said Mohammed Enayetur Rahman, CEO of Ulkasemi.
He also said they could compete with other countries, and that UVTI would play a significant role in achieving that goal.聽
鈥楾his initiative would advance the nation鈥簊 鈥筍mart Bangladesh鈥� vision and would help position Bangladesh to participate in the global $1 trillion semiconductor market,鈥� he added.
They also said that this direct industry linkage would position UVTI graduates for both local and global semiconductor opportunities.
At the event, Ulkasemi COO Mizan Rahman delivered the keynote, with distinguished faculty members from public, private, and engineering universities also in attendance.
