Samsung Electronics is accelerating its semiconductor expansion in Vietnam with a planned investment of approximately $1.5 billion to build its first chip testing facility in the country. The project is expected to help ease the ongoing global shortage of memory chips, which has intensified due to the rapid growth of AI-driven data centers.
According to documents reviewed by Reuters, the new plant is under construction in an industrial park located about 60 kilometers north of Hanoi and is scheduled to begin operations in November 2027. This marks Samsung’s first semiconductor testing factory in Vietnam.
The facility will focus on testing mature DRAM and NAND memory chips. While these chips are not the most advanced components used directly in AI systems, demand for them remains extremely high because many semiconductor manufacturers are prioritizing production of AI-related chips, creating shortages across industries such as smartphones, laptops, and automotive electronics.
Once operational, the plant is expected to produce around 153.3 billion gigabits of DRAM chips and 255.6 billion gigabits of NAND chips annually. The investment proposal was submitted as part of the environmental approval process for the site.
Vietnamese authorities reportedly approved the investment earlier this year. Samsung may also consider reinvesting profits from the project into a second factory, with potential additional investments reaching up to $2.5 billion.
Sources familiar with the project said more than 200 Samsung engineers and staff members have already been working at the site since April. Construction activity has also been observed at the location.
Samsung is currently the largest foreign investor in Vietnam, with more than $23 billion invested across multiple manufacturing facilities. The new semiconductor testing plant will be built near Samsung’s existing production complex for smartphones and tablets.
Vietnam has increasingly become an important hub for semiconductor back-end manufacturing, including chip assembly, packaging, and testing. Several global technology companies, including Intel, Amkor Technology, and Hana Micron, already operate semiconductor-related facilities in the country.
Chip testing represents the final stage of semiconductor production, where components are inspected for defects before being shipped to customers worldwide.
Source: Reuters
