Hi-tech US centre opens in Sai Gon

The US-based Global Equipment Service (GES) opened a semiconductor technology centre at the Sai Gon Hi-tech Park (SHTP) in HCM City’s District 9 last week.

The centre, built by the corporation’s subsidiary GES Viet Nam Co Ltd with an investment capital of VND576 billion (US$36 million) on a 6,000 -sq.m area, came into operation two years after the corporation received the investment license for its Viet Nam project.

The centre is expected to employ about 500 unversity graduates.

"Against the economic recession, the opening of the GES centre has sent a positive signal to the hi-tech community about the improved environment in the SHTP in particular and in Viet Nam as a whole," said Le Thai Hy, head of the SHTP management board.

The project will help create hi-tech jobs and contribute to the city’s exports, he added.

"This was a time when the semiconductor industry was becoming competitive in terms of cost and technology, with mainland China being well on its way to join the US, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan and South Korea as one of the semiconductor powerhouses of the world.

"So, both of us asked the same question: Why not Viet Nam? We recognised there were many underlying challenges, but all the ingredients for success seemed to be there," said Don Tran, CEO of GES Viet Nam.

vietnamnews

>   Consumers put coffee to taste test (14/05/2009)

>   Strengthening international economic integration (14/05/2009)

>   First turbine of Buon Kuop hydro-electric power plant put into operation (14/05/2009)

>   NGOs grant nearly US$2 million to port city Hai Phong (14/05/2009)

>   Saigon Port waives storage fees for bottlenecked commodities (14/05/2009)

>   Anticipating material price increases, businesses trying to stock up (14/05/2009)

>   Hong Kong finance group eyes market (14/05/2009)

>   Footwear exporters target 11.5 billion USD by 2015 (14/05/2009)

>   Seafood processors join forces (14/05/2009)

>   Qatar agrees to Vietnam’s Trade Centre project (14/05/2009)