Exclusive: Samsung weighs Vietnam semiconductor testing facility

According to sources familiar with the matter, Samsung is in discussions with the Vietnamese government to establish an IC testing facility, which could become the company's second overseas backend semiconductor site outside South Korea after China. Bloomberg also reported that Samsung is planning a phased investment of about US$4 billion in Vietnam, underscoring its continued expansion in Southeast Asia.

Sources familiar with the matter told DIGITIMES Asia that current discussions regarding Samsung's potential investment in Vietnam are centered on a backend assembly and test-related facility, although the talks remain ongoing and no memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been finalized at this stage.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, revealed that Samsung Electronics is planning to invest about US$4 billion in a semiconductor packaging facility in northern Vietnam. The project would reportedly be implemented in phases, with an initial US$2 billion tranche, and would mark another expansion of Samsung's long-standing manufacturing footprint in the country.

Vietnam's finance ministry confirmed it is working on a memorandum of understanding with Samsung on a semiconductor-related project, according to Bloomberg, although neither side has provided detailed confirmation of scope or timing. A Samsung representative declined to comment.

The reported investment comes as global chipmakers accelerate spending to meet rising demand for advanced semiconductors used in AI servers and electronic devices.

Local reports previously suggested similar plans, later removed

The Bloomberg report follows recent regional media coverage, which has been removed, suggesting Samsung was considering building a semiconductor packaging line in Vietnam. Furthermore, a 2024 report by Money Today said Samsung Vietnam was reviewing potential packaging investments, possibly in the Bac Giang area near its existing industrial ecosystem.

Testing move would mark a new stage of overseas semiconductor expansion

If confirmed, the Vietnam facility would represent Samsung's first overseas semiconductor testing plant outside China, where the company currently operates backend-related activities in locations such as Suzhou alongside its memory production base in Xi'an.

Such a development would be strategically significant because it would extend Samsung's advanced semiconductor value chain beyond its traditional strongholds in South Korea and China, while diversifying its backend manufacturing footprint amid geopolitical and supply-chain risks.

Samsung's semiconductor operations remain heavily concentrated in South Korea for both logic and memory production, with additional foundry expansion in the US and memory manufacturing in China. Vietnam, by contrast, has so far functioned primarily as a large-scale electronics production and R&D hub rather than a semiconductor fabrication base.

AI demand drives packaging investment across the industry

The potential investment also reflects a broader industry shift toward advanced packaging technologies, which are becoming increasingly critical for artificial intelligence chips that require higher bandwidth, density, and thermal efficiency.

As AI workloads grow more complex, packaging is emerging as a bottleneck in the semiconductor supply chain, prompting leading firms to expand capacity in this segment.

For Samsung, a Vietnam testing facility would not only deepen its presence in Southeast Asia but also signal further vertical integration of its semiconductor business across memory, foundry, and advanced packaging—pending official confirmation of the project.

Source: Compiled by DIGITIMES Asia, April 2026

Article edited by Jack Wu