Speaking on workforce development, policy support, and global partnerships at a US meeting, the Bangladesh Semiconductor Industry Association has ambitious goals.
The Bangladesh Semiconductor Industry Association (BSIA) recently disclosed its plans at a meeting in Silicon Valley, California, to propel the country’s semiconductor exports to $1 billion by 2030, focusing on workforce development and policy support.
Currently, Bangladesh’s semiconductor design exports are under $10 million annually, but BSIA President MA Jabbar remains confident about achieving this ambitious goal. Jabbar’s optimism was shared at the meeting, where around 70 non-resident Bangladeshi (NRB) semiconductor experts and industry leaders discussed Bangladesh’s potential to capture a share of the $670 billion global semiconductor market, projected to exceed $1 trillion by the decade’s end.
The key to the plan is to train 10,000 engineers in semiconductor design. The BSIA is pushing for greater emphasis on workforce development, stronger government policy support, and enhanced research and development (R&D) capabilities.
Bangladesh’s semiconductor journey began in the 2000s, but progress accelerated in 2017 when the country started exporting semiconductor design services to major global companies.
By 2022, three local firms—Ulkasemi, Neural Semiconductor, and Prime Silicon—employed around 400 chip designers and earned $6 million in exports. In 2023, exports surged to $8 million, and nearly 700 chip designers worked in the sector.
Despite challenges, industry leaders like Neural Semiconductor CEO Md Shakhawat Hossain are optimistic about future growth. Bangladesh is also seeing an increase in universities offering very large-scale integration (VLSI) courses, which are crucial to semiconductor development.
However, experts argue that the country needs more government support, including higher export incentives and better access to design tools for industry players.
At the Silicon Valley event, Dr. Yusuf Haque, a semiconductor expert, emphasised that Bangladesh must first focus on training engineers, then gradually move towards chip testing, assembly, and eventually manufacturing.
Industry leaders believe that with the proper support, Bangladesh could establish a strong semiconductor ecosystem, both locally and through global partnerships. The BSIA plans to reach milestones over the next decade, including local chip development and manufacturing.
