Samsung plans $1.5 billion chip testing plant in Vietnam, document shows

Samsung Electronics will invest $1.5 billion (39 trillion dong) in Vietnam to build its first semiconductor testing plant, aiming to ease global memory chip shortages exacerbated by AI demand. Construction has already begun in an industrial park 60 kilometers north of Hanoi, with operations expected to start in November 2027. The plant will focus on legacy memory chips, producing 153.3 billion gigabits of DRAM and 255.6 billion gigabits of NAND annually, according to a proposal reviewed by Reuters. The project was approved by Vietnamese authorities in March, with Samsung planning to reinvest up to $2.5 billion in profits for a potential second factory. Over 200 Samsung engineers and staff have been working on-site since April, and construction activity was confirmed during a recent visit by Reuters reporters. Vietnam is already a key hub for semiconductor back-end processes, hosting plants from Intel, Amkor Technology, and Hana Micron. Testing is the final stage of chip production, ensuring defect-free semiconductors before shipment. The plant will operate alongside Samsung’s existing smartphone and tablet manufacturing complex in the same industrial park. Samsung, the largest foreign investor in Vietnam with over $23 billion in past commitments, declined to comment on the project, while local authorities did not respond to requests for confirmation on permits.