There is no shortage of talented students in Bangladesh. There is a need to develop them and establish the country’s semiconductor sector on a global scale. Experts have emphasized the importance of developing skills by increasing the closeness of academia with the industry. For this, they have emphasized the establishment of modern labs in all universities of the country, funding research, and including experienced teachers. At the same time, entrepreneurs have urged the formulation of big tech-friendly policies; to be confident in facing challenges like AI packaging and digital twins, a press release said.
These points came up in a panel discussion on ‘Bangladesh’s position in the global semiconductor and deep-tech value chain as a consumer-to-producer’ held at the Windy Town Hall of the Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Center in the capital on Thursday, January 29.
Professor Dr. of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, BRAC University The panel discussion moderated by Touhidur Rahman included M. A. Jabbar, President of Bangladesh Semiconductor Industry Association (BSIA), Dr. Nadim Chowdhury, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Lin Hai (Heaven), Vice President and Board Director of Huawei South Asia, Nahian Rahman Rachi, Head of Business Development Department of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), and Rudmila Nowshin, Founder and CEO of ConfigVR and ConfigRbot.
Dr. Muhammad Mustafa Hossain, Professor of Purdue University in the United States, joined the discussion virtually. He said that many Bangladeshis are at the top of the world in the semiconductor sector. We want to quickly advance Bangladesh in the world in this sector. That is why I joined this event late at night.
He also said that semiconductor is an innovation-based sector. These innovations come from university research. The government-academia-NRBs need to work together to make our talented students suitable for this sector and establish Bangladesh in the semiconductor ecosystem.
MA Jabbar said, Deeptech is not easy. However, the semiconductor sector can be the next potential sector for Bangladesh. But there is a lack of practical experience in our country. The Crest and Bear Summit has brought momentum to fill this gap. Now we need policy support. If industry and academia can work together, there is huge potential.
He also said, to bring semiconductor under the value chain, we have emphasized semiconductor design, fabrication and packaging and testing in the country. Equally important is skill development. Bangladesh can go into packaging in domestic-foreign joint partnerships. Now we have to work together for company development, skill development and employment.
Nahian Rahman Rochi, head of the Business Development Department of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), said, “We are far behind in the semiconductor sector. There is no alternative to skill development to move forward in this sector.”
Rudmila Nowshin said, “Neighboring countries have come a long way. Now, to establish our country in this sector, it is necessary to include training labs, internships for students, and at least one year of practical experience from the industry in the curriculum. Modern curriculum and experienced teachers are needed.
Dr. Nadim Chowdhury, Assistant Professor of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), advised to include young people in this sector by training students of other disciplines without restricting them to a specific discipline, as well as moving forward in joint partnerships with global universities.
He said, “The opportunities for the development of the semiconductor industry in the country’s universities are limited. There is a teacher crisis. At the same time, there is a shortage of skilled engineers. Only a few companies are working on semiconductors.” They are also training and developing skilled workers.
Huawei South Asia Vice President and Board Director Lin Hai (Heaven) said, “To attract foreign investment to Bangladesh’s semiconductor sector, sustainable and long-term policies are needed. Bangladesh is working in the design sector, which is promising. A stable government is needed to move forward.”
