In today’s technology-driven world, nations that command the semiconductor industry enjoy a decisive economic and strategic advantage. From artificial intelligence and smartphones to electric vehicles, autonomous drones and advanced defence systems, semiconductors form the indispensable backbone of modern innovation. According to recent international forecasts, the global semiconductor market is projected to approach — and potentially surpass — US$1 trillion within the next few years, reflecting the industry’s central role in the digital economy.
Yet this rapid expansion has exposed a pressing global concern: a shortage of skilled professionals. For emerging economies such as Bangladesh, this talent gap presents a strategic opportunity. With careful planning, targeted education and industry collaboration, Bangladeshi engineers can secure a foothold in this high-value sector. However, success will depend on three essential pillars: strong academic foundations, clear specialisation, and practical project-based experience.
What Students Must Prioritise
1. Selecting a Specialised Track
Attempting to master every discipline at once is counterproductive. Students should choose a defined pathway such as Digital VLSI, Verification, Physical Design, Analog/Mixed-Signal Design, or Power Electronics.
2. Building Core Knowledge
A solid grounding in semiconductor physics, CMOS technology, VLSI design principles, along with proficiency in Python and Linux environments, is essential.
3. Gaining Hands-on Project Experience
Designing RTL blocks, producing simulation reports, maintaining structured documentation, and publishing work on GitHub significantly enhance employability and prospects for overseas study or employment.
Notably, open-source Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools now allow students to complete small-scale chip design flows independently — something that was scarcely possible a decade ago. In the semiconductor industry, demonstrable project experience increasingly outweighs a high CGPA alone.
Key Segments of the Semiconductor Industry
The semiconductor value chain consists of four principal tiers. Bangladesh’s realistic entry points lie primarily in design and testing rather than fabrication.
| Sector | Core Activities | Bangladesh’s Potential | Required Investment | Strategic Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chip Design (Fabless) | RTL design, verification, physical design, analog/mixed-signal | High; quick entry | Relatively low; skilled workforce & software tools | IC design capability, system-level innovation |
| Testing & Packaging (OSAT/ATP) | Chip testing and packaging | Moderate; feasible with moderate capital | Electrical, mechanical & industrial expertise | Employment growth, export services |
| Device & Process Engineering | Photolithography, deposition, etching, ion implantation | Low; long-term goal | Extremely high; multi-billion-dollar fabrication plant | Establishing fabrication facilities |
| Equipment & Materials | Lithography systems, plasma etching, specialty gases, silicon wafers | Limited; technology-intensive | Extremely high | Advanced machinery & materials production |
A Pragmatic National Strategy
Establishing a full-scale commercial semiconductor fabrication plant (fab) is not currently realistic for Bangladesh due to the enormous capital requirements, advanced infrastructure demands, and complex supply chains involved. Instead, the immediate priority should be human capital development.
Universities must invest in research laboratories, pilot lines and small-scale prototyping facilities that bridge academic learning with industrial practice. Collaboration between academia and emerging design-focused enterprises can create internship pipelines, joint research initiatives and project-based training schemes.
By concentrating on design services, verification expertise and testing capabilities, Bangladesh can integrate into the global semiconductor ecosystem without incurring prohibitive costs. Over time, sustained policy support and skilled workforce development could gradually expand the country’s technological ambitions.
With strategic planning and a committed cohort of students and engineers, Bangladesh can enter the semiconductor industry in a measured yet meaningful way — strengthening its technological sovereignty and positioning itself for long-term economic advancement.