Bangladesh must align universities, industry, government to build semiconductor workforce: Taiyeb
Ulkasemi, the country’s first semiconductor design firm, has launched the Ulkasemi VLSI Training Institute (UVTI) in Dhaka to expand Bangladesh’s skilled workforce for advanced chip design
The Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Posts and Telecommunications Ministry, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, said yesterday (11 November) that Bangladesh cannot enter the global VLSI and semiconductor race without rapidly upgrading its talent pipeline, calling for tighter coordination among universities, industry, and the government.
"The world is moving toward advanced chip design. If we don't create a future-proof workforce now, we will miss the next technological wave," he said at the launching ceremony of Ulkasemi's VLSI Training Institute in Dhaka.
The event was attended by senior officials from the ICT Division and faculty members from BUET, AUST, UIU, DIU, MIST and other universities, alongside industry representatives.
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Ulkasemi said UVTI will provide hands-on training in IC Layout, physical design and circuit design using industry-standard EDA tools. Additional modules in IT and firmware are planned.
CEO Mohammed Enayetur Rahman said as the world's semiconductor industry is growing, we are trying to go as well. within 2030. Then we can compete with other countries and UVTI will play a significant role in achieving that goal.
"This initiative will advance the nation's 'Smart Bangladesh' vision and help position Bangladesh to participate in the global $1 trillion semiconductor market," he added.
The institute is part of Ulkasemi's plan to expand its workforce to 1,000 engineers by 2026–27 and 5,000 by 2030.
"As the global semiconductor industry grows, we want to grow with it," he said. "UVTI will play a significant role in creating the skilled engineers Bangladesh needs to participate in the trillion-dollar semiconductor market," he added.
Calling UVTI a much-needed push from the private sector, Taiyeb said the government alone cannot meet the rapidly rising demand for skilled chip designers. Our industry is moving fast. Academia and government must keep pace, Ulkasemi is filling a gap that should have been addressed earlier.
He warned that the curriculum gap is widening as global chip design evolves.
He urged universities to overhaul coursework in VLSI, nanotechnology, semiconductor physics, AI and data science.
"When today's students graduate, they must be ready for the latest technology nodes, not what was relevant ten or twenty years ago," he said, adding that teachers need upskilling before any major reform can succeed. Without empowering faculty, you cannot empower the next generation," he added.
Taiyeb acknowledged repeated efforts to bring advanced lab equipment and EDA tools to universities through development partners but said bureaucratic delays remain a barrier. "There is always a long lead time. Meanwhile, companies like Ulkasemi are already working at global standards. The ecosystem must meet in the middle."
He said private universities, with their faster response time, could be early adopters. If we create good examples there, public universities will follow.
Taiyeb also proposed a "teachers-first" training track at UVTI. If UVTI trains teachers first, that will create a multiplier effect. They will become trainers of trainers. That's how you build a sustainable semiconductor ecosystem.
