Semiconductor manufacturing industry has a great potential to be a billion dollar sector in Bangladesh, proper policy support and required incentives can create a $10 billion semiconductor industry by the year 2041, speakers opined at a seminar on Wednesday.
Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) organized the seminar at DCCI conference hall,Matijheel in the capital.
Zunaid Ahmed Palak, State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology was present as the chief guest while DCCI President Ashraf Ahmed moderated the seminar.
State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, while addressing, said the uses of microchip, Nano chip and manufacturing of semiconductors are growing day by day and if we can give a right policy support to the sector, it will be possible to earn at least USD10 billion from exporting semiconductor items by 2041.
He again reiterated the urgency and need of a semiconductor policy for the faster development of this sector. At the same time, he also urged for an industry-academia collaboration to create high skilled and technologically advanced work force especially compatible for this sector as the demand is very high at home and abroad.
Palak also said that government has already established hundreds of digital labs, 5G testing is going on, more than 13 crore internet users inside the country, 19 crore mobile users, nearly 100% electrification across the country; these are some of the indicators of Bangladesh’s digital progresses and readiness.
DCCI President suggested that for successful implementation of import substitution industrialization and export diversification, we should prioritize the development of the semiconductor industry.
Many countries are investing heavily in the semiconductor industry, creating a high demand for skilled workers, he said.
The government should focus on cultivating a skilled workforce required to meet the growing demands of the semiconductor industry in Bangladesh, he also added.
He also underscored the importance of simplification of administrative procedures for setting up semiconductor businesses, including licensing, permits, and import/export regulations.
G S M Jafarullah, ndc, Managing Director, Bangladesh High-Tech Park Authority informed that government is developing innovation hubs in ten universities in the country.
Professor ASMA Haseeb, Department of Nanomaterials and Ceramic Engineering, BUET presented the keynote paper. He said that the global semiconductor market will reach $1307.7 billion by 2032.
Mir Shahrukh Islam, Managing Director, Bondstein Technologies Ltd., Razib Hasan, Co-founder and vice president, Software Teton Private Ltd., Liakat Ali, Additional Managing Director, Walton Digi-Tech Industries and Dr. M Niaz Asadullah, Visiting Professor, University of Reading, UK also spoke on the occasion.
The speakers also urged for policy support, technologically skilled manpower, policy continuation, fiscal incentive, budgetary support and allocation, industry-academia collaboration, research and innovation initiative, tax benefits over investment in R&D, priority fix-up, creating an IT eco-system and equity investment facility.
