Japanese semiconductor manufacturers facing a labor shortage at home are turning their eyes on Vietnam, whose young and growing population offers hope via headhunting for local engineers.



Companies and a university based in Japan's western Kyushu region sent officials to the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi earlier this week, accompanied by people from Japan's industry ministry. They met with officials from the country's largest IT company and Hanoi University of Science and Technology.



Kuroki Yoichi from Tera Probe, a Japanese company, said he found that engineers he met have received basic training. He hopes they will join his company and expand its business together.



Chipmakers in Kyushu are facing a severe shortage of workers with specialized knowledge.



The officials from Japan hope Vietnam and its large pool of potential labor can help. The average age of its population of 100 million is in the early thirties. Hanoi also aims to train 50,000 workers in semiconductor knowledge by 2030.



Firms from other countries are also looking at Vietnam.



South Korea's Samsung Electronics opened its largest research facility in Southeast Asia in Hanoi three years ago. Last year, US semiconductor giant Nvidia announced it will open a research and development center in the country.