On 14–19 October 2018 Finland’s Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä headed a Team Finland visit to Vietnam to promote exports and internationalisation of Finnish companies. The business delegation accompanying the Minister consisted in 24 representatives especially from the sectors of energy, water and waste management technology, bioeconomy and digital technology.
During the visit, Minister Lintilä and the business delegation met Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam to discuss innovation policy and the bilateral economic relations between the countries. The delegation also met Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Construction Pham Hong Ha, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan, Deputy Minister of Public Security Nguyen Van Son, and Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Le Quang Manh.
In addition, the delegation had a meeting with Eric Sidgwick, Country Director of the Asian Development Bank, and Sebastian Eckardt, the World Bank‘s Lead Economist for the region.
The programme also included a round-table discussion with local software developers, a meeting with representatives of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and a visit to the water treatment plant of Hanoi. The delegation also met Hoang Binh Quan, Communist Party of Vietnam External Relations Chairman, and discussed cooperation possibilities in smart city projects with the Mayors of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The delegation introduced Finland’s expertise in urban waste, energy and water management and public transport in workshops led by different members of the delegation.
The Embassy of Finland in Hanoi also arranged a networking event for local opinion leaders and the Finnish business delegation.
Vietnam is an emerging country with rapid economic growth and more than 90 million people. It is also a Member State of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN. The relations between the EU and Vietnam are developing, and the forthcoming entry into force of the free trade agreement will open new opportunities for investments and trade in Vietnam.
Companies represented in the business delegation were: Cloud Asset Oy, Doranova Oy, EduExcellence Oy, Ferroplan Oy, Finland Chamber of Commerce, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), BMH Technology Oy, FinnSEA Oy, Finnvera plc, Fortum Power and Heat Oy, IQ Payments Oy, IWA Oy, KaukoInternational Oy, Nokia Corporation, Pexraytech, Simosol Oy, Toip Oy, Turku Science Park Ltd., Valmet Co., Ltd., Wärtsilä Corporation
On 18 October a ‘We Love Finland party’ took place in Ho Chi Minh city organised in the honor of the visit of Minister Mika Lintilä. It was an excellent opportunity for the business delegation to network with Vietnamese companies and city representatives. Three Memorandums of Understanding were also signed at the event and a Finnish DJ played some Finnish music at the event.
Sources: Embassy of Finland in Hanoi, Finland’s Ministry of Economic Affairs
