Big opportunities

The Industry Agency under the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has collaborated with multinational corporations of the RoK to implement various training programs and provide consultancy on manufacturing technology innovation, helping domestic supporting industry enterprises improve productivity to be eligible for deep participation in global supply and value chains.

According to the Industry Agency, the MoIT has collaborated with the RoK’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the two sides have agreed to promote cooperation in shipbuilding, materials and components, textiles and garments, automotive industry, and other sectors.

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Notably, the Industry Agency and Samsung Vietnam have carried out many cooperation programs and projects in the field of supporting industries. In 2023, the two sides cooperated to train molding workers, provide consultancy for enterprises’ improvements, seek potential new suppliers, and develop smart factories.

Choi Joo Ho, General Director of Samsung Vietnam, said that he was glad and proud to witness significant improvements of enterprises after participating in the project to support smart factory development. These changes are the foundation for enterprises to enhance their competitiveness according to global standards across all processes, such as research and production, creating opportunities for them to participate in Samsung’s supply chain and the global supply network.

According to the Industry Agency, in order to enhance the capacity for manufacturing and mastering mold technology for businesses, since 2020, the Industry Agency has collaborated with Samsung to carry out training courses aimed at improving the quality of engineers in designing, manufacturing, and producing molds in the supporting industries and the manufacturing and processing sectors.

"In the coming time, one of the top priorities set by the Industry Agency is to enhance the capacity of small- and medium-sized enterprises to meet the demands of domestic and international customers in the mold industry, through a training program aimed at improving the quality of the human resources in Vietnam's mold sector," said the leadership of the Industry Agency.

According to the Industry Agency, Samsung has been very active in promoting the implementation of cooperative projects between the two sides.

Boosting cooperation

In the global production chain, RoK conglomerates and enterprises possess experience, technology and know-how to manufacture high-tech products, especially semiconductors - a critical component of technological products. Meanwhile, Vietnam spends hundreds of billions of US dollars on annual imports of parts and components to manufacture and assemble final products in industries, such as automobile, electronics, aviation, marine economy, agriculture, and healthcare.

The Industry Agency said that in the time to come, the MoIT will seek consultancy from the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET) to draft the Key Industrial Law. The ministry has proposed the organization of training courses on the RoK’s industrial development experience.

Specifically, the MoIT has proposed that the RoK transfer technology and support Vietnamese enterprises in manufacturing products with high technological contents and added value through mergers and acquisitions or joint ventures. The ministry has also proposed cooperation in human resource training in the fields of welding, casting, molding, plastic injection, heat treatment, and surface treatment, as well as new technologies, such as chip manufacturing, semiconductors, automation, and smart factories.

At the same time, the Industry Agency continues to coordinate the implementation of cooperation programs and projects between the two sides to support the enhancement of the capacity of supporting industry enterprises, especially the Smart Factory Development Program.

Additionally, efforts are being made to further promote consulting and technical improvement activities for businesses in the electronics and automotive sectors, as well as human resource training and technology exchange through the Vietnam-Korea Technological Consultancy and Solution Center (VITASK). Furthermore, discussions are ongoing regarding the project’s expansion into phase 2 (from 2024 to 2028).