Vietnam, UK work to foster ICT partnership
A workshop promoting cooperation opportunities with Vietnamese technological firms was held in London on June 14, as part of the Vietnam-UK Friendship Year 2023 to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
Co-organised by the Vietnam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA), the UK's technology trade association techUK, the Vietnamese Embassy and Trade Office in the UK, the event introduced the ICT capacity of Vietnamese companies and connected them with their UK peers.
Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long expressed his hope that in the next five years, technology will be a key area of cooperation between the two nations, particularly concerning digital health, financial centres, and financial technology.
Vietnam is currently a top destination in Southeast Asia for ICT, while the UK is the best place in the world for digital business. Total revenue of the Vietnamese ICT industry increased from US$30 billion in 2013 to 148 billion USD today, with an average annual growth rate of 10.5%, said Hoang Anh Tu, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation under the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications.
Tu said Vietnam is seeking partners in the digitisation process and considers British technology businesses among its top partners.
VINASA Deputy Chairwoman and Secretary General Nguyen Thi Thu Giang held that Vietnam and the UK have a lot of potential for ICT cooperation, which covers the development of digital transformation solutions for both the public and private sectors; digital transformation for cities and urban areas; new technologies such as AI, blockchain, and metaverse; and the establishment of IT/software development centres.
Vietnam, with its strategic location in the region, is also a gateway for British enterprises to enter the ASEAN market, she added.
Deputy CEO of techUK Antony Walker emphasised that with the UK’s policy of leaning towards the Indo-Pacific and its participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), its cooperation with Vietnam at the governmental, sectoral, national, and business levels is more important than ever to the UK.
Debby Davidson, co-founder and COO of Acclime, said tech firms’ demand for digital transition coupled with the Vietnamese Government’s digital transformation policy will make the country an attractive destination for British businesses within the next five years.
Meanwhile, Mohan Naidu, Managing Director of FPT Software UK, pointed out Vietnam’s advantages as an emerging innovation destination.
The country sees 57,000 IT bachelors graduating each year, he said, adding that having a thriving ITC industry, it was the world's second fastest growing digital economy in 2022 and is expected to rank first in 2024.