Exploring business opportunities: EuroCham’s dialogue with Hung Yen Province

On 20 February, EuroCham and the European business community met representatives from Hung Yen Province to explore trade and investment opportunities. The meeting was attended by high-ranking officials from both sides, including:

 From Hung Yen Province –

• Nguyen Huu Nghia, Provincial Party Secretary
• Nguyen Le Huy, Vice-Chairman of Provincial People’s Committee
• Representatives from the Provincial Party and People’s Committee, the Department of Industry & Trade (DOIT), the Department of Planning and Investment (DPI), the Department of Transportation (DOT), Hung Yen Electricity, and the Industrial Zone Authority (IZA)

From the European business community –

• Claudia Anselmi, Vice-Chair of EuroCham
• Minh Nguyen, Vice-Chair of EuroCham
• Christophe Cougnaud, General Secretary of French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (CCIFV)
• Florian Beranek, Board Member of Central and Eastern European Chamber of Commerce (CEEC)
• Van Nguyen, Head of EuroCham’s Hanoi Office cum External Relations Manager
• Christophe Mermaz, Co-Founder & Managing Director of C-Cube
• Yen Le, Business Development Manager of DEEP C, EuroCham’s Gold Premium Corporate Partner

The meeting agenda focused on boosting investment and trade between European businesses and Hung Yen Province. Hung Yen representatives showcased the province’s economic strengths, including its strategic location, advanced infrastructure, and skilled workforce. They highlighted available industrial park lands, development strategies through 2023 with goals for 2045, and efforts to attract and develop these parks.

From EuroCham’s side, our representatives introduced the chamber’s structure, operation model, and the status of investments by EuroCham members in Vietnam in recent years. They discussed the Vietnam-EU relations, the impact of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and EuroCham’s northern growth strategy. EuroCham also expressed our investment concerns, emphasizing the need for renewable energy, sustainability, advocacy, and simplification of administrative procedures.

The meeting also included brief introductions from the CCIFV, the CEEC, and C-Cube, highlighting their roles and interests in the Vietnamese market.

The discussions culminated in an agreement on key proposals aimed at enhancing cooperation between Hung Yen Province and European investors. These included:

• Supporting Hung Yen in organizing trade promotion programs in Europe, 
• bilateral activities in Vietnam such as field trips and B2B meetings, 
• exploring the potential for customized industrial parks for European investors in Hung Yen, and 
• creating a database of investment opportunities in the province specifically for European investors. 

Additionally, an MoU between Hung Yen Province and EuroCham was proposed to formalize the discussed initiatives.

The meeting concluded with both parties agreeing on the proposals and exchanging contact information for further collaboration, setting the stage for enhanced economic cooperation between Hung Yen Province and the European business community.