HCM CITY — The Nordic-Vietnam Business Summit 2026 held on October 29 discussed ideas to strengthen international connectivity and advance economic cooperation between Việt Nam and its Nordic partners.

Themed “The Next Growth Decade: Where Vietnamese Ambition and Nordic Standards Compound”, the summit took place as part of the Autumn Economic Forum and was co-organised by the Nordic Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam and Nordic embassies, in coordination with the HCM City Investment and Trade Promotion Centre, the Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s HCM City branch, and the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in HCM City and others.

The event featured around 100 government officials, policymakers, business executives and experts from the Nordic and Vietnamese business communities.

It provided updates on the latest cooperation priorities between Việt Nam and the Nordic countries for the next phase of development, as well as discussions on what this partnership means in practice for investment, trade, manufacturing and technology transfer.

HCM City People’s Committee Vice Chairman Bùi Minh Thạnh said the city wants to expand cooperation beyond capital provision towards transferring advanced technology, management expertise and innovation capacity, helping Vietnamese enterprises improve their position in the global value chain.

The city seeks to strengthen cooperation with Nordic partners in clean energy, sustainable transport, the circular economy, high-tech industries, environmental solutions and smart urban development.

“By combining Nordic strengths in technology and management expertise with Việt Nam's potential and aspiration for growth, we can create new growth drivers, new value chains and cooperation opportunities that go beyond the limits of traditional trade relations,” the vice chairman said.

Norwegian Ambassador to Việt Nam Stein Iversen highlighted the importance of economic relations between Việt Nam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, including Norway, marked by the signing of the Việt Nam-EFTA free trade agreement in Hà Nội on October 18 after 14 years of negotiations.

This opens a new chapter to strengthen bilateral trade, unlock investment, connect industries, and build partnerships that can deliver long-term value for all sides, he said.

He also mentioned the MoU on Green Strategic Partnership signed in April, describing it not only as a political framework, but also as a stamp of approval from both the Vietnamese and Norwegian governments. The partnership points to high-priority sectors in the green economy, such as sustainable ocean industries, marine spatial planning and renewable energy.

He noted four priority sectors with the greatest potential for further Norwegian-Vietnamese commercial collaboration, with Seafood and aquaculture remaining a cornerstone of bilateral economic ties, accounting for almost 60 per cent of Norway's exports to Việt Nam.

Another high-priority sector for both sides is the maritime industry, as Việt Nam’s shipbuilding capacity, skilled industrial workforce and growing maritime economy match what Norway can offer.

In addition, Việt Nam is experiencing rapid economic growth, creating strong demand for sustainable industrial development. Norway has much to offer in this field as well, particularly in recycling and waste management, he added.

“We see that Norwegian investors, Norwegian companies and Norwegian expertise match Việt Nam's development goals. We can be partners for Việt Nam in reaching its very ambitious goal of becoming a high-tech economy by 2045 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050,” the ambassador said.

Meanwhile, Swedish Ambassador to Việt Nam Johan Ndisi said that as Việt Nam aims for double-digit economic growth alongside net-zero emissions, Sweden and other Nordic countries serve as valuable dialogue partners on how to decouple economic growth from CO2 emissions.

Drawing on Sweden’s strong innovation ecosystem and its experience in achieving rapid growth while cutting emissions since the 1990s, the ambassador noted that innovations offer practical solutions to these problems, driving both high growth and declining emissions for the green economy.

Finnish Ambassador to Việt Nam Pekka Voutilainen highlighted growing bilateral cooperation, noting that Finnish investment in Việt Nam has reached around 1.3 billion euros.

He added that two-way trade is increasing, with Việt Nam now Finland's largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, and more industrial investments are on the way. — VNS