Mr. Bruno Sivanandan, Co-chair of the Digital Sector Committee at EuroCham
Digital technology is now pervasive throughout the entire economy. Almost no industry or business can operate without using it. Building robust, reliable, and resilient digital infrastructure - while ensuring connectivity and compatibility between Europe and Vietnam - is therefore a key driver of cooperation between the two sides.
Regarding the role digital technology plays in promoting the energy transition and green growth in Vietnam, I believe that nationwide connectivity coverage is particularly crucial and a prerequisite for deploying new technologies on a national scale, from energy optimization and logistics to agriculture. Many 5G applications and other connectivity technologies are already in place. The ability to share data and optimize operations thanks to digital technology offers significant benefits, and that is why Vietnam needs to continue investing heavily in this infrastructure.
Vietnam has posted impressive growth over recent decades, making it a promising investment destination. Simultaneously, it is experiencing increasing demand for collaboration in connectivity, digital infrastructure, and satellite telecommunications, as these are fundamental to long-term sustainable growth - where new technologies, data, AI, and digital transformation play a central role. Vietnam also boasts mature technology companies like Viettel, VNPT, FPT, and CMC Corporation, contributing to an attractive investment environment.
Ms. Rita Mokbel, CEO of Ericsson Vietnam
Vietnam has significantly accelerated its 5G network deployment over the past 18 months to two years. In just a short period of time, approximately 40,000 base stations have been put into operation, which is a remarkable achievement. This momentum is now being leveraged to move to the next level. Two weeks ago, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, we announced an MoU with Viettel to expand cooperation and support their transition to a Level 4 autonomous network model.
We expect to expand this collaborative model to all telecommunications service providers in Vietnam. Telecommunications networks are becoming increasingly complex, serving not only mobile and data traffic but also expanding to the enterprise sector and critical applications for machinery. This significantly increases system complexity. Autonomous networks therefore offer enormous benefits, especially given Vietnam’s strong AI capabilities. The opportunities are vast. While we need to start strategically, our goal is to deploy autonomous networks for all carriers in Vietnam as soon as possible.
When we talk about 5G, we’re not just talking about technology, but also its impact at the national level. Key 5G applications in Vietnam today focus on crucial sectors that enable the economy to function and compete, such as manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, logistics, and public security. These are all essential sectors requiring high levels of security and absolute real-time performance.
5G opens opportunities for many industries, especially transportation and logistics, including railways and ports. Globally, the railway industry is undergoing a strong shift towards digital operations and comprehensive connectivity. With 5G, railway systems can leverage high reliability and extremely low latency for real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and enhanced operational safety, even in congested or emergency situations.
For a country like Vietnam - where many large-scale railway projects are being and will be implemented - this means a safer, more efficient transportation system and a better passenger experience.
Once again, digital transformation is a key pillar in building a strong digital economy. The infrastructure is gradually being completed, and the next step is how technology providers, network operators, the government, and the business community can collaborate to bring the benefits of 5G to all sectors. As mentioned, building a successful ecosystem requires a joint effort from all parties - from clarifying the value to accelerating digital transformation across all industries, in order to maximize the benefits of 5G as well as the investments the Vietnamese Government is making.
Mr. Alessandro Antonioli, Vietnam Country Manager at Copenhagen Offshore Partners
Vietnam is extremely competitive when it comes to the use of natural resources for renewables, because it is blessed with good wind and good solar radiation.
We expect the cost of renewable energy to progressively decrease, and Vietnam is very well positioned to capture a huge amount of these resources. This is the real “oil” of Vietnam, and is where the country should invest more in terms of cost competitiveness. It is a very fortunate coincidence that you have a well-established industry, especially in offshore engineering. This leads me to think that Vietnam is going to be, in the near term, if things go well, a regional power when it comes to offshore wind, because it can capture most of the benefit not just from generating power, but also from manufacturing the components in the country. So there is a double benefit in growing a local supply chain and also managing to get clean, affordable, and available power from resources.
The domestic market was relying on local loans to finance small-scale renewable energy projects. Now, as the technology becomes more complex and requires more capital, this is not enough to scale up the renewable energy system. So Vietnam needs to attract more international capital, about $130 billion by 2030, 90 per cent of which has to come from private capital.
To do that, Vietnam needs to provide guarantees to international investors: that they can invest safely, extract dividends, receive fair tax treatment, and resolve disputes in international forums. It is also important to ensure an appropriate level of returns for investors who take risks in a still immature regulatory framework for large-scale renewable energy.
Grid infrastructure remains a constraint on renewable energy expansion to the extent that there are physical bottlenecks. There needs to be more capacity and more battery storage, and this requires the right policies and incentives for both infrastructure and generating assets. We expect upcoming policies to provide more clarity.
Another important element is pricing mechanisms. This is still at an early stage, and the right mechanisms for renewable energy are not yet fully developed. We have seen what happened in the past with feed-in tariffs. The hope is to learn from that and move toward more dynamic and risk-mitigated pricing mechanisms.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners has been here for many years, and this point in time feels like a moment of truth. There is a new government, new ambition, and some policy development over the last year.
If Vietnam maintains the pace and keeps the focus on shifting the energy system from carbon-based and hydrocarbon-based sources to renewable energy with battery storage, then it will see a completely different future in the near term.
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