With Covid-19 remaining an issue of much concern, Vietnam and the US should focus on increasing their level of cooperation in healthcare and biosciences, according to Mr. Nirav Patel, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in 2012-2013 and CEO and Co-founder of The Asia Group, a strategic advisory firm based in Washington D.C.

His firm announced on August 2 that it is the principal strategic and sales advisor for overall collaboration and on a licensed production agreement between Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. and Vingroup, to start clinical trials of the former’s Covid-19 vaccine.

Mr. Patel said Arcturus will have the benefit of working with a company that has access to high-technology zones, reliable electricity and water supply, and road and other transport infrastructure, whereas many countries do not have highly-developed industrial and technology zones. “Those conditions made the deal a bit easier,” he added.

Vingroup and the Ministry of Health will conduct Phase 3 clinical trials of Arcturus’s mRNA-based ARCT-154 vaccine on around 20,000 people this year. Arcturus also has customers in other countries such as Singapore and Israel.

Mr. Patel said the two countries should also increase overall business-to-business engagements in high technology, for example in consumer electronics, of which Vietnam is a leading manufacturer and in which it has a lot of advantages. “Homegrown Vietnamese tech entrepreneurs, who are creating the next generation of apps or fintech products, would also welcome partnerships with American venture capital and other firms,” he noted.

Vietnam’s tech enterprises are actively creating new generations of products and financial technologies, and this is a great opportunity to expand cooperation with US companies and investment funds.

Aerospace and defense are sectors in which the comprehensive partnership between the US and Vietnam creates tremendous opportunities for cooperation, he pointed out.

Speaking about the visit by US Vice President Kamala Harris to Vietnam, Mr. Patel said it aims at reaffirming that bilateral relations are an important part of President Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific strategy.