Swedes to raise presence

Swedish investor interest includes Vietnam’s transport sector_Photo: Hoai Nam

According to the Swedish Embassy to Vietnam’s Political and Trade Section, the opportunities will be in the sector of medical equipment, clean energy, urban transport, and disaster relief.

High-profile companies such as Bactiguard, Boule, Elekta, Getinge, Pharmacure, Lioness, and Hemocure, which several years ago came to Vietnam in search of business opportunities in the medical equipment sector, will come back to the country this month 2015 for the same purpose.

Bactiguard, which provides solutions in preventing transmitted diseases, said that by using its technology, Vietnamese hospitals could significantly save costs, reduce the usage of antibiotics, and find it easier to cure patients. Bactiguard’s entrance into the Vietnamese market is part of its business expansion to China, India, Europe, South Africa, and Middle East.

While Boule wants to seek local partners in selling its blood diagnosis equipment to Vietnam, Elekta wishes to provide its solutions in treating cancer and brain disorders. Also, Getinge hopes to co-operate with local partners in applying its bacteria eradication and sterilisation technologies here.

The Political and Trade Section commercial officer Dang Phuong Lan said the local urban transport sector was also on the radar of Swedish companies, which would come to Vietnam to seek business jackpots this year.

Currently, some Swedish companies are already operating in this sector in Vietnam, including Kapsch, Scania and Volvo Bus.

“The companies are seeking new or continued opportunities for co-operation and see Vietnam as important partner,” said Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Camilla Mellander.

For example, Volvo Group has two distributors in Vietnam including Cosh Company Limited for Volvo Construction Equipment, and OpenAsia Heavy Equipment (OHE) for Volvo Trucks and Volvo Bus.

“Volvo has a long tradition of working together with cities in the development of new products tailored for the bus rapid transit around the globe. Volvo Bus and OHE are willing to supply bus rapid transit solutions (BRT) to different cities in Vietnam that are currently planning to implement such systems,” said a Volvo document.

This company’s first target is Hanoi where infrastructure works have already started. The city’s Department of Transport should issue a tender by the end of the year for the supply of 30 units of specially designed buses.

“Ho Chi Minh City and Danang also have secured financing from international institutions like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank for the implementation of BRT systems. Volvo Bus can offer the expertise of the world leader in BRT solutions,” said the document.

Currently, Volvo’s construction equipment and trucks are mainly sold to state-run mining group Vinacomin and the mining industry. However, despite positive sales, Volvo buses fall short of having a strong presence in the market.

According to the Political and Trade Section, Kapsch, a supplier of urban electronic road pricing and highway electronic toll collection systems, is also working in Vietnam through the distributor ITD Corporation. Its toll road systems have been utilised in Ho Chi Minh City. Kapsch also wishes to further explore the traffic safety and toll road systems throughout Vietnam.