Vietnam and South Korea boost cooperation in training and startups

October 05, 2025 | 10:00

(0) user say

Vietnam and South Korea are deepening cooperation in education, talent development, and innovation to strengthen their startup ecosystems and sustainable industries.

On October 1 in Ulsan, South Korea, the Ulsan Centre for Creative Economy and Innovation (UCCEI) and the Vietstar Institute of Management signed an MoU to boost collaboration in education, industrial leadership training, human resource exchange, and startup ecosystem development, establishing a framework for long-term partnership between the two countries.

Boosting South Korea-Vietnam startup ecosystem, industrial leadership training and talent exchange

Heon-sung Kim, CEO of UCCEI and Pham Thi Thu Hang, CEO of Vietstar after signing the MoU

The partnership aims to connect promising Vietnamese talent with South Korean industries, enhancing Vietnamese industrial leadership capability, and facilitating Ulsan startups' entry into the Vietnamese market. Six key areas of cooperation, including education, industrial leadership capability, talent exchange, and startup market entry support, were agreed upon.

"This agreement is a crucial step that merges Ulsan's advanced industrial capabilities with Vietnam’s young, dynamic talent and market potential," said Heon-sung KIM, CEO of UCCEI. "We look forward to serving as a hub for human and material exchange between the two nations, contributing to sustainable economic growth."

Under the MoU, the two sides will jointly develop leadership and competency-building programmes, combining Vietstar’s customised training courses for Vietnam with UCCEI’s entrepreneurship and innovation content. They will also cooperate on tailored training initiatives for executives and employees of companies and institutions in both countries.

Industrial training and talent exchange will involve the joint planning and operation of activities for Vietnamese professionals – especially young talent – in key South Korean industries such as energy, mobility, and new materials. The initiative will also facilitate internships, exchange programmes, and talent connections for Ulsan-based companies expanding into Vietnam.

The two sides will also co-design and operate a startup leadership training course for aspiring Vietnamese entrepreneurs, supported by a mentoring system that leverages UCCEI’s startup expertise and Vietstar’s local network.

Cooperation on talent attraction will focus on connecting skilled Vietnamese professionals with Korean industries, combining UCCEI’s network of high-demand companies with Vietstar’s talent pool. The partners will also develop information and support schemes to help these professionals secure employment and integrate successfully in South Korea.

In supporting startups, the collaboration will assist UCCEI-incubated companies entering the Vietnamese market through local insights, partner matching, market research, and legal and administrative consulting. Meanwhile, promising Vietnamese startups will gain access to opportunities in South Korea’s Ulsan market and potential investment, including through a joint investment day or similar events.

The two sides will also encourage inter-city ecosystem exchange between Ulsan and major Vietnamese cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Nha Trang, and Haiphong. This includes city-to-city matching initiatives, policy and best practice sharing, and joint project development to strengthen innovation and industrial cooperation.

"Our collaboration with UCCEI will open the door for Vietnamese firms to access South Korea’s cutting-edge technology and innovation know-how, and enhance industrial leadership capability for key sectors like power, energy, and manufacturing," said Pham Thi Thu Hang, CEO of Vietstar. "We expect significant synergy, particularly in enhancing the qualitative growth and global competitiveness of Vietnamese enterprises and the startup ecosystem."

UCCEI was established by the South Korean government and is located in Ulsan Metropolitan City. Building on the city's robust manufacturing base, which includes shipbuilding, machinery, oil products, and materials, the UCCEI serves as a hub for supporting national manufacturing process innovation, driving startup incubation, investment, technology commercialisation support, and the revitalisation of the regional industrial innovation ecosystem.

Vietstar is a world-class training and consulting brand, trusted by major corporations in Vietnam and the ASEAN region. Vietstar supports the sustainable growth of Vietnamese enterprises by providing leadership training, corporate competency building programmes, and consulting services.