Vietnam Market Match

Why Vietnam?

Vietnam is a growing economy in Southeast Asia where Finnish companies have an excellent reputation. Vietnam offers business opportunities for example in the following sectors: Smart city, Energy, Waste, and Wood and forestry. Read more about business opportunities at the end of this page.

Services

Services will be tailored for each participating company and include for example market studies, product localization, and partner and customer search.

• Test your initial business concepts and solutions at a low cost before investing in local presence
• Receive up-to-date information on larger local initiatives, development agendas and upcoming tenders
• Access the networks and knowledge of the core team of our service provider
• Learn quickly market realities and opportunities through potential partners, customers and other stakeholders

Timetable

Vietnam Market Match starts in June and ends in December 2019:

• April-June: Applications and selection of companies
• June-Aug: Pre-training sessions, selection of local coaching expert, and specification of Market Match goals
• July-Nov: Collaborative work remotely together with local coaching expert
• Aug-Oct: 2 visits to Vietnam to develop market access plan with local coaching expert
• Dec: Finishing the work and planning the future options

The application period has been for the year 2019.

The companies are evaluated and selected based on the following criteria:

• Product-Market fit – How potential is company's offering for Vietnam?
• Business opportunity – Probability for new revenue and profits
• Track record – Prior relevant success of the company in Finland and abroad
• Commitment – Readiness to form strategic partnerships in Vietnam
• Team and resources – Key people and company's resources
• Impact – Outlook for expansion and societal impact

Funding

The participation fee is 7 000 euros. The companies also cover their own travel costs.

Business Finland can cover part of the costs and companies are encouraged to apply Market Explorer funding. Business Finland can also fund other innovation and business development activities in Vietnam. 

Business with Impact BEAM

Vietnam Market Match is part of Business Finland's BEAM program. We help Finnish companies and their partners to turn innovations into successful and sustainable business in developing countries. (Programme has ended).

Smart City

The main Vietnamese cities Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and Da Nang have started to develop themselves as smart cities. Many private companies are already planning and implementing projects that need technology solutions, services and concepts. The team Finland network has good connections to the leadership of HCMC and Da Nang and these smart city efforts provide business opportunities for Finnish SMEs in the following sectors: Energy, Waste, and Wood and forestry.

• Digital Asia: Paths to digital transformation in Singapore, Vietnam and Philippines

Energy

Energy reform is one of the key strategic government projects. Clean solutions, energy efficiency, smart grids and digital transformation are in the long-term targets. Team Finland together with Finnish companies has been introducing and educating systematically for many years Vietnamese key private and public developers, main cities and authorities of the Finnish expertise and knowhow in waste-to-energy and energy efficiency technologies. Vietnam is in giant need of clean energy while energy generation vs environmental pollution as well as investment capital shortage is a challenge.

• Vietnam waste sector seeks for solutions from Finnish technology suppliers
• A new paper mill needs clean water supply & wastewater treatment systems

Waste

In the same time as the economy is growing fast the municipal solid waste, plastic waste, hazardous waste and wastewater problems are increasing. Market is open for new flexible and innovative solutions for better waste management and the circular economic thinking that can help the private companies and authorities to solve the problems. Recycling is developing, however still mainly simple basic technologies are in use. Cost and investment capital shortages are claimed as reasons for no quicker actions. Raising understanding and trainings in technical topics and waste-to-value business management pays back in the long term.

Wood and forestry

Vietnam has just launched a new state of the art digital open source forest management system. It covers all provinces forest resources. This opens up new era and interest to develop local forestry sector. Finland is in a unique position due to the just ended FORMISII development collaboration program with great contacts in ministries, authorities, forestry sector developers and forest owners. There are needs in capacity building, wood processing industry development, machines, technologies, harvesting and planting. furniture processing industry. Large furniture industry needs wood from Finland. Developers and designers have raised interest to learn of user cases of processed wood and new innovative materials.