Investment opportunities in Da Nang and the city’s FDI incentive policies were highlighted at Wednesday’s webinar on attracting FDI projects from Japan into Da Nang.

Municipal People’s Committee Vice Chairman Tran Van Mien (2nd, left) chairing the webinar

Co-hosted by the Da Nang government, the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the online event attracted the participation of about 200 IT businesses from Japan.

In Da Nang, it was chaired by municipal People’s Committee Vice Chairman Tran Van Mien.

In his speech delivered at the webinar, Vice Chairman Tran Van Mien said that Da Nang has always considered Japan as one of its important strategic partners, and Japan is seen as a key market for Da Nang with strong financial and technological potential, especially in information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

As of late September, Japan has been the largest investor in Da Nang with 24 projects totalling more than 816 million US$, accounting for 25% of all FDI projects and 23% of all FDI inflows in Da Nang.

Vice Chairman Minh hoped Da Nang would continue to be a favourite destination for Japanese investors.

Chaired the webinar in Ha Noi, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Anh Tuan said the Vietnamese government is taking actions to drive the development of dedicated IT and hi-tech zones in the country’s major economic hubs.

Tuan said Viet Nam is switching to the so-called ‘Made in Viet Nam’ movement, while boosting joint ventures and attracting foreign conglomerates, especially  businesses involving in producing smart equipment using the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and big data technologies.

Da Nang has been working with national departments and agencies to build its digital ecosystem, as well as turn itself into a favourite destination for global technology investors.

Mr Takahisa Onose, Chairman of the Japanese Business Association in Da Nang, said that Da Nang boasts investment opportunities for Japanese investors partly thanks to its improved infrastructure and its cost competitive workforce.

Also at the event, the participants pointed out several shortcomings in the performance of the IT sector in Da Nang. In particular, the city has been facing a lack of skilled IT employees, especially those possess a high Japanese language proficiency.

By VAN HOANG – Translated by M.D