“We grow as Vietnam grows”

Siemens was officially established in Vietnam in 1993, but our history dates back to 1979 when we supplied and installed the first two industrial steam turbines for Bai Bang Paper Company. Over the years, Siemens has made considerable contributions to Vietnam’s economic development, and we are very proud of our long history as a trusted partner and friend of the people of Vietnam.

Siemens has participated in numerous infrastructure projects in Vietnam and now has a strong presence in many vital sectors of the national economy, such as energy, industry and healthcare.

 

Siemens continues to contribute extensively to the development of the energy sector in Vietnam and help ease the country severe power shortage. To date, we have provided more than 3.3 gigawatts (GW) out of the total installed power generating capacity of about 15 GW nationwide. We have successfully participated in many important power generation projects such as Phu My 2-1 Extension, Phu My 3, Ca Mau 1 & 2 Power Island and Nhon Trach 2 Combined Cycle Power Plants, as well as in power transmission projects such as Son La, Doc Soi and Quang Ninh 500kV Substations.

 

In industry, our solutions and technologies have also been applied and utilized in almost every field of Vietnamese industry, ranging from city infrastructure construction and advanced transportation equipment to automation and drive technology. We have supplied 16 Diesel Electric type AR15 VR locomotives to Vietnam Railways. Siemens Apogee Building Management System and Algorex Fire Alarm System have been installed in many important projects such as at My Dinh National Stadium - the biggest stadium in Vietnam, and at Ho Chi Minh City Television Centre and PetroVietnam Headquarters in Hanoi. Our highly efficient automation and drive products are used extensively in many of the country’s industries such as pulp and paper (VinaKraft), cement (Hoa Phat, Cong Thanh), steel (Thep Viet), and food and beverage (Kinh Do, Coca Cola, Heineken).

With high quality products and reliable services, Siemens affirms its number one position in the healthcare sector in Vietnam. We have been supplying hundred of imaging systems to Vietnamese hospitals and clinics such as Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai Hospital, Khanh Hoa Hospital in Nha Trang and Da Nang Hospital.

 

The efforts by the Vietnamese government to improve the business environment and attract impressive rates of FDI are laudable. I’m also amazed by the increasing amount of ODA granted to Vietnam each year. But in my view, Vietnam will become more attractive to foreign investors if administrative reform moves faster, resulting in the removal or easing of many cumbersome rules and regulations. For instance it took us much longer than expected to receive our extended business license and almost six months to fulfil the local requirements for obtaining work permits for our experts from Germany. Besides, the fact that Vietnam has a rich but not highly qualified workforce is also an issue. We often face great difficulty in finding and recruiting qualified local employees for important positions at Siemens.

 

As I see it, the bilateral relationship between the two countries already has a special quality. There are 83,000 Vietnamese living in Germany alone, while in Vietnam there are 100,000 German-speakers. This promotes exchanges and mutual understanding between the countries. The cultural exchange is becoming more intensive – as the 35^th anniversary celebrations also show. And the development of economic relationships is very gratifying. Celebrating the 35^th anniversary also offers a platform for the German economy to further expand its business activities in Vietnam.

 

With its unique and broad portfolio, Siemens perfectly matches the challenges facing Vietnam at present and in the coming years, especially in the fields of infrastructure, transportation, energy and healthcare. As an integral part of the Vietnamese economy and a long term and trustworthy partner, we are committed to support Vietnam in successfully overcoming these challenges and continuing to thrive.

We have answers to Vietnam’s toughest questions, and we grow as Vietnam grows.