Shipbuilding Industry Benefits from Danish Co-operation

“Shipbuilding is one of the industries prioritised by the Vietnamese Government in its economic development plans. Vietnam has set an ambitious plan to improve its shipbuilding and maritime transportation industries’ competitiveness in the international market,” said Danish ambassador to Vietnam, Peter Lysholt Hansen, at a meeting between 15 enterprises and three financial organisations of Denmark and the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (Vinashin), the Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) and other enterprises in Hanoi on November 14, 2005.

 

Evaluating the potential of the Vietnamese shipbuilding industry, Thomas Ærting Jorgensen, managing director of Maersk Southeast Asia, said that Vietnamese people were young and had high levels of educational. He also noted that the Vietnamese Government was determined to pursue its economic reform, opening the door to welcome foreign investment. However, Jorgensen said that there were many challenges to Vietnam’s economic development to meet national development norms and improve foreign investment attraction. Jorgensen said that Vietnam should have well-developed infrastructure facilities, including deep water seaports, roads and railways, and more importantly, transparent taxation system and effective customs procedures.

 

Even though Vietnam has carried out many projects on improving and building up its cargo transportation service, which has seen a rapid development in recent years, the country still faces many difficulties due to a lack of sustainable development plans. Jorgensen said that with a geographic location convenient for developing international trade exchange, in particular, Saigon having an important position in maritime transportation, a deep water seaport should be built in Saigon to help exporters save costs from transporting their goods from the port to large ships. He went on to say that in 2009, Haiphong may be able to provide transportation services to Hong Kong and in the future, Vietnam would be an exporter of crews. The country, according to Jorgensen, would enjoy more benefits with more deep water seaports.

 

“Vietnam is facing fiercer competition from other countries in the region. Therefore, internationally recognised experience from Danish enterprises in the industry would be useful for Vietnam. This is also a good business opportunity for Danish suppliers, consultancy companies,” said Ambassador Hansen. Danish enterprises attending the meeting are famous enterprises such as Aalborg Industries, Ellehammer, Fabrricius/Sea Saigon Shipping, J.Lauritzen, Hêmpl, Lyngsoe Marine, Amplidan and Maersk Sealand. The event offered an opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises to promote co-operation and seek partners.

Pham Thanh Binh, chief executive of Vinashin, said that Vietnamese shipbuilding enterprises had been considered to have great potential. However, they needed support and co-operation from international partners and promoted co-operative ties with Denmark would open up new opportunities for local shipbuilding and maritime transportation industries.

 

“This is not simply co-operation between Danish and Vietnamese enterprises but a long-term development co-operation between Vietnam and Denmark in all aspects,” said Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan addressing the meeting.

 

More importantly, the event witnessed a signing of contract on building 2,500 tonne container carriers between the Saigon Shipbuilding Company and the Fabricius A/S Company. The event has an important meaning for the Vietnamese shipbuilding industry as it was the first contract on building 2,500 tonne container carriers, which has opened up a good prospect of winning more orders from foreign countries. The contract is implemented and completed in 2006.