Hanoi IEC: A Bridge for Cooperation: Thuringia and Vietnam in Investment and Talent Development

For nearly two decades, working alongside the the German state of Thuringia, Hanoi IEC has affirmed its role as a link, not only opening doors for German businesses to enter the Vietnamese market but also creating sustainable career opportunities for young Vietnamese workers to build their futures in Germany. To learn more, our reporter conducted an interview with Mrs. Thi Thanh Tam Nguyen, Director of Hanoi IEC, Special Envoy of Ministry of the Economics, Science and Digital Society, Thuringia.

Former Minister-President of State of Thuringia Mr. Bodo Ramelow congratulated Trung Hieu Vu, a trainee under the project "Attracting Skilled Workers to Thuringia"

After nearly two decades with State of Thuringia, what has been the key for Hanoi IEC to attract German investors and create opportunities for Vietnamese businesses and workers?

Hanoi IEC has built a “strategic key” by leveraging three pivotal foundations at the same time: deep knowledge of German and Vietnamese culture from a team with study and work experience in Germany; expertise in investment and trade promotion; and the optimization of workforce training effectiveness based on German standards.

Since 2007, Hanoi IEC has served as the Official Representative of the State Development Corporation of Thuringia (LEG Thüringen) in Vietnam. In this role, the company has closely coordinated with the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad (AHK) and the German Embassy in Vietnam, supported more than 400 German companies, with roughly 15% have established a real presence in Vietnam through investment, trade, product sourcing, or research projects. Hanoi IEC has also defined workforce development as a strategic pillar, providing well-structured training programs linked directly with German trade associations, training institutions, and enterprises, thereby building a labor force that is both skilled and culturally integrated.

With a long-term vision, Hanoi IEC views Vietnam as a “dual pivot”: a bridge for German businesses to expand their value chains in Asia, while offers Vietnamese youth access to vocational training and Germany’s high-quality labor market. Linking economic cooperation with workforce development has thus become the foundation of a sustainable, two-way partnership.

Beyond trade and investment, Hanoi IEC considers workforce development a strategic pillar. Could you share how specific programs have been implemented?

Since 2015, Hanoi IEC has carried out the Full Vocational Training Scholarship Project, funded by Thuringia through the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of South Thuringia (IHK Südthüringen). The program soon became one of the flagship cooperation models, well regarded across Germany and be presented to the German Chancellor as an exemplary example of Vietnam-Germany cooperation.

Building on that success, since 2021, Hanoi IEC has partnered with the LIGA association network and the PARISAT organization to launch the full scholarship vocational training program in nursing, open opportunities for many young Vietnamese to pursue a meaningful, sustainable career. To date, nearly 400 Vietnamese trainees have begun careers and built futures in Germany thanks to these programs.

In parallel with state-level cooperation projects, since 2019, Hanoi IEC has been selected by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) as a partner for German language training for candidates in the Triple Win Project - a joint program between Department of Overseas Labor Management (DOLAB) under Vietnam’s Ministry of Home Affairs, GIZ, and ZAV (German Federal Employment Agency). This prestigious project recruits and trains Vietnamese candidates to become nursing staff in Germany, bring tangible benefits to both countries.

Notably, many leading hospitals in Germany such as UKSH Campus Kiel, Sana Klinikum Offenbach, Universitätsklinikum Essen, and Klinikum Kulmbach have entrusted Hanoi IEC with German language and cultural integration training for their professional Vietnamese nursing staff. These programs are 100% funded by Germany, reflecting their high appreciation for the quality of Hanoi IEC’s German language training, integration courses, and preparation for going to Germany.

Strengthening business relationship between the State of Thuringia and Da Nang City through the economic networking event

Amid the global supply chain shift, how does Hanoi IEC perceive and position Vietnam in Thuringia’s trade and investment strategy in Asia?

Hanoi IEC views Vietnam as a strategic link in Thuringia’s trade and investment map in Asia. With an average GDP growth of over 6% per year, a central geopolitical location in Southeast Asia, and a series of next-generation FTAs (EVFTA, CPTPP, RCEP), Vietnam is emerging as a “gateway” to the vast ASEAN-EU supply chain. Many German enterprises, particularly from Thuringia, see Vietnam as a destination for tapping into the ASEAN market of more than 600 million people.

Over the past 20 years, Hanoi IEC has supported hundreds of Thuringian companies in entering the Vietnamese market in key sectors such as precision engineering, medical technology, optics, and pharmaceuticals. Reputable brands such as Analytik Jena, ILMVAC, Intercus, DigiTexx, HSP, OttoBock, and Gramme Revit consider Vietnam not only a consumer market but also a reliable partner for production and R&D - evidence of a sustainable and substantive German-Vietnamese industrial cooperation model.

Opening ceremony of the German language course of the Triple Win project at the German Competence Institute GCA / Hanoi IEC

Given Thuringia’s labor shortage, how will Hanoi IEC use Vietnam’s “demographic dividend” to turn its young workforce into a lasting advantage for both sides?

Thuringia faces a severe shortage of skilled labor, particularly in key sectors such as healthcare, precision engineering, optics, and green energy. Forecasts indicate that by 2035, the region will lack 120,000 skilled workers, while Germany as a whole may face a shortfall of up to 7 million workers unless fundamental solutions are implemented.

Recognizing this demand, Hanoi IEC has developed a comprehensive strategy to transform Vietnam’s “demographic dividend” into a sustainable competitive advantage for both sides. Rather than isolated projects, Hanoi IEC has built a complete “workforce value chain” - from candidate selection, German language training, career orientation, cultural integration skills, to direct connections with enterprises, training institutes, and industry associations in Thuringia.

The core of this strategy is the German Competence Academy (GCA) - a modern German language training center frequently visited by Vietnamese and German organizations, highly recognized by AHK, the Goethe-Institut, and the German Embassy. Over the past 10 years, hundreds of Vietnamese trainees have received full vocational scholarships funded by Thuringia, equipping them with German language skills and integration knowledge at GCA before moving to Germany for study and securing employment contracts upon graduation.

Hanoi IEC’s strength lies in its close bilateral connections: in Thuringia, collaborating with prestigious organizations such as the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of South Thuringia (IHK Südthüringen), State Development Corporation of Thuringia (LEG Thüringen), Thuringia Association of Nursing Homes and Hospitals (LIGA), and numerous training enterprises; in Vietnam, working with government agencies, the German Embassy, the Goethe-Institut, and students’ families to provide support before, during, and after the relocation.

In the upcoming period, Hanoi IEC will continue expanding vocational scholarship programs, diversifying training fields aligned with Vietnamese strengths and global demand, while collaborating with the Thuringian Agency For Skilled Personnel Marketing (ThAFF) to develop a scheme for recognizing degrees from certain Vietnamese universities and colleges - a breakthrough enabling trained workers to directly enter the German labor market.

With a systematic strategy and long-term vision, Hanoi IEC not only helps Thuringia address its workforce challenges but also creates a “golden bridge” to maximize Vietnam’s young population advantage, delivering practical and sustainable benefits to both countries.

Thank you very much!

By Tran Trang, Vietnam Business Forum