Vietnam an attractive destination for North European firms: ScandAsia

High economic growth and strong investment in infrastructure are among the reasons for Northern European businessmen to consider when choosing to invest in Vietnam, according to an article recently published on the site ScandAsia, which covers Nordic news and business promotion in Asia.

At a sea port in the northern port city of Hai Phong

At a sea port in the northern port city of Hai Phong

The article said Swedish exports to Vietnam have increased by almost 6% by 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emil Akander, Business Sweden’s acting country manager in Vietnam, was cited as saying the growing export was thanks to several factors, particularly the rapid increase of the Vietnamese middle class’s purchasing power.

He explained that 30 million Vietnamese will belong to the country’s middle class by 2025, which is almost a doubling since 2012.

The official said at the same time, Vietnam sees major investments being made in infrastructure and health care.

Airports and the subway in the country's two biggest hubs Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are being expanded, new hospitals built, and major investments made in new energy. These sectors are strengths of Swedish firms, he added.

Johan Fredriksson, country analyst at the Swedish Export Credit Agency (EKN), noted Vietnam was one of a handful of countries whose economies grew even during the pandemic year of 2020. And according to forecasts from the World Bank and IMF, continued growth is expected at around 6%-7% per year, he noted.

Today, several conglomerates and large industrial companies from Sweden, including H&M, ABB, Tetrapak, Sandvik, SKF,  and Ericsson, are operating in Vietnam.

According to him, the door is also open for small- and medium-sized companies. He highlighted opportunities for the groups to establish themselves in the country as subcontractors.

VNA

Other News

SBV raises short-term capital lending cap to 40%

SBV raises short-term capital lending cap to 40%

The new circular will help credit institutions have more room to provide capital to businesses and investment projects to support high economic growth in the next few years, while increasing flexibility in the SBV’s monetary policy management.

Business confidence in Vietnam rebounds strongly: UOB

Business confidence in Vietnam rebounds strongly: UOB

The study found that 85% of Vietnamese enterprises reported positive business sentiment, a sharp increase from 48% in 2025, when business confidence was weighed down by uncertainties surrounding US tariff policies and related trade developments.

Bac Ninh seeks high-quality foreign investment for sustainable growth

Bac Ninh seeks high-quality foreign investment for sustainable growth

According to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Van Thinh, the province aims to maintain stable and sustainable growth, improve the competitiveness of both the economy and local businesses, and make better use of free trade agreements (FTAs) to expand and diversify export markets.

Green building trend flourishes in Ho Chi Minh City's real estate landscape

Green building trend flourishes in Ho Chi Minh City's real estate landscape

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) highlighted the city's dominance in green-certified building floor space in Vietnam, reflecting the rapid expansion of the green building market with 780 completed green buildings encompassing over 18.69 million sq.m by 2025, predominantly certified by EDGE and LEED.

UK supports Vietnam in wind power and green finance development

UK supports Vietnam in wind power and green finance development

The United Kingdom officially announced two new climate cooperation initiatives to support Vietnam in its energy transition and green growth journey. These programs focus on offshore wind power development and the creation of a sustainable green financial ecosystem.

Ample room remains for Vietnam–India logistics cooperation

Ample room remains for Vietnam–India logistics cooperation

The GTTCI expert noted that alongside logistics and integrated warehousing, e-commerce is expected to be a particularly high-growth sector in the coming years. He described it as a multi-billion-dollar market with significant untapped opportunities for cooperation between Vietnam and India.

Exports gain momentum from high-tech growth drivers

Exports gain momentum from high-tech growth drivers

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam’s exports reached 215.66 billion USD in the first five months of 2026, up 19.5% year-on-year. Twenty-six export items generated more than 1 billion USD in revenue each, including seven with turnover exceeding 10 billion USD.

Vietnam–China crossings see spike in ASEAN fresh produce

Vietnam–China crossings see spike in ASEAN fresh produce

Since the start of the summer harvest season, China's two major border gates with Vietnam, Youyi Guan in Pingxiang and Beilun 2 Bridge in Dongxing, have entered their peak period for handling imports of fresh agricultural and seafood products from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Cargo handling operations at Berths 3 and 4 of the Hai Phong International Gateway Port. (Photo: VNA)

AI reshapes logistics, raising bar for workforce skills

According to the Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLA), the logistics sector will require around 2.2 million workers by 2030, including 1.6 million employees for logistics service providers and nearly 600,000 personnel supporting logistics operations in manufacturing and trading enterprises.

Robust dispute resolution framework key to Vietnam's IFC ambitions

Robust dispute resolution framework key to Vietnam's IFC ambitions

The development strategy for VIFC-HCMC envisions a comprehensive financial ecosystem encompassing green finance, carbon credits, financial technology (fintech), blockchain technology, digital assets, digital banking and other innovative business models. These highly internationalised sectors involve complex cross-border transactions and sophisticated legal structures.