Ho Chi Minh City Association for Supporting Industries Joins Hands with Gyeongbuk Technopark (Korea)

From September 14 to 16, the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Supporting Industries (HASI), in coordination with Gyeongbuk Technopark (GBTP), Korea, organized a series of activities including meetings and working sessions, the signing of an MoU between HASI and GBTP, as well as visits and surveys at HASI member companies: Tuong Lai Co., Ltd. (Long Thanh Ward, Dong Nai) and SMC Phu My Precision Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Tan Phuoc Ward, Ho Chi Minh City).

These activities were carried out within the framework of the Regional Innovation Cluster Development Project supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea (MOTIE).

On this occasion, representatives of HASI and GBTP met, exchanged views and signed an MoU to expand cooperation in key areas including two-way trade and investment promotion, supply chain development, technology transfer, smart manufacturing, and cooperation models such as OEM/ODM and joint ventures. Priority sectors include automobiles and automotive components, future mobility, electric vehicles, batteries, electrical and electronics, precision engineering, materials and machinery.

Overview of the MoU signing ceremony between HASI and GBTP

The Ho Chi Minh City Association for Supporting Industries (HASI) is a socio-professional organization representing the supporting-industry business community in Ho Chi Minh City and southern Vietnam. Its ecosystem comprises nearly 300 members operating across mechanical engineering and manufacturing, automation, molds and dies, plastics and rubber, electrical and electronics, semiconductors, industrial packaging and supporting services.

According to Mr. Vo Thanh Tuan, Vice President of HASI and Chairman of APT Joint Stock Company, HASI connects Vietnamese enterprises with FDI companies, buyers, industrial parks, research institutes and universities, government authorities and international partners. At the same time, the Association receives business needs, screens suppliers and buyers, organizes B2B and B2G connections, and supports Vietnamese companies in upgrading their capabilities in technology, digitalization, standards and ESG, thereby enabling them to gradually participate more deeply in regional and global value chains.

HASI has consistently been proactive in building and strengthening relationships with international organizations, foreign chambers of commerce and business associations in Vietnam, as well as consular missions in Ho Chi Minh City. Notably, in 2025, HASI collaborated with Ringier Events to organize the 2026 ASEAN High-Performance Machining Summit: Auto Parts, Electronics, Assembly Automation, while also arranging factory tours to visit and work with THACO Group and other leading companies in these manufacturing sectors.

HASI partnered with Ringier Events to host the 2026 ASEAN High-Performance Machining Summit: Auto Parts, Electronics, Assembly Automation, alongside visits and working sessions with THACO Group and several other leading companies in related manufacturing industries.

Gyeongbuk Technopark (GBTP), meanwhile, was established in 1998 and serves as an organization supporting industrial innovation and enterprise development in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, Korea.

Through a network of specialized centers in future mobility, eco-friendly automotive components, secondary batteries, lightweight materials, wireless power transmission and smart manufacturing, GBTP provides end-to-end support for enterprises, ranging from research and development, testing and certification, technology transfer and commercialization to investment attraction, enhancement of manufacturing capabilities and market expansion. GBTP is also the promotional body for the Gyeongsangbuk-do Regional Innovation Cluster, operating the cycle of “policy planning - enterprise support - enterprise growth - overseas expansion.”

Mr. Park Sungdug, Head of the Policy Planning Department at Gyeongbuk Technopark, said that Gyeongsangbuk-do and Vietnam have significant potential for cooperation in key sectors such as automotive components, future mobility, robotics and semiconductors.

“We will closely link cooperation between GBTP and HASI with technology transfer, local production and joint-venture investment in order to achieve tangible results in supply-chain participation,” Mr. Park Sungdug emphasized.

HASI Vice President Vo Thanh Tuan (seventh from the right) signed the MoU with Mr. Park Sungdug, Head of the Policy Planning Department at Gyeongbuk Technopark (seventh from the left).

At Tuong Lai Co., Ltd. and SMC Phu My Precision Mechanics Co., Ltd., the HASI and GBTP delegation toured the factories and production lines and held discussions with the management of both companies on potential future cooperation.

Speaking with the delegation, Mr. Truong Quoc Cuong, Vice President of HASI and Director of Tuong Lai Co., Ltd., emphasized that the company operates in the production of technical rubber, engineering plastics and mechanical processing, and has been selected by Samsung in the Smart Factory category. With a closed-loop production chain, the company provides integrated manufacturing solutions ranging from product development and mold manufacturing to total cost optimization, centralized quality control, component processing and mass production according to customer requirements.

The company is actively expanding cooperation with organizations and technology partners in Vietnam and overseas, particularly in Korea, with the aim of accessing advanced manufacturing standards, strengthening localization capabilities, developing Smart Factory models and becoming a reliable manufacturing partner in the global supply chain.

Mr. Truong Quoc Cuong, Vice President of HASI and Director of Tuong Lai Co., Ltd., warmly welcomed the delegation, shares information about the company and guides the delegation on a tour of its production lines.

Gyeongbuk Technopark has assessed Tuong Lai Co., Ltd. as having strong potential to connect with Vietnam’s automotive supply chain, including the ecosystems of manufacturers such as THACO and VinFast, while also opening opportunities for technology and manufacturing cooperation with automotive component companies in Gyeongbuk.

Welcoming and holding discussions with the delegation, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Dang Khoa, Member of the HASI Executive Committee and Deputy Director of Business Development at SMC Phu My Precision Mechanics Co., Ltd., said that the company operates a modern factory complex at Phu My II Industrial Park, with an annual steel processing capacity of 200,000 tonnes.

Through its integrated “one-stop shop” process, ranging from steel material supply, slitting and high-tech sheet cutting to mold design and manufacturing, together with an 800-ton automated stamping line and final assembly, SMC Phu My has developed supply capabilities for multinational corporations, including Samsung, as well as global electronics and home-appliance manufacturers.

To meet stringent global standards, SMC Phu My expects to expand cooperation with Korean partners in new technologies, operational data optimization and Smart Factory development, thereby standardizing its capabilities in mold design and manufacturing and precision stamping, while expanding its participation in automotive and electrical-electronics component supply chains as well as international Tier-1 and Tier-2 supply chains.

During the working session, the parties discussed a joint-production model combining the mold, stamping and forming technologies of Gyeongbuk automotive component companies with SMC Phu My’s local material sourcing capabilities and manufacturing infrastructure.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Dang Khoa, Deputy Director of Business Development at SMC Phu My Precision Mechanics Co., Ltd., introduced the company’s projects and leads the delegation on a factory tour.

According to Mr. Tran Quoc Duy, Deputy Chief of Office of HASI and Advisor to the World Vocational Competency Exchange Association (WVCEA), Korea, under the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is responsible for connecting HASI with international organizations, one of the key cooperation models proposed by the parties on this occasion goes beyond merely exporting products. Instead, it seeks to combine the technologies of Korean companies with manufacturing capabilities in Vietnam, thereby enabling both sides to jointly participate in the supply chains of finished-product manufacturers in Vietnam and global corporations.

In the coming period, GBTP and HASI will continue to verify purchasing requirements, sourcing needs and technology demands of enterprises on both sides, then identify suitable partners and proceed step by step through information exchange, factory visits, requests for quotation (RFQs), sample development, supplier evaluation, trial orders, joint production and investment cooperation.

Through its cooperation with HASI, GBTP expects to broaden opportunities for Korean companies to access the Vietnamese and Asian markets, while creating additional channels for Vietnamese enterprises to access technology, partners and the industrial ecosystem of Gyeongsangbuk-do, with a view to building sustainable two-way cooperation in technology, manufacturing and investment.

VIETNAM- SOUTH KOREA ECONOMIC RELATIONS AT A GLANCE

Vietnam - South Korea relations have continued to deepen under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. In 2025, bilateral trade reached approximately USD 89.5 billion; in the first seven months of 2026, it exceeded USD 70 billion, up 41% year on year. The two countries are working toward bilateral trade targets of USD 100 billion in 2026 and USD 150 billion by 2030, with an emphasis on more balanced trade. As of August 30, 2026, South Korea remained Vietnam’s largest foreign investor, with more than USD 102.7 billion in registered capital of valid projects, accounting for 18.3% of Vietnam’s total registered foreign investment capital.