Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Vietnam – Germany Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation on Tuesday, Schaeffler’s Chief Operating Officer Andreas Schick applauded FPT’s supporting role in technology development as well as building its world-class smart factory in Vietnam.

“Our manufacturing plant in Vietnam is among the four Schaeffler pioneering production facilities in terms of digitalization. We thank FPT for having worked alongside us to adopt digital manufacturing technologies that make us world-class”, he said.

Since 2018, the two companies have worked together to accelerate Schaeffler’s digital transformation journey, particularly digitalizing its factory in Vietnam’s Southern Dong Nai province as part of a global pilot project for digital manufacturing. “Vietnam is not only a safe and attracting destination, but also plays a vital role in our company’s development”, Mr. Schick noted.

Joining him virtually were Germany’s Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, Vietnam’s Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh, business associations and industry leaders from both countries including FPT, Siemens, Bosch and so on. The meeting was held in the wake of the European Union–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA)’s entry into force, looking to discuss opportunities for collaboration between Vietnam and Germany.

 

The first session of Vietnam – Germany Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation took place on January 12, 2021

“FPT prides itself on the valuable partnerships with leading German enterprises”, said FPT Chairman Dr. Truong Gia Binh, sharing stories of M&A business with RWE Energy Group’s IT unit, the development of MindSphere platform in collaboration with Siemens, and the smart factory project with Schaeffler.

“We have therefore learned about German standards and the expectations of German businesses and are willing to share our knowledge and experience with the business community of the two countries”, he added.

Dr Binh also stressed the importance of “business alliances” amid the global pandemic, urging the German business community to see Vietnam as a “destination for digital technology investment”.

“I think we are all present here today because of the great potential and opportunities that lie ahead. Now is the time when the physical economy is transforming into the digital economy. Now is the time when every aspect of the economy will be digitalized to ensure survival and possible growth”.

He proposed a series of initiatives to help German businesses to “move beyond crisis in innovative ways”, from tech webinars to building a digital workforce that is capable of “navigating technology, thinking creatively and being adaptable to the swift changes of technology”. Dr. Binh also called for bilateral collaboration to attract digital investment from German businesses into Vietnam.

Both Governments highlighted the possibilities for further collaboration in trade and manufacturing industries, energy, education and vocational training. Vietnam’s Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh pledged to support the German business community in Vietnam and called for the counterpart’s assistance in setting up a “Digital Manufacturing Transformation Center”, helping local businesses seize opportunities of Industry 4.0.

FPT has long been a trusted partner of nearly 20 leading German companies such as Siemens, Allianz, Schaeffler, EON, RWE, et. The company looks to become a global Top 50 IT and digital transformation services provider by 2030.