Vietnam became the world’s seventh largest market for robots in 2017, and the demand from companies looking to use robots to modernize production remains strong, according to speakers at a discussion on smart factories held in HCM City this week.

A robot is displayed at an exhibition in HCMC. The local robot market holds
much potential,and there is still room for robot suppliers and manufacturers.
(Photo: Hung Le)

Speaking at the discussion on ‘Smart Factories – Future of Mechanical Manufacturing Sector’, organized by Reed Tradex Vietnam, the organizer of Metalex Vietnam, Huynh Phong Phu, managing director of Robotics at ABB Vietnam, said the robot market in Vietnam has boomed over the past three years. Up to 8,000 robots were sold in the Vietnamese market in 2017.

The robots were used in various fields, such as electronics, automobiles, foods, beverages, and consumer goods.

The market currently has six robot suppliers, and all of them are foreign players. ABB alone has provided Vietnam with around 5,000 robots.

The local robot market holds much potential, and there is still room for robot suppliers and manufacturers to expand their business due to the escalating demand for robots in the country.

Phu said that supporting industries for production in Vietnam are surging thanks to the entry of large-scale foreign brands with a global presence, including Samsung, LG, Toyota, Honda, and Canon, and the scale expansion of domestic firms to meet international production standards.

Vu Trong Tai from Reed Tradex Vietnam said that smart factories, equipped with advanced technologies and modern facilities, are expected to raise production capacity and efficiency, and reduce costs of other operations.

Metalex Vietnam 2019, an international exhibition of machining tools and metalworking solutions, is expected to kick off at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in District 7, HCMC this October.

The exhibition will feature machining tools, metalworking solutions, and advanced electronic assembly technologies produced by 500 brands from 25 countries and territories.