Overview of the MOU signing ceremony between HASI and GBTP.

The series of activities was carried out under the Regional Innovation Cluster Development Program of South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE).

Through the signing of the MOU, HASI and GBTP agreed to expand cooperation in areas including trade and investment promotion, supply chain development, technology transfer, smart manufacturing, OEM/ODM, and joint venture investment. Priority sectors include automotive components, future mobility, electric vehicles and batteries, electrical and electronics, precision engineering, materials, and machinery.

The Ho Chi Minh City Supporting Industries Association (HASI) represents supporting industry enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern region, with nearly 300 members operating across sectors ranging from mechanical engineering and manufacturing, automation, moulds and dies, plastics and rubber, electrical and electronics, semiconductors, and industrial packaging to supporting services.

HASI Vice President Võ Thanh Tuấn, seventh from right, signs the MOU with Mr. Park Sungdug, Head of the Policy Planning Agency at Gyeongbuk Technopark, seventh from left.

Meanwhile, established in 1998, GBTP supports businesses in the fields of future mobility, environmentally friendly automotive components, and secondary batteries, covering research and development, testing and certification, commercialisation, and overseas market expansion.

Mr. Park Sungdug, Head of the Policy Planning Agency at GBTP, said there is significant potential for cooperation between Gyeongbuk Province’s key industries and Vietnam. He emphasised: “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.”

At Tương Lai Co., Ltd. and SMC Phu My Precision Mechanical Co., Ltd., the HASI and GBTP delegation toured the factories and production lines and held discussions with management at both companies on potential areas for future cooperation.

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

Mr. Truong Quoc Cuong, Vice President of HASI and Director of Tương Lai Co., Ltd., said the company provides integrated manufacturing solutions covering the entire process from product development and mould manufacturing to quality control and mass production in the fields of industrial rubber, engineering plastics, and mechanical processing. The company was also selected by Samsung in the smart factory category.

GBTP assessed that Tương Lai has strong potential to connect with the automotive supply chains of THACO, VinFast, and other companies.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Dang Khoa, Deputy Director of Business Development at SMC Phu My Precision Mechanical Co., Ltd., introduced the company’s manufacturing complex at Phu My II Industrial Park and its steel processing capacity of 200,000 tons per year. With a “one-stop shop” process covering steel material supply, high-precision slitting and cutting, mould design and manufacturing, an 800-ton automatic stamping line, and finished-product assembly, the company has supplied products to Samsung and many other multinational corporations. In particular, SMC Phu My was selected by Samsung to participate in the “Smart Factory Project 2026.”

HASI collaborated with Ringier Events to organise the ASEAN 2026 High-Performance Machining Conference: Automotive Parts, Electronics and Assembly Automation, and arranged visits and working sessions with THACO Group and several leading enterprises in related manufacturing sectors.

SMC Phu My and GBTP discussed a joint production model that would combine the mould and stamping technologies of Gyeongbuk companies with SMC Phu My’s local sourcing capabilities and manufacturing infrastructure.

According to Mr. Tran Quoc Duy, Deputy Chief of Office of HASI and Advisor to the World Vocational Competency Exchange Association (WVCEA) of South Korea under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, who is responsible for connecting HASI with international organisations, one of the key cooperation models proposed by the parties on this occasion goes beyond conventional exports. Instead, it seeks to combine Korean technology with Vietnam’s manufacturing capabilities so that both sides can jointly participate in global supply chains.

In the coming period, after clearly identifying the needs of businesses on both sides, GBTP and HASI will gradually exchange information, organise factory visits, issue requests for quotation (RFQs), develop samples, conduct supplier evaluations, implement trial orders, and move toward joint production and investment cooperation.

According to Mr. Võ Thanh Tuấn, Vice President of HASI and Chairman of APT Joint Stock Company, HASI connects Vietnamese businesses with FDI enterprises, buyers, industrial parks, research and educational institutions, government agencies, and international partners. It also gathers business needs, screens suppliers and buyers, organises B2B and B2G activities, and supports Vietnamese enterprises in upgrading their capabilities in technology, digitalisation, standards, and ESG.

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

HASI has consistently taken a proactive approach to building and developing relationships with international organisations, foreign chambers of commerce and business associations in Vietnam, as well as consular missions in Ho Chi Minh City. In 2025, HASI collaborated with Ringier Events to organise the ASEAN 2025 High-Performance Machining Conference: Automotive Parts, Electronics and Assembly Automation. As part of the cooperation, the two sides also jointly organised visits to major enterprises, including THACO Group.

Through its cooperation with HASI, GBTP expects to expand opportunities for Korean companies to access the Vietnamese and broader Asian markets, while creating additional channels for Vietnamese businesses to access Gyeongbuk Province’s technologies, partners, and industrial ecosystem, with the aim of developing sustainable two-way cooperation in technology, manufacturing, and investment.