Swiss firms hopeful about Vietnam’s int’l financial centre

Swiss firms hopeful about Vietnam’s int’l financial centre

Winzenried described HCM City as a natural fit for an international financial centre, citing its strong regional connectivity, a young and energetic workforce, and an increasingly business-friendly environment that has attracted a wave of technology companies.

tefan Winzenried, founder and CEO of JANZZ.technology. — VNA/VNS Photo

Việt Nam is moving ahead with plans to build international financial centre in both HCM City and Đà Nẵng, two of the country’s most dynamic urban hubs. The initiative, passed by the National Assembly on June 27, includes regulatory sandboxes for financial technology and a controlled pilot programme for digital assets, which has already drawn attention from Swiss investors.

At the heart of the strategy is a push to modernise Việt Nam’s financial system while cutting through bureaucratic red tape. Foreign investors have responded positively, seeing the plan as a signal of openness and reform.

Among those watching closely is Stefan Winzenried, founder and CEO of JANZZ.technology, a Swiss tech company that set up its only overseas branch in HCM City. Having first come to Việt Nam in 1992 as a marketing strategist and film producer, Winzenried says the country’s long-term potential has always been on his radar.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency in Switzerland, he called HCM City a natural choice for a regional financial hub. Its strong regional connectivity, youthful workforce, and increasingly business-friendly environment have already attracted a wave of tech companies. Recent administrative reforms, he noted, are making long-term investment much more viable.

Đà Nẵng is also becoming a key focus for the Swiss firm. Winzenried met with local officials in Zürich last year and sees the city as a rising strategic player. He pointed to the possibility of an administrative merger between Đà Nẵng and neighbouring Quảng Nam Province as a move that could unlock even more economic potential. The integration would open up development space, free up land and labour resources, and tighten connections to industrial zones and seaports. For investors, it could turn Đà Nẵng into a powerful economic engine in central Việt Nam.

For companies like JANZZ.technology, streamlined governance would make it easier to apply AI-based labour market solutions tailored to Việt Nam’s evolving needs. That in turn could help build the highly skilled workforce needed to support the financial sector’s expansion in both cities.

As Việt Nam opens up its policy environment and signals readiness to engage with digital assets and next-generation finance, tech-savvy investors are watching with growing interest. 

Bizhub