HCM City, Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture eye cooperation in green, digital transformation

HCM City, Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture eye cooperation in green, digital transformation

The merger of Bình Dương and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu with HCM City and its shift to a new growth model is opening up more opportunities for economic ties with Japanese firms, particularly from Hyogo Prefecture.

Nguyễn Lộc Hà, vce vhairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, said the city hopes to continue working alongside reputable international partners, including Hyogo Prefecture, to co-create advanced cooperation models aimed at building a greener, smarter, more digital, and more sustainable future. — Photo courtesy of ITPC

Following the merger of Bình Dương and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu provinces with HCM City and the city’s transition to a new growth model, opportunities for deeper economic ties with Japanese firms, especially from Hyogo Prefecture, are increasing, a forum heard on Tuesday.

Organised by the Investment and Trade Promotion Centre of HCM City and the Hyogo Prefecture administration,  the HCM City – Hyogo Economic Forum served as a platform for businesses from both sides to exchange experiences and explore cooperation, especially in green and digital transformation.

In his opening speech, Nguyễn Lộc Hà, vice chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, said green and digital transformation are driving sustainable development.

HCM City prioritises people-centric growth, environmental protection and improved quality of life over purely economic metrics, he emphasised.

It is currently implementing a Green Development Strategic Framework with four pillars, green human resources, green infrastructure, green behaviour, and pioneering sectors, he said.

Its goals include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 10 per cent by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, he said.

The recent provincial reorganisation not only increases the city’s area and population, but also offers broader development space and a more integrated regional value chain.

Looking ahead, the new HCM City is envisioned as a regional and international for economic, financial, services, trade, logistics, high-tech industry, and marine tourism hub whose key growth drivers would be digital transformation, green transition and innovation, he said.

“In this new phase of development, the partnership between HCM City and Hyogo Prefecture is expected to deepen, particularly in emerging fields such as the digital economy, green economy, circular economy, knowledge economy, and renewable energy.”

Nguyễn Lộc Hà, vce vhairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, said the city hopes to continue working alongside reputable international partners, including Hyogo Prefecture, to co-create advanced cooperation models aimed at building a greener, smarter, more digital, and more sustainable future. — Photo courtesy of ITPC

Yohei Hattori, vice governor of Hyogo Prefecture, highlighted the long-standing ties between the two localities, formalised through an MoU in 2007 and renewed in May 2024.

He identified human resource development as a key area of collaboration.

Ono Masuo, consul general of Japan in HCM City, praised the city's dynamic development, noting that the merger had made it the largest economic zone in Việt Nam and increasingly attractive to Japanese businesses

Nguyễn Thanh Toàn, deputy director of the city Department of Finance, said Japan remains a strategic investor in HCM City and outlined development plans for the latter’s three major economic zones following the merger.

The core area will focus on fintech, artificial intelligence, innovative startups, high-quality education, and international-standard healthcare, with 84 priority projects soliciting investment.

A flagship is the International Financial Centre in which the city welcomes strong participation by Japanese financial institutions.

The former Bình Dương will serve as a hub for smart manufacturing, high technology and intra-regional logistics, prioritising clean technologies and intelligent production.

It is seeking investment in 25 projects, including logistics zones 1 and 2 and large-scale urban developments.

The former Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu will become the National Marine Economic Centre, targeting deep-water ports, renewable energy and logistics, and eyes investment in 22 key projects, including the Long Sơn LNG Power Plant and the Vũng Tàu International Passenger Port.

Toàn assured the forum that the city would maintain current investment incentives, streamlining administrative procedures, accelerating digital governance and aligning land use and sectoral planning to ensure clarity for investors.

Đinh Hồng Kỳ, chairman of the HCM City Green Business Association, expressed confidence that Hyogo businesses would find abundant opportunities in the city.

Key areas include energy-saving technologies, carbon management in industrial parks and urban areas, environmental solutions for logistics, water and waste systems, ESG-focused human resource training, and developing sustainability standards for key industries.

Since 2017, the two sides have hosted the Economic Forum on a rotating basis. 

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