Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan (R) and Deputy Mayor of Tampere city Ilkka Sasi (Photo: sggp.org.vn) HCM City (VNA) – Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan hosted a reception on October 11 for visiting Deputy Mayor of Tampere city of Finland Ilkka Sasi, saying that the city is aiming to build a smart city and a regional innovation and creativity hub, with a focus on digital economy and green growth.
Speaking highly of Finland’s education potential and strengths, Hoan hailed the positive results of education cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and the European country through various joint projects among schools. He expressed his belief that these cooperation models could be spread in the future.
In information technology (IT), he briefed the guest on the Quang Trung Software Park and the Saigon Hi-Tech Park, which are attracting hundreds of leading technology companies globally. He stressed that along with favourable policies for foreign investors, these conditions provide a great opportunity for Finnish firms to invest in IT, chip production and artificial intelligence (AI).
Sasi said his visit aims to expand education and vocational training cooperation programmes, seek opportunities to step up investment in AI and smart urban development.
Introducing Tampere, the third largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 400,000 people, Sasi said Tampere is also focusing on developing IT. He believed that cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Tampere in this field will benefit both sides in their development efforts.
On the back of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the two countries as well as Tampere and Ho Chi Minh City are well-positioned to further nurture their trade and investment ties./.
