Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam–Denmark healthcare cooperation conference 2026 was recently held in the European country with a focus on smart hospitals, digital health, and biomedical innovation.
The conference, which was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Denmark, Aalborg University Hospital and the Association of Vietnamese Experts and Intellectuals in Denmark, brought together more than 50 Vietnamese participants, including officials, doctors and experts from domestic healthcare facilities, research institutes and universities.
The Danish side was represented by leaders, professors and doctors from Aalborg University and its hospital. Representatives of several international organisations and businesses, including the Wyss Institute at Harvard University (the US), Karolinska Institute (Sweden), Novo Nordisk (Denmark), and French-British joint venture Schneider Electric/AVEVA also attended the event.
Held shortly after the state visit to Denmark by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, the conference was among the first activities to translate high-level agreements into concrete actions following the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. It also opened up new opportunities for cooperation in healthcare, science, technology and innovation.
In her opening remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador to Denmark Nguyen Le Thanh stressed that the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has created a new framework and momentum for expanding bilateral cooperation in knowledge- and technology-intensive fields, including healthcare and life sciences.
She called on partners to identify priority areas and promote research and training programmes, knowledge transfer and technology application in line with Politburo's Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science – technology development, innovation and national digital transformation.
Lars Dahl Pedersen, CEO of Aalborg University Hospital, praised the Vietnamese Embassy's initiative in organising the conference and affirmed the hospital's readiness to promote long-term cooperation with Vietnamese partners in smart hospital management, digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI), clinical research, precision medicine and healthcare workforce training.
During the two-day event, participants exchanged experience and discussed smart hospital management, patient-centred care, and the application of AI, robotics, big data and telemedicine. Other topics included precision medicine, molecular diagnostics, cancer treatment, and innovation in medical education and training.
Beyond professional exchanges, the conference provided a platform for direct connections among hospitals, universities, research institutions and businesses from both countries. Participants discussed priority areas, coordination mechanisms and potential cooperation initiatives in research, workforce training, expert exchanges and the application of advanced medical technologies.
The Vietnamese delegation also toured new facilities of Aalborg University Hospital to learn about its management model, research systems and medical simulation facilities, as well as its approach to integrating medical examination and treatment with research, training and innovation.
On October 20, Hospital 19-8 and Aalborg University Hospital established a cooperative relationship and signed a memorandum of understanding in the presence of King Frederik X of Denmark and General Secretary and President To Lam during the latter's state visit to Denmark./.
