Vietnam, Japan seek stronger IT cooperation

Vietnam is keen to learn from Japan’s experience in information technology (IT) as the country boasts strength in this field, said President of the Vietnam Software and IT Services Association Truong Gia Binh.

Speaking at the Vietnam-Japan IT Festive Day that took place in Ho Chi Minh City on October 14, Binh said most of Vietnamese software businesses see their turnover increase thanks to exports to Japan.

He suggested the two countries’ businesses take the opportunity created by the festive day to explore new areas for cooperation.

Hirotaka Yasuzumi, Chief Representative of the Japan External Trade Organisation ( JETRO ) in HCM City, said Japan’s direct investment in Vietnam’s IT sector has developed dramatically over recent years.

Many Japanese enterprises wish to expand their operation in the Southeast Asian nation to take advantage of the country’s labour force and enhance IT collaboration with Vietnamese partners, he noted.

According to him, about 50 businesses from Japan participated in the event to seek cooperation opportunities in the IT sector and software in particular.

Nguyen Thanh Hung, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, said that Vietnam is among the ten most attractive outsourcing countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The IT industry has been identified as an economic-technical spearhead that helps drive the national socio-economic growth, the official said.

Presently, the IT sector employs more than 400,000 labourers and about 4,000 firms are active in the software sphere, which will receive Vietnam’s special heed in the time ahead, Hung stressed.

Dao Dinh Kha, Head of the IT Department under the Ministry of Information and Communications said the ministry always considers cooperation with Japanese partners important to the development of the country’s IT industry.-VNA