ScandAsia South East Asia - December 2017

DEC 2017

Malaysia Indonesia Philippines Vietnam Cambodia Laos

Rasmus Kristensen

Back in Asia – as Denmark’s Ambassador to Indonesia BUSINESS

Finland at Saigon Innovation Week

International Denmark’s Prime Minister visited Indonesia

People

Sweden’s Foreign Minister visited Rohingya refugees

Community Norwegian Seafood Gala Dinner Kuala Lumpur

December 2017

ScandAsia Stories

H.E. Lars Løkke Rasmussen

10

4 Norwegian Seafood Gala Dinner Kuala Lumpur 7 Sweden provides new Rohingya support 8 Nordic Ambassador’s Luncheon Phlippines

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Denmark’s Prime Minister visited Indonesia

Rasmus Kristensen Denmark’s Ambassador to Indonesia

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ScandAsia Business

6 Vietnam Finland International School Being developed in Hanoi

16 Electric car Polestar New brand launched

by Volvo Cars/Geely

13

Ms. Margot Wallström

7

Visited Rohingya refugees, Myanmar and Vietnam

18 Saigon Innovation Week

With innovative Finnish solutions

8 Mr. Pekka Soini

17

Director General for new Business Finland

DEC 20

17

Malaysia Indonesia Philippines Vietnam ia Cambod Laos

Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish residents in South East Asia.

We also publish a ScandAsia magazine in China, Thailand, and Singapore.

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Community

We Love Finland party in Hoh Chi Minh City

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riends of Finland, Finnish and Vietnamese Companies, Embassy of Finland Vietnam and Team Finland staff, Alumni and distinguished guests of the Ho Chi Minh City Innovation, Star tups and Entrepreneurship 2017 Week celebrated the 100-years old Finland at the We Love Finland jubilee-par ty in HCMC on 27th October.

A magical night of creating and maintaining new and old friendships while the We Love Helsinki DJ Timo Santala guided the guests through a prime selection of the 100 years of Finnish music.

Source: Embassy of Finland in Hanoi

International School of Bergen

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nternational School of Bergen (ISB) is situated on the west coast of Norway and offers an English language learning environment to students between the ages of 3 and 16.

Our mission is to provide an internationally accredited education ser ving the business and Bergen communities.

The educational programme of ISB has been developed to help prepare its students for a successful future. The school is accredited by the Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges in addition to being authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization to offer their Primary Years and Middle Years programmes.

Our students and staff

ENGELSKSPRÅKLIG PRIVATSKOLE FOR BARN OG UNGDOM MELLOM 3 OG 16 ÅR • • • • • •

Få elever i hver klasse Trygt læringsmiljø med god individuell oppfølging God kontakt med foreldre Internasjonalt godkjente og utfordrende læreplaner Utmerkede resultater i internasjonale og norske nasjonalprøver Sentral beliggenhet med bybanestopp rett utenfor døren For mer informasjon: www.isob.no eller post@isob.no

All teacher s hold univer sity degrees and appropriate teaching qualifications. Classes are small.With students and staff representing more than thir ty different nationalities, we pride ourselves in having a welcoming and including community.

ISB was founded in 1975, giving us 40 years of experience as an educational institution.

International School of Bergen Vilhelm Bjerknesvei 15, 5081 Bergen, Norway Phone: +4755306330 Website: www.isob.no E-mail: post@isob.no December 2017 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 3 April 2017 • ScandAsia.Thailand 23

Community

Norwegian Seafood Gala Dinner Kuala Lumpur 2017

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ncredible but tr ue; on 13 October the Norwegian Seafood Gala Dinner took place in Kuala Lumpur for the 21 st time, held once again at the esteemed Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur.

A highly anticipated part of Kuala Lumpur’s social calendar, the Gala surpassed the guests expectations once again. The evening highlighted some of the best seafood in the world, prepared by a stellar team of skillful chefs from Norway, Singapore and Malaysia (renowned chef Frank Naesheim and his team).The Gala came together through the collaboration between the Embassy, Snorre Food and Mandarin Oriental, as well as our highly enthusiastic and supportive sponsors from a range of industries, writes the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

Almost 650 guests attended the 2017 Gala edition, including many leaders and key representatives from the business and public sector, and was also graced by Malaysia Minister for International Trade and Industry, Dato’ Sri Mustapa Bin Mohamed.

The long-standing event was this year carried on under the newly appointed Ambassador Gunn Jorid Roset, Norway’s first female ambassador to Malaysia and former Director of the Asia Department in Norway’s Ministry. Introducing the event, Ambassador Roset spoke of Norwegian seafood as one of Norway’s most important and famous exports – especially in Malaysia, where an estimated 3300 tons of Norwegian seafood have been consumed thus far in 2017 alone.

In addition to the exceptional food,the evening’s

4 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2017

program also included the announcement of the Malaysia Norway Business Council’s Business Award 2017. The annual prize, was this year awarded to InvestKL for their excellent support to the Norwegian business community.

Finally, the Royal Norwegian Embassy would like to once again thank all our par ticipants, partners and sponsors for yet another remarkable event that was made possible only through our combined effor ts. Snorre Food, Seafood from Norway, Aker Solutions, Star Cruises, Yara International, Jotun Group, Kongsberg Gruppen, Jordan Asia Pacific, Wilhelmsen group, Archer - the well company, Malaysia Norway Business Council.

Source: Royal Norwegian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur

News Brief

Denmark’s new ambassador finally arrived to Malaysia

New Finnish Ambassador to Vietnam presented credentials

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D

enmark’s next Ambassador to Malaysia, Jesper Vahr, has arrived to take up his new post (photographed here with his wife, Ane). 7 November was his first working day at the Embassy of Denmar in Kuala Lumpur.

He is looking forward to a great collaboration with local and international authorities, as well as Danish and Malaysian companies, wrote the Embassy of Denmark in Kuala Lumpur.

.E. Ambassador Kari Kahiluoto presented his Letters of Credence to President of Vietnam Trần Đại Quang on 26th September.

The President told Finish ambassador Kari Kahiluoto that Vietnam regards Finland as an important trade partner in the Nordic region and welcomes the country’s initiative to establish a strategic partnership in a number of areas, reported local media.

In conversations with Finnish Ambassador Kari Kahiluoto and Austrian Ambassador Thomas Schuller Gotzburg, President Quang called on the two countries to push for the early signing and approval of the Việt Nam - EU Free Trade Agreement to open up new business opportunities for enterprises from each nation. Both the Finnish and Austrian ambassadors affirmed that their countries wanted to boost co-operation with Việt Nam across fields.

Sources: Embassy of Finland Hanoi, vietnamnews.vn, vovworld.vn

December 2017 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 5

News Brief

Vietnam-Finland International School in Hanoi being developed

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‘Finnish School Day’ was arranged during 28 – 29 October 2017 at Ton Duc Thang University in Hanoi to commemorate the 100th Independence anniversary of Finland (1917-2017), the 45th diplomatic establishment anniversary between Vietnam and Finland, as well as the 20th establishment anniversary of Ton Duc Thang University (TDTU).

The project development board of VietnamFinland International School (VFIS) of TDTU, in collaboration with the Embassy of Finland in Vietnam and Wise Consulting Finland Company (WCF) organised the event, as it was also announced the start of the construction of the Vietnam-Finland International School under TDTU. VFIS aims to establish an educational system from primary to high school based on the Finnish education model. This is the first

time an international school, approved by the government, to be established in a university. The construction is expected to begin in November 2017. The campus has a basement, a ground floor and 3 storeys with a total construction area over 40,000m2 on a 2-hectare site in TDTU Headquarters.

The school has been designed and supervised by a Finnish architect team. Finnish experts are constructing the P-12 education program in two forms: a) the whole program is Finnish, taught in English by 100% Finnish teachers. The students will obtain International Baccalaureate Certificate upon graduation; and b) the program is regulated by the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam with 50% Vietnamese and 50% English for Vietnamese Baccalaureate; as well as designing cognition, mission, goals and pedagogical environment. The first enrolment

6 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2017

course is scheduled for June 2019 and will accept students from Grade 1 to Grade 9 with 5-6 classes / Grade. Each class has 20-25 students.

During Finnish School Day’85 students from 7 to 9 years old got to experience demo classes, with cooperative teaching methods, as genuine Finnish students. Teachers from Finland, who had led the class for two days, introduced to guests and parents that the class organization, equipment and activities during the two mornings in the classroom are daily routines in Finnish schools. Parents, teachers, and guest-educators had the opportunity to directly interact with the Ambassador, the Vice Ambassador, the Director and the Head of representatives of WCF Vietnam and Finnish teachers to learn the experience and teaching methodology of the country with the most advanced education in the world.

News Brief

Danish Development Minister visited Rohingyas in Coxs Bazar

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he Danish Minister for Development Cooperation, Ulla Tornaes, has been in Cox’s Bazar during 29 – 30 October.

She visited the Danish-supported humanitarian projects that helps with immediate protection, food aid and shelter for hundreds of thousands Rohingyas. The Minister met with government representatives and several organisations during the visit to Cox’s Bazar.

During the visit the Danish Minister expressed the need for international support: “Bangladesh has performed a great task by receiving this huge number of refugees, but it is very impor tant that the international community now steps up to support Bangladesh and the effected local communities around Cox’s Bazar. Bangladesh cannot solve this crisis alone. Denmark reacted swiftly with substantial humanitarian aid when the

crisis began in August. So far, we have allocated and committed over DKK 120 million (USD 18.7 million) for civilians in Rakhine as well as for the hundreds of thousands Rohingyas who have fled Myanmar. I am especially concerned about the many women and children who have been exposed to brutal attacks and sexual violence.

They are par ticularly vulnerable. Denmark also suppor ts One-Stop-Crisis Centres near the refugee camps. The centres take care of traumatised women and children in a safe environment.”

According to the United Nations, more than 600.000 Rohingyas have fled Myanmar since the 25th of August. Denmark’s most recent humanitarian commitment came at the UN’s donor’s conference in Geneva where Ulla Tornaes pledged to commit an additional DKK 32 million (USD 5 million) to UNHCR for the most affected refugees and for the people affected in the communities in Cox’s Bazar.

Denmark has also contributed with DKK 40 million to Red Cross International and UN’s World Food Programme as well as previous donations to UNHCR and Danish NGO’s working in the area.

Sweden provides new Rohingya refugees support of SEK 100 million

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he Rohingya crisis continues to grow as more and more people fly from Myanmar to Bangladesh. Sida (Swedish International Development Agency) has in November therefore decided to distribute a new humanitarian support of 100 million kronor to organizations that assist refugees both in Bangladesh and Myanmar where the needs are enormous.

“When so many people live closely in poorly equipped refugee camps, there are great risks that diseases such as cholera spread rapidly.

It is therefore important to immediately scale up effor ts for health, water and sanitation, “says Susanne Mikhail Eldhagen, head of Sida’s humanitarian aid.

The rapidly escalating crisis is one of the fastest growing we have seen in modern times with around 600,000 people escaping from Myanmar to Bangladesh in just 12 weeks, since August 25.

Many Rohingya have been forced to leave their homes since the military in Burma initiated what the UN calls “a schoolbook example on ethnic cleansing”. The refugees arrive to Bangladesh completely exhausted and many have also been exposed to various types of violence.The majority are women and children, writes Sida.

“The Rohingya crisis, however, is not a new crisis. Rohingya is a group of people who have been marginalized and oppressed in Myanmar for decades. Sida has supported humanitarian efforts

for a long time both in Myanmar and Bangladesh, but what can solve the crisis in a sustainable way is in fact a political solution,” says Susanne Mikhail Eldhagen.

The Swedish government has now decided on a new $ 100 million support for humanitarian needs in the world, and Sida has decided that the entire sum will go to the Rohingya crisis due to the rapidly worsening needs of an extremely large number of people.The support now needed is to provide roofs over their heads, access to food and clean water and the possibility of sanitation.

“It is important that Sida closely follows how the response is scaled up, so Sida’s humanitarian staff went to Bangladesh and Myanmar already last month to follow up together with embassy staff and humanitarian organizations,” says Susanne Mikhail Eldhagen.

The new support will be distributed among UN organizations such as Unicef, UNHCR and OCHA, as well as to ACF, Action Against Hunger. The support is mostly for operations in Bangladesh, but also to Myanmar and the Rakhine state where many Rohingyas remain, and there is a great need for support.

Unicef focuses its suppor t on children’s needs and currently also on water, sanitation and nutrition since many children have not had enough to eat and are undernourished. UNHCR is helping refugees who crossed the border

with Bangladesh and need help with registration, which enables them to provide different types of support, as well as shelter and protection.

According to the UN, $ 434 million is needed, just over SEK 3.5 billion, to help refugees in six months. At the donor conference held on October 23, donors promised to assist with $ 350 million, equivalent to SEK 2.9 billion.

Already earlier this year, Sida expanded its humanitarian support to the refugee crisis in the area through organizations such as the Swedish Red Cross, UNICEF, and the International Migration Organization (IOM). The total Swedish humanitarian suppor t for the refugee crisis this year, including this decision, amounts to approximately SEK 180 million.

December 2017 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 7

Business

Nordic Ambassadors’ Luncheon Philippines with Sustainable Development Goals

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ordCham Philippines organized its annual the Nordic Ambassadors’ Luncheon at the Shangri-la at the Fort on October 26, 2017, gathering four Nordic Ambassadors and more than 100 executives from the business community to discuss corporate sustainability, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the private sector, reports Nordcham Philippines.

Back in 2012 at the Rio +20 Earth Summit, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development launched a process to develop a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

As an outcome of this process, world leaders adopted the 17 SDGs as a par t of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which officially came into force on January 1, 2016.While the SDGs are not legally binding, governments are expected to take ownership and establish national frameworks for the achievement of the 17 Goals.

The SDG prompts par tnerships between governments, the private sector and civil society.

NordCham president Bo Lundqvist elaborated on the purpose of the luncheon: “We come together for this luncheon to exchange best practices

Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development”, where it is recognized that a successful sustainable development agenda requires partnerships between governments, the private sector, and civil society.

8 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2017

and share experiences between the private and public sectors from the Nordic countries, EU and the Philippines. Most relevant for us is Goal 17: “Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development”, where it is recognized that a successful sustainable development agenda requires partnerships between governments, the private sector, and civil society.”

According to the recently published SDG Index and Dashboards Report 2017 conducted by the Ber telsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Networ k, Nordic countries are leading the way when it comes to fulfilling the SDGs: all five Nordic countries rank in the top 15 out of 157, with Sweden ranking 1st, Denmark 2nd, Finland 3rd, Norway 4th and Iceland 14th.

Sharing the experience from the Nordic private sector, SEB Singapore General Manager Jan Stjernström highlighted the UN PRI six principles for responsible investment, as well as SEB’s focus areas in sustainability: impact finance, sustainable investments, reducing the footprint, supporting entrepreneurship, responsible and transparent business, and engaged and knowledgeable employees.

From the diplomatic missions, H.E. Jan Top Christensen, Ambassador of Denmark to the Philippines, stressed the importance of

par tnerships, presenting Danish government’s SDG fund which is expected to generate 5 billion USD investments in commercially viable projects in line with SDG, as well as P4G – Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals which aims at accelerating and scaling up innovative PPPs in energy, water, land use and sustainable cities.

On his part, H.E. Petri Puhakka, Ambassador of Finland to the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei, underlined Finland’s leadership in clean technologies and sustainability, and commitment to SDGs through the national plan, which is reflected both in domestic and foreign policies.

H.E. Erik Førner, Ambassador of Norway to the Philippines, highlighted state-owned equity investor Norfund’s key role as an enabler to job generation through its investments in emerging markets. Fur thermore, Ambassador Førner stressed the importance of peace as a prerequisite for sustainable development, and Norway’s active role in the Mindanao peace process.

Rounding out the Nordic views, H.E. Harald Fries, Ambassador of Sweden to the Philippines, focused on the Swedish government’s thrust towards the SDGs through a National Action Plan, wherein human rights, environment, anticorruption, working conditions, gender equality are in the core of the Swedish way of sustainability.

Ambassador Fries added that high-sustainability companies create more value versus lowsustainability companies, according to a Harvard Business School study.

Adding the European Union perspective to the mix, Mr. Walter van Hattum, Head of Economic and Trade Section at EU Delegation in Manila emphasized that comprehensive

sustainable development provisions are now part of all EU free trade agreement negotiations, such as deals recently concluded with Canada and Vietnam. Furthermore, the EU has committed 3 billion PHP to the Philippines to generate electricity from renewable energy, and to increase access to affordable and disaster-resilient energy, especially in remote islands and marginalized communities. Mr. van Hattum also noted that acting on climate change has a positive impact economic growth: carbon emissions in the EU have fallen by 22 percent since 1990, while EU GDP has grown by 50 percent during the same period, paving the way for a climate-resilient and low-carbon future.

From the Philippine perspective, United Nations Global Compact recently recognized Ayala Corporation chairman and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala as one of its Sustainable Development Goals Pioneers. Mr. Zobel is the first SDG Pioneer from the Philippines and Southeast Asia, and he is one of 10 individuals from around the world recognized for “championing sustainability through their own companies and mobilizing the broader business community to take action in pursuit of the 17 SDGs. Speaking on behalf of Mr. Zobel at the luncheon, Ayala Corporation (AC) CFO and Chief Sustainability Officer TG Limcaoco outlined AC’s definition of sustainability as ‘creating shared value’, while citing examples of AC’s focus on SDGs by providing quality and affordable health care and education, contributing to job generation and development of cities and communities, and mitigation of climate change through AC’s various businesses.

Business

Joining the discussion as a panellist, United Nations Resident Coordinator Mr. Ola Almgren also took note of the Philippine private sector being ‘high up on the curve in relation to SDGs’, while yet again stressing the impor tance of par tnerships between the public and private sectors in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Nordic Ambassadors’ Luncheon was organized in partnership with the EU- Philippines Business Network and EnergySmart, and together with event partner SEB Singapore and sponsors Salarium and Trends & Concepts.

Source: Joona Selin, Nordcham Philippines

Sweden to review engagement with Cambodia

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he Swedish government takes today’s decision by the Supreme Cour t in Cambodia to dissolve the leading opposition party, Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) very seriously. CNRP received 43.8% of the votes in the 2017 local elections.

Recent repressive action against the opposition, media and civil society organizations is a serious backlash for democratic development and human rights in Cambodia, said a statement on 17 November from Sweden’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallström.

Sweden and the EU have previously remarked on the political development that we consider to be severely restricting the democratic space before Cambodia goes to parliamentar y elections in the summer of 2018. Free and fair elections are one of the cornerstones of democracy. An election where the main opposition party is not allowed to participate will not be considered legitimate.

The government calls on Cambodia to allow the political opposition, media and civil society actors to work freely.

In light of the negative political developments, the government will review the forms for our commitment to Cambodia, ended the statement.

December 2017 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 9

Business

Rasmus Kristensen:

Back in Asia – as Denmark’s Ambassador to Indonesia

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By Joakim Persson asmus A. Kristensen arrived in Jakarta in September 2017 appointed as the new Danish Ambassador to Indonesia replacing Casper Klynge (who prematurely left in the summer to become Denmark’s first ever Tech Ambassador).

While Ambassador Kristensen has worked many years for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) this is his first posting as Ambassador, bringing along his wife and their daughter. Rasmus has previously been posted for four years at the Danish Embassy in Beijing.

After having spent the last four years in Denmark, he is now happy to be back in Asia.

Mr Kristensen also used to work in the MFA’s Asia Department where his focus had been on North East Asia. “But I also got the opportunity to visit Southeast Asia, including a trip to Jakarta

in connection with the preparations for COP15 in Copenhagen.”

“I have also worked for the Danish Trade Council focusing on how to engage emerging economies, including Asian countries like China, Korea and Indonesia. It’s a region I am very fond of and it’s great to be back to work here!” says the ambassador. A few years ago, the new ambassador also got a “teaser” of Jakarta and Indonesia when he participated in the State Visit of Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark to Indonesia.

“I was heading the international department in the Danish Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate, responsible - among other things - for starting up the bilateral energy cooperation with Indonesia. In that context, I accompanied our minister who took part in the State Visit.”

That visit of Denmark’s Head of State, he

10 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2017

says, was important, and symbolic for upgrading the bilateral relationship. “Our two countries are far apart geographically, but there is no doubt that Indonesia has a lot of commercial potential.

However, Danish exports to Indonesia has not been as strong as you might expect for a country with 265 million people and which in 2030 will be the world’s fifth biggest economy.

“Putting Denmark on the agenda of Indonesia and vice versa was successful. And it established a good foundation for further cooperation in the following years, including in the area of energy, which I am very familiar with myself. Another area is the environment where we are starting a new sector-based cooperation. A Danish advisor has arrived at the Embassy this summer and we are going to focus on waste – another major challenge for Indonesia.”

Since then the two countries have also entered into agreements on agriculture and healthcare. All these, as well as the maritime sector, are areas where Denmark will be able to help Indonesia not only from its own policy experience, but also in the form of technological solutions.

The new ambassador says that he will try to keep the momentum from the State Visit, so that they not only expand the cooperation to more areas, but also deepen it. The recent visit to Indonesia of the Danish Prime Minister is another milestone in the bilateral cooperation.

“In areas such as energy and the environment we have funding from home in terms of government-to-government cooperation, but we also have a very strong private sector that would be able to provide some of the same solutions that have worked so well in Denmark.”

Mr Kristensen’s most recent position was Head of Depar tment for Public Diplomacy, Communication and Press at the Danish Foreign Ministry; hence he can share some insights into how the MFA’s public diplomacy and outreach is being handled in the digital era. Perhaps unsurprisingly he is in favour of digital outreach, a clear trend among most foreign missions nowadays.

“In the last couple of years there has been increased emphasis on digital communication and social media, as a tool to reach a bigger audience in host countries. This is an area where also other foreign ministries are beefing up their activities,” he begins.

“There is an element of competition in terms of visibility for a country, so I think it’s important both at mission level as well as headquarters to keep abreast of developments – particularly within social media and digital communication.”

The embassy in Jakarta already has a high profile on social media and uses it as a strategic communications tool. Almost all ministries and key influencers in Indonesia are active on various digital platforms, such as Instagram and Twitter, which gives you plenty of opportunities to reach out to such targets.”

However, the ambassador thinks that in terms of social media, it is important to look at what platforms are popular in one’s host

I think it is important that we have wide-ranging government-to-government co-operation, be it in healthcare, food or environment and energy

country. “In Indonesia, we use various accounts– Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin–partly because these reach different audiences. There is a generation thing, but there are also geographical differences in terms of users. And a lot of things go on outside traditional social media, such as on WhatsApp, with closed groups where you can spread messages. Thus, I think it’s important for our missions abroad, and for my work here, to really look at the local context and then experiment with that, also bearing in mind who we are trying to reach. And here we have a focus on decision-makers, but also on younger people.”

Facebook, he says, is for the general public and it could make sense to publish in multiple languages. “But if you use other platforms to target the urban youth, I think English is fine, because that’s also how they communicate and then the impact will be just as good as with Bahasa Indonesia.”

“Personally, I am certainly going to invest in learning Bahasa Indonesia to the extent possible.

When I was in China I made a lot of effort to study Chinese, which proved very useful in my work. I also think it matters here the more you

Ambassador Rasmus A. Kristensen and World Bank’s Country Executive Director Rodrigo Chaves signed an agreement for a large Danish contribution to the World Bank’s “Oceans Trust Fund”, witnessed by the Prime Minister and Minister Luhut.

can communicate in Bahasa, in some ways.”

The Ambassador will personally focus on his Instagram, Linkedin and Twitter accounts while the Embassy will prioritise Facebook.

The communications depar tment, Mr Kristensen previously ran, also did some cooperation with Danish Trade Council on how to best communicate trade and export-related issues: “A lot of that has to do with actually reaching out to Danish companies about the services that we can provide globally, and to also make them aware of opportunities abroad for exports and investments.”

“Otherwise we have a number of companies coming here on their own where we help them set up programmes or meet business partners or local decision-makers that will be relevant for their business activities. We have a team of advisers here at the Embassy, which is supported also by their colleagues in the MFA in Copenhagen who also do a great job in trying to reach out to companies that may not be here yet; be it Indonesia or the region at large. Those already having activities out here we have a close dialogue with.”

“In South East Asia the Danish Trade Council has a regional cooperation. As such, the Embassy here in Jakarta is cooperating closely with our colleagues in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and so forth. So we are also trying to develop an element of specialisation regarding Southeast Asia. For instance, we have people here in Jakarta with solid experience with environment and energy issues because that is core area of expertise for us here and they are helping their colleagues in some of the other countries.”

Coming back to the key sectors Denmark is focusing on in Indonesia, Mr Kristensen says: “It’s also clear from my initial time here as Ambassador that these are the areas where Indonesians also understand and recognise that Denmark has something unique to offer that other countries may not have to the same extent. Therefore, it also makes a lot of sense to build on these strongholds in our commercial, political and economic cooperation with Indonesia.”

“In an economy like this with a strong dominance of the state–at least in strategic sectors–I think it is impor tant that we have wide-ranging government-to-government cooperation, be it in healthcare, food or environment and energy, which will also benefit our companies as well as Indonesian partners and stakeholders” he adds.

The ambassador fur thermore points to growth potential with a broader dimension: “We are seeing now a growing Indonesian middle class with more appetite for Danish design and consumer goods; such as food, designer furniture and products like LEGO. So in that sense there is a solid and increasing business potential. But Indonesia is not an easy market – it’s and inwardlooking countr y with a slightly protectionist undercurrent, and that has to be dealt with.

On the other hand it’s a very big market and it’s developing in a way that should be of great interest to Danish companies from a wide variety of sectors. So, it requires presence here and some persistence to really penetrate it and get access to those many consumers. But a lot of companies have already successfully been doing that.”

December 2017 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 11

News Brief

Denmark’s Prime Minister Rasmussen visited Indonesia

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n 28 November 2017, H.E. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo welcomed the Danish Prime Minister of Denmark H.E. Lars Løkke Rasmussen at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, marking the beginning of the first ever-official visit of a Danish Prime Minister to Indonesia.

After the welcoming ceremony, President Jokowi had a bilateral meeting with the PM Rasmussen to cement the strong relationships through an endorsement of a Joint Statement and the signing of an ambitious Plan of Action, which sets the direction for the strengthened future cooperation between Indonesia and Denmark within politics, security, people-to- people relations, energy, environment, health, maritime affairs, agriculture and food, and culture. The Plan of Action provides the framework for the

comprehensive Indonesian- Danish cooperation until 2020 through 85 concrete initiatives.

During the meeting at the Presidential Palace, the President and the Prime Minister also agreed to a new strategic sector cooperation on waste and circular economy. Through the new cooperation, Denmark will share know-how and concrete waste treatment solutions with the Indonesian authorities and promote publicprivate par tnerships through which Danish clean-tech companies will provide innovative and sustainable solutions to meet Indonesia’s needs.

Denmark’s PM Rasmussen also visited the Maritime Museum in Jakarta together with the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs H.E. Pak Luhut to strengthen the existing partnership in the green sector. During the visit Rasmussen launched a large Danish contribution on DKK 5.5

12 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2017

million to the World Bank’s ‘Oceans Trust Fund’ to help Indonesia in the fight against plastic waste in the ocean. The agreement was signed by the World Bank’s Country Executive Director Rodrigo Chaves, and the Danish Ambassador to Indonesia Rasmus Abildgaard Kristensen, witnessed by the PM and Minister Luhut. The Fund supports the ambitious goal of the Indonesian government to reduce the discharge of plastic waste to the ocean by 70 per cent by 2025.

Indonesia is increasingly experiencing environmental challenges, not least regarding waste handling. Every year 64 million tons of waste is produced in Indonesia - 1.3 million tons end up in the ocean. Indonesia is the second biggest plastic polluter in the world. The Indonesian government is taking action, and with the help of Denmark and other international donors, the Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for

News Brief

Maritime Affairs is taking a leading role in tackling the issue.

With the world’s largest Muslim population, Indonesia has traditionally been a positive example of peaceful Islam, where the large religions live side by side in a democratic and peaceful society. As such, Indonesia plays a key role in the international fight against extremism and radicalisation.

On 29 NovemberThe Danish PM participated

in an interfaith dialogue with several religious leaders and scholars including Prof. Dr. Nasaruddin Umar, Ibu Yenny Wahid and Father Franz MagnisSuseno in the National Mosque Istiqlal. During the interfaith dialogue, PM Rasmussen launched a new Danish initiative to promote tolerance and anti-radicalisation in Indonesia. The programme is part of Denmark’s general effort to promote good governance, human rights, democracy and tolerance and will be implemented with The Asia

Foundation as key partner.

Rasmussen also paid a symbolic visit to the Cathedral on the other side of the road and was received by Jakar ta’s bishop. The cooperation between the National Mosque and the Cathedral is a strong example of how religions live peacefully side by side - exactly how it should be.

Source: Embassy of Denmark in Indonesia

Foreign Minister Wallström visited Rohingya refugees, Myanmar and Vietnam

D

uring 19–23 November Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström visited Bangladesh, Myanmar and Vietnam. Margot Wallström began her journey by visiting refugee camps in Bangladesh,to which more than 620 000 Rohingya have fled from violence and abuse in Myanmar since August. In addition to refugees, Ms Wallström met representatives of the Government of Bangladesh, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the

International Organisation for Migration and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The visit was made together with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and Germany’s Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Sigmar Gabriel.

“There is a serious humanitarian situation in the camps near Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh.

Repor ts show how Rohingya have fled from horrendous abuse and sexual and gender-based violence. By visiting the camps and speaking to

representatives who are dealing with the situation there, I can form an opinion regarding the needs, and bring my impressions to the talks I will have with regional representatives and ahead of further international efforts concerning this very difficult situation,” Ms Wallström ahead of the visit.

The visit to the Kutupalong refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar was eye-opening for the foreign ministers of Sweden, Germany, Japan, Bangladesh, and the EU High Representative, reported the Embassy for Sweden in Dhaka.

December 2017 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 13

News Brief

During their visit the delegation was briefed by the IOM and UNHCR on the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Margot Wallström spoke to refugee women living in the camps, and briefed the media during the visit.

In the Kutupalong refugee camps Ms Wallström sat in meetings with the women living in the camps to learn more about their experiences. She also spoke to the journalists and attended meeting with several international organisations working in the area.

Peace, sustainable development and increased cooperation between Europe and Asia are among the issues on the agenda when Ms Wallström then meets with her European and Asian counterparts in Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw, for an Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). This gathering of 51 European and Asian countries meets every

second year at foreign minister level.

“The ASEM Summit is an oppor tunity to conduct a dialogue with my Asian counterparts on impor tant global challenges, such as the participation of women in conflict prevention.

It is also a good opportunity to discuss current issues in the region, in particular the situation in Rakhine State in Myanmar, but also other current issues such as North Korea, troubling political developments in Cambodia and tensions in the South China Sea,” said Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström.

The trip concluded with a visit to Hanoi, Vietnam, for political discussions and meetings with civil society.

“Sweden and Vietnam enjoy long-standing bilateral relations. It is impor tant that we have a political dialogue with government

14 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2017

representatives of Vietnam concerning issues of mutual interest, as well as human rights. I will also meet young Vietnamese and civil society actors,” Ms Wallström had anticipated.

Ambassador Pereric Högberg wrote on social media that the talks between Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström and Vietnamese colleague Deputy PM/Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh in Hanoi had been inspiring. The meeting touched on developments in their respective countries, regions and the world.

“As friends and par tners since almost 50 years we enjoy a trustful, open and sometimes frank dialogue on issues of mutual concern.

Sweden is here to stay - and we keep on talking and learning from each other!”

Danfoss Southeast Asia energy efficiency bus tour

O

n 23 October Danfoss Drives, a world leader in variable speed control of electric motors, launched the inaugural ‘Danfoss Drives Southeast Asia Energy Efficiency Tour’ to Support Malaysia’s Industry 4.0 Plans.The Tour will showcase solutions that can be deployed by industries to achieve energy efficiency from the perspective of cost saving as well as reduced carbon emissions.

The tour will travel to more than 20 cities across Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand and raise awareness on the importance of energy efficiency and empower businesses to adopt brand new

innovations in energy efficient technology. Asean is a major global hub of manufacturing and trade where the manufacturing, industry and services sectors are increasing demand for electricity in Malaysia. As the region is well on track to be the world’s 4th-largest economy by 2050 and it is one of the fastest-growing consumer markets in the world, this presents an opportunity for Danfoss to help customers in energy intensive industries including manufacturing, buildings, cement, food and beverage and industry sectors implement energy efficiency solutions to enhance process optimisation for sustainable, reliable and efficient

Business

operations.

Speaking at the launch event, Mr. Soren Kvorning, President of Danfoss Asia Pacific said: “Malaysia currently has one of the highest rates of power consumption per capita among emerging economies in the Asean region and has been experiencing steady growth in GDP at a rate of 4.3% per year, and per capita GDP is expected to reach USD 10,721 in 2035. The Danfoss Drives Southeast Asia Energy Efficiency Tour is a timely introduction to the market to empower and encourage more businesses to adopt energy efficient technologies. With our established leadership in the drives division, we believe that by 2025 more than 5 billion people worldwide will benefit directly or indirectly by Danfoss Drives in their everyday lives.”

The tour will address new opportunities for energy efficiency through customer seminars and 3D Interactive Experience where businesses will benefit from a unique virtual reality experience for visitors to better understand the benefit directly or indirectly from Danfoss Drives in their everyday lives.

“Commercial buildings, food and beverage production and processing plants, heavy industries like manufacturing, cement, metal, mining, paper are the major contributors for high energy consumption. The need for improved efficiencies is all the more important as connected devices grow in numbers and become more closely interconnected where more energy will be needed to power them,” added Soren.

Jotun opened Philippines paint manufacturing

J

otun, the Norwegian paint conglomerate, is set to conquer the Philippines market after having opened its brand new manufacturing facility on 6 November in bustling Batangas Province.

Situated in the industrial area of Sto. Tomas, Batangas, the 7 hectare plant and main office house more than 70 employees and will manufacture its own paint products.

“This is a momentous occasion for Jotun.

This is the start of our major presence in the country and will strengthen our already robust trade and political relationships with Filipinos.

We also aim to help the region of Batangas by offering employment to the locals,” says Stamatis Solomakos, the General Manager of Jotun Philippines Inc. According to Solomakos, Jotun has investments of more than 1 billion pesos including infrastructure, job generation and land acquisition.

“It’s high time for Jotun to open its own factory since it has been operating here for more than 30 years.The Philippines market is important for us because we see good growth prospects in the future especially with the steady increase of investments in business areas where Jotun is relevant such as infrastructure and energy,” said Chairman of the Board in Jotun, Odd Gleditsch D.Y. The plant is specifically located in the Light Industry and Science Park III, an industrial and

business estate and was inaugurated by Odd Gleditsch D.Y., the Governor of Batangas, the and Charge D’Affairs of the Norwegian Embassy.

The launch event featured a fascinating programme, hosted by no less than the Princess Martha Louise of Norway with guest performer Alexander Rybak, 2009 Eurovision Contest winner.

The event was alsocovered by local top media since it is an important development for the two countries bi-lateral relation.

Jotun is a Norwegian multinational privately

owned paint company incorporated in 1926.

Today it has established 40 production facilities, 63 companies and is represented in over 100 countries across all continents. Jotun is ranked number 8 amongst the leading paint companies in the world. In the Philippines, it started through an agent in 1987 and then became a branch office of the Singapore operation in 2004. Jotun Philippines Inc. became fully operational in 2011 with offices in Sucat, Paranaque and in Mandaue, Cebu. In 2013, it made a bold decision to invest in a local production.

December 2017 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 15

Business

Volvo Cars,

Geely launch new car brand: Polestar

V

olvo Cars, the premium car maker of Sweden, and its Chinese owner Geely Holding has announce they will jointly invest RMB 5 billion (EUR 640 million) in a new standalone electric performance brand called Polestar. This initial investment will suppor t the initial phase of Polestar’s product, brand and industrial development to become a fully consolidated Volvo Cars subsidiary.

The fir st production model was announced in Shanghai as Polestar confirmed plans for its fir st three models, a new purpose-built production facility in China and a customer-focused route to mar ket that will set a new industr y benchmark for performance vehicles.

The investment will be used, among other things, to establish a state-of-the-ar t Polestar manufacturing facility in Chengdu, China, marking a new chapter in the development of China as a manufacturing hub for Volvo Cars.

The company’s first car, the 600hp Polestar 1, is set to roll off the production line in mid2019. In the development of next generation technologies Polestar’s technology and product offering benefits from synergies and economies of scale enabled by the Volvo Car Group.

Polestar will also benefit from having privileged access to Volvo’s global and well-established manufacturing standards and exper tise. This helps Polestar to accelerate design, development and production processes at fraction of the time it takes other new entrants.

This set-up will radically shorten the time Polestar needs to commercially launch its cars, giving it a strategic advantage compared to competitors.

The Polestar 1 exemplifies the inherent synergies between the Volvo and Polestar brands. Around half of the technology under the skin of the Polestar 1 is based on Volvo’s in-house developed SPA modular vehicle architecture, while the remaining half is entirely new and bespoke technology created by Polestar engineers working within Volvo’s R&D department.

With China as a driving force behind the electrification of the global car industr y, Polestar will spearhead the development of new technologies and enhance Volvo Cars’ leadership within electrification and connectivity.

Polestar’s fir st production car, the Polestar 1, is a 600hp two-door, four-seater hybrid coupé with an ‘Electric Performance Hybrid’ drivetrain. Suppor ted by an internal combustion engine it has a pure electric range of 150km - the longest full electric range of any hybrid car on the market. Its output of 600hp and 1000Nm of torque places the car firmly in the performance car segment.

The electrified performance car will go in production in Chengdu in mid-2019, and will be closely followed later in 2019 by a smaller vehicle named Polestar 2.

“Polestar 1 is the first car to carr y the Polestar on the bonnet. A beautiful GT with amazing technology packed into it - a great start

16 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2017

for our new Polestar brand. All future cars from Polestar will feature a fully electric drivetrain, delivering on our brand vision of being the new standalone electric performance brand,” said Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath.

The Polestar 1 is based upon Volvo’s Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA) but approximately 50% is new and bespoke, created by Polestar’s engineers. To reinforce its dynamic driving characteristics, Polestar 1 benefits from a host of new technologies, all aimed at making it a true driver’s car. Polestar 1 is the world’s first car to be fitted with the all-new class-leading Öhlins Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension (CESi) advanced chassis technology. A carbon fibre body reduces bodyweight and improves torsional stiffness by 45%, as well as lowering the cars’ centre of gravity.

Crucially, Polestar will also move away from today’s traditional ownership model. Cars will be ordered 100% online and offered on a two or three year subscription basis. The zerodeposit, all-inclusive subscription will also add features such as pick-up and delivery servicing and the ability to rent alternative vehicles within the Volvo and Polestar range, all incorporated into one monthly payment.

The flat rate subscription means that having a Polestar car becomes a hassle-free experience for the customer. This is facilitated by PhoneAs-Key technology. It allows the owner to share a virtual key with a third party, and also enables access to a host of other on-demand features. This concierge service ensures that the

Business customer only needs to focus on the enjoyment of driving.

The order books for the new Polestar 1 open on 17 October 2017, with Polestar able to take expressions of interest from prospective customers immediately.

The Polestar 2 will be the first fully electric car launched by Volvo Car Group, and the first of a total of five fully electric Polestar- or Volvobranded vehicles to be launched between 2019 and 2021. The Polestar models announced today are thus clear proof points of Volvo Cars’ electrification strategy that was revealed in July of this year.

Volvo Cars announced this summer that from 2019 ever y new Volvo-branded car launched will have an electric motor, making it the first established car company to fully embrace electrification and place it at the core of its future business.

The Polestar 1 will be built in the stateof-the-ar t, purpose-built Polestar Production Centre in Chengdu, China. Currently under construction, it is due for completion in mid2018.

Today, Polestar builds the S60 and V60 Polestar, 367hp performance road cars with over 250 developments over-and-above the standard Volvo products. It also offers Polestar Engineered performance hardware upgrades

and engine software optimisations for existing Volvo products.

All future cars from Polestar will have a fully electric power train. Polestar 2 will star t production later in 2019 and will be the first battery-electric vehicle (BEV) from the Volvo Car Group. It will be a mid-sized BEV, joining the competition around the Tesla Model 3, and with consequently higher volumes than Polestar 1.

The initial phase of the Polestar product roll out will then be completed by the subsequent arrival of a larger SUV-style BEV, the Polestar 3, which

Business Finland to start in 2018 with Pekka Soini as Director General

O

n 1 January 2018 Business Finland will commence its operations, intended to improve service to businesses.

The Finnish Government has submitted a bill for an Act on Business Finland. Business Finland will bring under the same roof all the present services of the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation (Tekes) and Finpro related to innovation funding and internationalisation as well as to the promotion of expor ts, foreign investment in Finland and tourism.

The purpose of the Act will be to create a national body that will clarify and simplify

the public internationalisation services offered to businesses, and suppor t international cooperation in research, development and innovation as well as regional growth services.The new body would have around 600 employees and nearly 40 service locations abroad as well as, in the future, service locations in 18 counties throughout Finland.

Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä is delighted that the legislative proposal will now proceed to Parliament for consideration.

“A single body will take the entire lifecycle of business renewal, growth and internationalisation

will create a modern expression of electric performance and driving dynamics.

The ordering and configuration of Polestar cars will be conducted online via a Polestar app or online por tal. However, Polestar also recognises that customers still want to physically engage with the brand so Polestar will open a network of Polestar Spaces around the world.

This is where future Polestar customers can interact with products and the brand. Polestar Spaces will be standalone facilities and not within existing Volvo retailer showrooms.

better into account. The unified service path will extend from the development of products, ser vices and business models all the way to market launch and the chain will not be broken at any stage. Removing overlaps will release necessary pairs of hands into the field both in Finland and abroad,” says Minister Lintilä.

Pekka Soini, Director General of Tekes, will continue as Director General of the new Business Finland body after the law is adopted.

Soini will work closely with Per tti Korhonen, Chair of Business Finland’s Change Management Board.

“The Business Finland reform has been prepared as a close collaborative effor t with the Change Management Board, which consists of representatives of Finpro and Tekes management, customers and stakeholders. The goal is to serve customers better than before when the new Business Finland is launched,” says Pertti Korhonen.

The Gover nment bill proposes the passing of an Act on Business Finland – the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation and the establishment of wholly state-owned limited company named Business Finland. The funding agency will be responsible for strategic leader ship and official tasks, for example funding decisions. The company will focus on customer service.

The Act is intended to enter into force on 1 January 2018. The Government announced the establishment of the new body in March 2017.

Source: Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment

December 2017 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 17

Business

Innovative Finnish solutions at Saigon Innovation Week

D

uring 23-28 October Embassy of Finland in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Ministr y of Science and Technology and VietnamFinland Innovation Par tnership Programme – IPP organised the ‘HCMC Innovation Star tup and Entrepreneur ship Week 2017’ (WHISE 2017), opened by H.E Ambassador Kari Kahiluoto.

The Saigon Innovation Week, which included hundreds of innovative activities, was an opportunity to showcase Finnish solutions for smart and innovative city development.

Vietnam aims to have 1 million enterprises by 2020 according to its Startup Nation program.

Being the leading city in Vietnam in economic development, Ho Chi Minh City has emphasized the impor tance of promoting star tups, entrepreneurship, and innovation with a target of becoming a smart city and one of the most active startup hubs in Southeast Asia.

The highlight of the week was the Saigon Innovation Expo - the largest innovation event in Vietnam so far, featuring over 3,000 participants, hundreds of speakers and 200 par ticipating exhibitors. This flagship event hosted three major interlinked events that highlighted its goal and purpose, including HATCH! FAIR the Fifth, Slush

Global Impact Accelerator Mekong event (Slush GIA Mekong) and Solutions for Smart Cities – a Finland 100 event.

Hatch! Fair is the largest entrepreneurship conference and start-up exhibition in Vietnam.

Slush Global Impact Accelerator is a global initiative organized in cooperation between Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and its par tners around the world to suppor t newly founded companies which are tr ying to find solutions to global challenges and calling for investments in innovative and socially impactful companies. The local Slush GIA Mekong pitching event and conference covers the Mekong area countries, showcases the strongest impact companies and experts in the area and selects top start-ups to join the top-notch accelerator program and Slush 2017 in Helsinki.

Solutions for Smart Cities – a Finland 100 is built upon a newly agreed collaboration agenda between HCMC and Finland to promote the innovation ecosystem and build FinnishVietnamese business and innovation partnerships.

The program aims to showcase top Finnish and other international solutions for city development and build upon strengthened collaboration between Finnish and Vietnamese city players and businesses.

18 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2017

This collaboration mar ked the strong par tner ship between HCMC and Finland to suppor t the on-going shift from aid to trade in Finland-Vietnam relations as well to confirm Finland’s commitment to becoming a trusted and long-term par tner to generate lasting impact in the Vietnamese innovation and business ecosystem. Furthermore, with the participation from HATCH! the event brought professionalism to a whole new level.

There, innovative solutions from Finland were showcased at the Finland100 booth.

Both the new Finnish companies and startups recently entering Vietnamese markets as well as Finnish companies already with a strong foothold in the country were operating under the same flag to give the Vietnamese audience an understanding of Finland’s exceptional offering in innovative technology and services.

Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and the Embassy of Finland in Vietnam also organised the opening ceremony for the expo and a seminar within the WHISE 2017 framework to honour organizations and individuals who contribute actively to innovation and the start-up ecosystem and introduce successful star t/up models to the community. This also illustrates joint efforts between public and private sectors to promote

start-up and innovation development in Ho Chi Minh City.

Shortly after the opening ceremony, the City People’s Committee and the Embassy of Finland in Vietnam co-hosted the event ‘Together with Finland’, which was co-implemented by Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, Vietnam-Finland Innovation Partnership Program (IPP) and Hatch! Ventures Vietnam.

The 2-day event included a series of keynote speeches and panel discussions among over 30 exper ts, star t-ups and innovation ecosystem developers from Ho Chi Minh City and cities of Finland such as Helsinki, Turku and Tampere on three topics including Education for Future, Smart City Solutions, and Start-up and Innovation Ecosystem Development. This event also served as an opportunity for Finnish companies to share experience and showcase their solutions.

This joint event marked a milestone in the collaboration between Ho Chi Minh City and Finland with the desire to share experiences and cooperation potentials in the City’s focused areas.

Other activities for the Finnish attendants: onsite visits, direct meetings and trade-connecting withVietnamese partners for 18 Finnish companies from IPP’s Vietnam Market Access & Partnership (VMAP) Program took place during two days with the support of IPP’s Vietnamese Innovation consultants. This illustrated tremendous potential for cooperation between Finland and Vietnam generally as well as Ho Chi Minh City particularly, reported IPP.

In the evening of October 27, 2017–within the 100th anniversary of the Finnish National Day organized by the Embassy of Finland–Mai Linh Group and Kyyti Corporation signed an MOU on technology transfer of a technical platform solution for mobility to manage the operation of transportation system with better benefits to customers.

A dynamic internet market, Vietnam has a large tech-savvy youth population, over 30M smar tphones in use and a target to increase internet access rate from today’s 53% to 90%.

Vietnam is also rapidly integrating into global networks. Application of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is expected to begin in 2018.

Doing business in Vietnam requires time, commitment and local par tner s, but the opportunities are notable in various sectors where European enterprises have a global competitive advantage.The time is ideal for Finnish companies with tested and proven solutions related to, e.g., smar t city development, traffic, environment, digitalisation, e-government, education, fintech, food safety, health, manufacturing, maritime, innovation ecosystems and so on, to tailor their offerings for Vietnam. The large cities of Vietnam are especially keen to see Finnish solutions on the ground that support smarter development within a city context. They are also very interested in collaborating with Finnish cities directly in areas of mutual interest, states IPP. IPP suppor ts Vietnam’s overall goal of

becoming an innovation-driven knowledge economy. The program’s objective is to generate lasting impact in the Vietnamese innovation ecosystem by supporting the scale up of practices tested on the ground for entrepreneurship and innovation training in universities, financing innovative companies, and creating cross-border business.

Finland and Vietnam promote cooperation in trading and start/up ecosystem development.

Source: Innovation Partnership Programme

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