HCMC – International technology, equipment and solution exhibitors at the country’s largest maritime exhibition opened in HCMC on Wednesday said they were pinning high hopes on Vietnam's fast economic growth and its maritime industry.
Two int’l expos due in city this month
By Quoc Hung - The Saigon Times Daily
Visitors view a machine on display at Maritime Vietnam 2011 - Photo: Quoc Hung HCMC – International technology, equipment and solution exhibitors at the country’s largest maritime exhibition opened in HCMC on Wednesday said they were pinning high hopes on Vietnam's fast economic growth and its maritime industry.
“Vietnam is set to benefit from direct links with the U.S. and Europe which will make it a focal point for the expansion of many shipping lines into the Intra-Asia trade routes,” said Violet Yong with IIR Exhibitions Pte Ltd, an organizer of the event. “Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment has proposed 23 public-private partnership projects worth a combined US$3.3 billion relating to seaport development and services.”
With these projects slated for seaport construction, they are designed to help achieve Vietnam’s target for total cargo volume throughput of 500-600 million tons a year by 2015, she said at the opening of Maritime Vietnam 2011.
Egil Rensvik, counselor for science and technology of Innovation Norway, said that with a coastline of some 3,000 km, Vietnam was holding great potential to develop its shipping and shipbuilding industries. He said that some Norway enterprises in the sector had plans to develop shipyards in Vietnam, and they see Vietnam as a gateway to China and other regional markets.
“Vietnam maritime is in the right way to develop and achieves positive signals,” he said.
According to exhibitors at the event, Vietnam is developing many ports especially in the southern area. Besides, Vietnam has plans to upgrade deep-water seaports, build more shipyards, and improve the national fleet and logistics services to develop the sea-based economy. This will become a potential market for investors.
Eddy Lai, senior manager for sales and marketing of Chris-Marine (s) Pte Ltd from Singapore, a two-time exhibitor at the event, said Vietnam was a potential market for the company’s products.
Marjan Lacet, export manager for Asia of Holland Marine Equipment (HME), is returning to Maritime Vietnam 2011 to strengthen the company’s presence here.
“Our goal is simply to establish a stronger market presence in Vietnam for our suppliers and vendors like we did before in Maritime Vietnam 2009,” she said.
Maritime Vietnam 2011 attracts 350 companies from 20 countries and territories, including 38 exhibitors from Singapore alone. The event will wrap up on Friday.
The expo is jointly organized by IIR Exhibitions Pte Ltd and Vietnam National Trade Fair & Advertising Company (Vinexad). Maritime Vietnam 2011 includes visits to shipyards and seaports in the city, and is expected to attract 5,000 visitors.
* Two international exhibitions ProPak Vietnam 2011 and PIA Vietnam 2011 will kick off at the city’s Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in District 7 from March 23 to 25, attracting 345 companies from 30 countries and territories.
ProPak Vietnam 2011 is an exhibition for the processing and packaging industries, displaying a wide range of processing, filling and packaging solutions for the growing food, fishery, beverage, pharmaceutical, electronic, healthcare and consumer goods manufacturing sectors.
The event will be attended by more than 240 companies from 28 countries and territories from Australia, China, Denmark, France, German, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Thailand, Taiwan, and Singapore.
“Brand owners and processing and packaging professionals have embraced ProPak Vietnam to penetrate the market to promote and sell their products in a more business orientated environment,” said David Aitken, managing director of Bangkok Exhibition Services (BES), the organizer of ProPak Vietnam.
The event is expected to attract 8,000 local and international visitors. Pre-registered visitors to the event have increased by 23%, hitting a record high and including buyers from around the world.
Meanwhile, the 3rd PIA Vietnam for engineering, instrumentation, laboratory and scientific equipment has attracted more than 100 exhibitors.
PIA Vietnam, comprised of three events: Pharmatech Vietnam, Instrument Vietnam and Analysis Vietnam, is aimed at Vietnamese organizations in the engineering, manufacturing, medical, scientific and educational sectors. Exhibits range from automation technologies to testing equipment for laboratory-based research.
PIA Vietnam 2011 will be co-located with ProPak Vietnam 2011 to ensure a comprehensive line-up of products, services and solutions for Vietnam’s fast growing food and beverage processing, filling and packaging industries, according to the organizers.