Vietnam’s Vice President has paid tribute to Ericsson’s technological contributions to the development of the country and says the company will have an important role as Vietnam ramps up digitalization efforts.
Her Excellency Madame Vo Thi Anh Xuan led a Vietnamese delegation during a November 12 visit to Ericsson Group Headquarters in Stockholm.
Ericsson experts outlined the company’s technology leadership and capabilities in 5G and next-generation connectivity during a tour of the Ericsson Imagine Studio. The tour was part of the delegation’s visit to Sweden as guests of business organization Business Sweden.
Ericsson also hosted a related round table discussion comprising several Swedish companies and representatives of business forums from Sweden and Vietnam.
An Ericsson welcome
The Vice President’s Ericsson visit was hosted by Jacob Wallenberg, the Deputy Chair of Ericsson’s Board of Directors.
Welcoming the Vice President and all round-table guests to the Ericsson Imagine Studio, Jacob Wallenberg highlighted Ericsson’s history of supporting mobile communications in Vietnam through 2G, 3G, 4G and now 5G. He said Ericsson stands ready to play a continued role in the sustainable digitalization of Vietnam, including for industry and manufacturing connectivity purposes.
Impressive demos
The Vice President was shown some of the latest Ericsson products, witnessed demonstrations of 5G technology, and heard about the potential of 5G to catalyze nations’ digitalization objectives across different industries and use cases in a sustainable and energy efficient way.
Madame Vo Thi Anh Xuan tried the Studio’s Connected Assembly Line demonstration – using a connected assembly device from Swedish company Atlas Copco, called Nutrunner, to fit and tighten a bolt.
It is so precise that it measures four thousand data points per nut in the minuscule amount of time it takes to tighten it – all of which are digitally documented and can be traced across the assembly of any product in a production line.
The Vice President told Ericsson presenters that, having seen some of the demos for herself, she understood why Ericsson was a technology leader and said she was interested in finding out more about how connectivity solutions could benefit Vietnam.
Addressing all guests later, the Vice President praised the history of the national relationship between Vietnam and Sweden.
She thanked Ericsson for its technology role in the country since 1993 and said Vietnam needed such continued technology leadership as it takes the next steps in digitalizing its economy.
High-powered delegation
The Vietnamese delegation included: His Excellency Mister Tran Van Tuan, Vietnam’s Ambassador to Sweden; Mister Pham Thanh Ha, Vice Chairman, Vietnam’s Presidential Office; Mister Nguyen Hoang Long, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Industry and Trade; and Mister Don Tuan Phong, Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Vietnam’s National Assembly.
Other guests included Andreas Carlson, Sweden’s Minister for Infrastructure and Housing; Johan Ndisi, Sweden’s Ambassador to Vietnam; Johan Snellman, Business Sweden Deputy CEO; Rita Mokbel, Head of Ericsson Vietnam; and Lena Sellgren, Chief Economist, Business Sweden.
History of friendship
Andreas Carlson, Sweden’s Minister for Infrastructure and Housing, highlighted the 55-year government relationship between Sweden and Vietnam – which is being marked by several events in Sweden and Vietnam across 2024-25 – saying the relationship had gone beyond traditional diplomatic norms and into the area of friendship between nations, businesses, and individuals.
He said the Swedish Government was proud of the role played by all Swedish companies in Vietnam – boosted by the free trade agreement between the EU and Vietnam.
On Ericsson, he said the company had been at the forefront of technology development in Vietnam for decades, adding that sustainable connectivity will be a key area for Vietnam as it pursues digitalization to increase its influence in the global marketplace.
Johan Snellman, Business Sweden Deputy CEO, also highlighted the successful ties between the two countries, saying that more than 70 Swedish companies have a presence in Vietnam.
Praising forums such as the Ericsson-hosted round table discussion, Snellman said the signing of recent Memorandums of Opportunity across multiple areas of business were an indicator of the kind of opportunities that lie ahead, thanks to the respectful and friendly working relationship between the countries.
Ericsson in Vietnam
Ericsson has been present in the Vietnamese market since 1993. The company has supplied telecommunication network equipment to the major service providers through each generation of mobile connectivity.
This year – 2024 – has been a significant year for 5G in Vietnam. Ericsson was selected by Viettel as the majority partner in its nationwide 5G RAN ambitions, as well as being selected to deploy 5G for VNPT. 5G-focused Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) were also signed with Viettel, VNPT and Mobifone.