Italy Funds EUR3 Mln for Vietnam SME Development

The “SME Cluster Development” project, executed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in coordination with the Enterprise Development Agency, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, has invited qualified Vietnamese enterprises to register for the technical assistance programme.

 

This EUR3 million project, funded by the Government of Italy, is designed to assist Vietnamese SMEs to improve competitiveness on the international market. This is the starter of the SME Cluster Development project in Vietnam. After a period of time, output results are concluded and define three industries to be supported, namely garment - textile, leather - footwear, and woodwork - interiors. The Italian Government, UNIDO representatives and Vietnamese partner agencies highly appreciated the outcomes at a tripartite meeting in October 2010.

 

Mr Nguyen Trong Hieu, Deputy Director of Enterprises Development Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment said: "Individual SMEs are less able to identify and take business opportunities mainly because of their small scales and weak competitiveness. Linking and coordinating production and business activities of SMEs in accordance with the SME Cluster model will create the ability to seize opportunities and enhance competitiveness.”

 

Italian Ambassador to Vietnam, Lorenzo Angeloni, emphasized that the Government of Italy wants to promote business partnerships between Vietnamese and Italian companies. “Through business cooperation, the SME Cluster Development Project will help Vietnamese SMEs improve competitiveness and help Italian enterprises have the opportunity to approach one of the fast-growing economies in the world.”

 

Mr Patrik Gilabert, UNIDO Representative in Vietnam, said, “This project aims at strengthening the sustainability of Vietnam’s development by boosting the capacity and expertise of Vietnamese SMEs, including improving product quality, bettering product design and promoting marketing and branding.”