The first phase of Viet-Pan Techno Park, a Vietnamese-Japanese technology development area, was inaugurated on three hectares at Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park in HCMC’s Nha Be District last Friday.

HCMC vice chairman Tat Thanh Cang (L) scrutinizes a product made at Vie-Pan Techno Park in the city’s Nha Be District - Photo: TTXVN

Invested by Vietnam-Japan Technique Ltd Company, a joint venture between Vie-Pan Industrial Park of Japan’s Unika Holdings Company and Vietnam’s Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park, Vie-Pan Techno Park is the first specialized industrial park for supporting industries in the city with the aim to attract Japanese firms in supporting industries.

With a total investment of US$31 million, the park covers a total of 13 hectares, including more than 14,100 square meters for workshops, offices and warehouses.

Workshops for rent measure 250 square meters, 500 square meters and 1,000 square meters, which can be combined to create a larger facility. The two-storey office has total floor space of 800 square meters.

According to the investor, two Japanese mechanical engineering firms, Sanko and Noriko Daimaru, have registered to hire workshop space at the park for their production.

Unika said it will do the marketing to promote Vie-Pan Techno Park and call for Japanese small and medium enterprises to set up shop at the park.

Yasumi Yoshinori, CEO of Unika Holdings Company and advisor to the Japanese small and medium mechanical business association, once said many small and medium firms in Japan are inclined to make overseas investments due to the economic woes in Japan.

Vietnam is seen as an attractive market among Japanese firms, so Unika has decided to cooperate with Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park to develop the park for Japanese producers.

Yoshinori also urged the city to create favorable conditions for small and medium Japanese firms to do business here as they do not have much experience in offshore investment activity.

In addition to the inauguration of Vie-Pan Techno Park, Kansai Desk, an organization serving as a connection between Japanese firms and the city’s agencies, was opened to boost economic cooperation between the city and the Kinki industrial zone in Japan’s Kansai region.

Members of Kansai Desk are representatives of the HCMC Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority (Hepza) and the city’s departments and agencies.