On the morning of October 29, CanCham Vietnam and the Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) hosted a virtual seminar titled “Manufacturing for Competitiveness: Canada–Vietnam Manufacturing Trade Partnerships – Resilient and Responsible Supply Chains.”
The event brought together nearly 70 participants, including Canadian and Vietnamese business leaders, industry professionals, and key stakeholders. Marking the third and final installment of the Canada–Vietnam Trade and Investment Webinar Series, the session provided a platform to examine Vietnam’s evolving manufacturing landscape, bilateral trade opportunities, and actionable strategies for constructing resilient and sustainable supply chains.
The proceedings opened with introductory remarks from Francesca Bellone, Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Canada in Vietnam. Following her address, Kathy-Thuy Nguyen, Country Director at IIX, introduced the Impact Investment Readiness in Vietnam (IIRV) Project, highlighting its ongoing initiatives to prepare enterprises for trade and investment readiness.
Dr. Anastasia Ufimtseva, representing the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, delivered the keynote address. Her presentation detailed emerging trade prospects between the two nations, focusing on market access advantages under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and collaborative opportunities within high-value, sustainable manufacturing sectors.
Addressing practical sustainability, Kieu-Anh Tran, Founder of Dòng Dòng, shared a case study illustrating how upcycled materials can be converted into sustainable fashion products—serving as a concrete model of responsible manufacturing within Vietnam.
The central panel discussion, “Unlocking Canada–Vietnam Manufacturing Partnerships,” was moderated by Laurence Newman, Executive Director of CanCham Vietnam. The panel featured perspectives from diverse industry leaders:
Rodger Healy, Vice President of Operations, Crocodile Products Inc.
Bruce Crompton, Co-Founder, Crompton Manufacturing Consultants Vietnam (CMCV)
My Linh Truong, Senior Regional Manager, Export Development Canada (EDC)
Elizabeth Nguyen, General Director (Vietnam), St. John’s Packaging
Panelists addressed market-entry strategies, local manufacturing capabilities, sustainability metrics, and the practicalities of navigating supply chain operations and sourcing in Vietnam.
This event marks the conclusion of the three-part webinar series, which previously highlighted the technology and agriculture sectors. CanCham Vietnam and its partners anticipate that the insights exchanged across these sessions will foster stronger commercial networks, drive sustainable investments, and bolster long-term economic partnership between Canada and Vietnam.
The webinar was delivered under the Impact Investment Readiness in Vietnam (IIRV) Project, funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by IIX in partnership with CanCham Vietnam.