Illuminated trade connections across Asia and Europe
Vietnam Global Trade Dialogue #222 September 2026

Beyond China+1

Can Vietnam Become
Europe's Next Manufacturing Partner?

A practical conversation between German business, European industry and Vietnamese manufacturing.

What would make Vietnam work for your company?

Register Free
OnlineEnglish14:00 GMT+7
Explore the dialogue

Diversification is not simply another low-cost location.

European manufacturers are looking beyond traditional China+1 strategies. The next question is whether Vietnam can become a long-term industrial partner for European SMEs and the Mittelstand.

European SMEs are asking

  • Where can we find reliable suppliers?
  • Can Vietnamese manufacturers meet European quality and technology requirements?
  • When does sourcing become manufacturing — or even a JV?
  • How do we build trust beyond the first order?

Vietnamese manufacturers are asking

  • What do European buyers really expect?
  • How do we become more than a supplier?
  • What capabilities move us into higher-value manufacturing?

This dialogue brings both sides into the same conversation.

Dialogue №02

Online · Free · Interactive

Beyond China+1: Vietnam's Supporting Industries as the Next Manufacturing Partner for Europe

Vietnam is no longer simply a China+1 destination. This working dialogue brings together German business, European industrial strategy and real manufacturing experience in Vietnam to explore what successful Europe–Vietnam industrial partnerships actually require.

Don't just ask “Why Vietnam?” Ask: “What would make Vietnam work for my company?”

Register — Free
Date22 September 2026
Time14:00–15:30 GMT+7
09:00–10:30 CEST
FormatOnline · Interactive Dialogue
LanguageEnglish
ParticipationFree
Communication & Outreach Support

Baden-Württemberg International · IHK Region Stuttgart · Vietnam Association Supporting Industry (VASI) · HCMC Center for Industrial And Supporting Industries Development (CISID) · HCMC Center for International Integration Support (CIIS)

The ConversationA decision journey
  1. 01Why Vietnam, Why Now?

    What are German companies actually looking for in Vietnam?

  2. 02Beyond China+1

    When does Vietnam become part of a European company's long-term industrial strategy?

  3. 03From Strategy to Reality

    What happens when a European manufacturer actually builds manufacturing capability in Vietnam?

  4. 04The European Supplier Test

    What makes a Vietnamese manufacturer “European-ready”?

  5. 05From Connection to Partnership

    What does it take to move from the first conversation to a long-term industrial relationship?

  6. 06The Audience Challenge

    What would make you take the next step?

Three perspectives.
One industrial question.

What would make Vietnam work as a long-term manufacturing partner for Europe?

Each speaker enters the conversation from a different decision point: demand, strategy, execution and connection.

Björn Koslowski

German Business Perspective

Björn Koslowski

Deputy Chief Delegate of German Industry & Commerce in Vietnam (AHK Vietnam)

What are German companies actually looking for in Vietnam — and what prevents them from moving from interest to action?

Björn brings the perspective of the German business community in Vietnam, including the growing demand for capable local suppliers, stronger localisation and deeper industrial partnerships.

Volker Friedrich

European Strategic Perspective

Volker Friedrich

Managing Director, GBP International

When should a European company stop thinking “China+1” and start thinking “Vietnam as part of our industrial strategy”?

Volker brings a broader European and ASEAN perspective on supply-chain diversification, market entry and the strategic role Vietnam can play in European manufacturing.

Eray Ulugül

Real Manufacturing Perspective

Eray Ulugül

Former CEO + Global Strategic Committee Member, Angst+Pfister Turkey + China & AVPN Sealing Vietnam

What does a European manufacturer discover when the Vietnam strategy becomes reality?

Eray brings first-hand experience from a European industrial company with an established manufacturing presence in Vietnam — including the realities of capability, suppliers, quality, technology and long-term partnership.

Phuong Nguyen

Moderator

Phuong Nguyen

Founder, TradeComply · Initiator, Vietnam Global Trade Network

How do we turn industrial interest into a useful next conversation?

Connecting European industrial demand with Vietnamese manufacturing capability.

DEAHK

What German companies need

EUEuropean Strategy

Where Vietnam fits

VNReal Manufacturing

What actually works

VGTNConnection

How relationships become partnerships

The European
Supplier Test.

Would you trust this company as your supplier?

During the dialogue, speakers and participants will evaluate what really matters when a European company considers a Vietnamese manufacturing partner.

German SMEs do not need an existing Vietnam strategy to take part. Start with the same question you use for every critical supplier decision.

01

Quality

02

Engineering capability

03

Technology

04

Reliability

05

Compliance

06

Certifications

07

Traceability

08

Sustainability

09

Communication

10

Financial stability

Which three would make or break your decision?

Are you looking at Vietnam?

This dialogue is for you if you are asking:

  • Should Vietnam be part of our China+1 strategy?
  • Where are the strongest Vietnamese manufacturing capabilities?
  • Should we source, manufacture or explore a JV?
  • How do we identify reliable Vietnamese suppliers?
  • What should we expect from a Vietnamese manufacturing partner?
  • What are the biggest mistakes European companies make?
  • How can we build a long-term industrial relationship rather than simply buy from a supplier?

You don't need to have a Vietnam strategy already. Come with questions. Leave with a framework for thinking about Vietnam.

Want to become a strategic European supplier?

This dialogue will help you understand:

  • What European industrial buyers actually look for
  • Why price alone is not enough
  • What “European-ready” really means
  • How quality and reliability influence supplier decisions
  • What technology and engineering capabilities matter
  • How compliance and traceability affect buyer trust
  • How to move from supplier → preferred supplier → strategic partner

The goal isn't simply to enter Europe. It's to become a partner European companies want to keep.

Ninety minutes.
A clearer next step.

After the dialogue, you will have a clearer view of:

  1. 01

    Where Vietnam fits in the evolving China+1 landscape

  2. 02

    What German and European companies actually look for

  3. 03

    What makes a Vietnamese manufacturer European-ready

  4. 04

    When sourcing, manufacturing or JV makes sense

  5. 05

    What it takes to build trust beyond the first order

  6. 06

    Where the next Europe–Vietnam industrial opportunities may emerge

Join the conversation.

Register Free

European SME? Bring your supply-chain questions.

Vietnamese manufacturer? Bring your capabilities.

Investor / institution / expert? Bring your perspective.

Dialogue is only
the starting point.

VGTN is building the next layer: a working ecosystem that turns shared insight into relevant business relationships.

  1. 01Dialogue

    Exchange insight.

  2. 02Connection

    Meet the right people.

  3. 03Qualification

    Understand needs and capabilities.

  4. 04Matchmaking

    Connect companies with relevant partners.

  5. 05Partnership

    Build long-term business relationships.

Join the VGTN
founding community.

Founding Members shape the standards VGTN sets, the partners it brings in, and the dialogues it hosts. Dialogue №02 is a practical first door into the network.

01

Networking

Meet vetted businesses, experts, and institutions building the next decade of Vietnam–global trade.

02

Dialogues & Events

Priority access to closed-door conversations, working sessions, and international convenings.

03

Market Insights

Curated intelligence on regulation, buyer behavior, and cross-border opportunities.

04

Business Matching

Structured introductions between suppliers, buyers, investors, and advisors.

05

Learning

Practical knowledge on compliance, sustainability, and market access — from people who do the work.

06

Trade Opportunities

Visibility on emerging corridors: EU, EFTA, ASEAN, and beyond.

Dialogue №01

31 July 2026 · Online · English

Beyond EVFTA: What's next for Vietnam–Europe trade?

Celebrating six years of EVFTA and looking ahead to the Vietnam–EFTA Free Trade Agreement. A working dialogue between European and Vietnamese voices on strategy, business, and compliance.

Watch the Dialogue №01 recording
Date31 July 2026Time14:00–16:00 GMT+7 / 09:00–11:00 CESTFormatOnline · FreeLanguageEnglish

The conversation

  1. 01

    Opening Vietnam's Next Chapter in Global Trade

  2. 02

    Dialogue 1 Lessons from Six Years of EVFTA

  3. 03

    Dialogue 2 Winning European Buyers Beyond Tariff Advantages

  4. 04

    Dialogue 3 Compliance as Competitive Advantage

  5. 05

    Dialogue 4 Looking Ahead: Vietnam–EFTA & The Future

  6. 06

    Q&A Live Audience Dialogue

Founding speakers

Strategic PerspectiveAndreas StoffersBusiness strategist · Southeast Asia expert

Business PerspectiveLiney WeisshappelFounder, All Made Viet

Legal & ComplianceLeif D. SchneiderCountry Head, Luther Vietnam · VIAC Arbitrator

Host & Lead ModeratorPhuong NguyenFounder, TradeComply · Initiator, VGTN

Special Dialogue HostLinh HuỳnhCEO, WTC Bình Dương New City

Built with institutions.

VGTN is convened by TradeComply and grows through practical collaboration with chambers, industry bodies, market institutions and international experts.

Communication & Outreach Support

Baden-Württemberg International · IHK Region Stuttgart · VASI · CISID · CIIS