FORUM OVERVIEW
STRATEGIC VISION
The Swiss–Viet Economic Forum 2026 Ha Noi Edition marks the opening of a new era in bilateral relations. Taking place against the backdrop of the EFTA–Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement, this edition transforms five years of Forum dialogue into a concrete programme for action, connecting Swiss and Vietnamese governments, businesses, financial institutions, and academic partners to build the shared work for the next decade.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Experience a curated itinerary of high-level diplomacy and strategic commercial exchange designed to catalyze bilateral growth and innovation.
High-Level Policies Dialogue
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Opening plenary on trade, FTA implementation, and the bilateral economic agenda.
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Two main sessions on Finance & Capital Markets (Session I) and Industrial Transformation (Session II).
Networking & B2B Matching
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Structured bilateral meetings connecting Swiss and Vietnamese businesses, banks, and institutions for concrete partnerships.
Strategic Breakout Sessions
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Two rounds of three parallel sessions across: Infrastructure, Energy, Innovation, Healthcare, Education, and Legal & Market Entry. Each session co-led by a Swiss and Vietnamese company.
Exclusive Field Visits (Day 3)
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Destinations: Curated visits to industrial parks & cultural sites in Hai Phong / Bac Ninh.
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Requirement: Optional but pre-registration is required.
OBJECTIVES
TRADE & INVESTMENT
The FTA Era Opens
• Activate the EFTA–Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement through concrete market entry commitments
• Connect Swiss and Vietnamese financial institutions for sustainable capital flows and investment
TALENT & PARTNERSHIP
Smart Growth, Connected Economies
• Advance industrial transformation, Industry 4.0, and supply chain collaboration between Swiss and Vietnamese partners
• Promote AI governance, digital trust, and cross-border innovation ecosystems
SHAPING Decade
Building the Next Decade
• Launch the SVEF Education & Talent Initiative and the Diplomatic Academy Viet Nam internship programme
• Convert Forum dialogue into the SVEF 2026–2030 Cooperation Roadmap with named task forces and milestones
THEMATIC PILLARS
Finance & Capital Markets
Cross-border investment flows, capital market development, Viet Nam’s path to Emerging Market status, and Swiss financial centre expertise.
01
Industrial Transformation & Supply Chains
Smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0, post-FTA supply chain opportunities, and Swiss–Vietnamese industrial technology collaboration.
02
Infrastructure &
Urban Development
Smart cities, transport and logistics, industrial park ecosystems, and Swiss PPP expertise for Vietnamese infrastructure development.
03
Energy & Sustainability
Renewable energy, climate finance, ESG frameworks, and Swiss cleantech solutions for Viet Nam’s net-zero transition.
04
Innovation, AI &
Digital Economy
AI governance, digital infrastructure, FinTech, startup ecosystems, and cross-border digital collaboration.
05
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Swiss med-tech and life sciences for emerging markets, digital health, hospital systems, and the Swiss–Vietnamese healthcare corridor.
06
Education, Talent &
Human Capital
Swiss dual education model, talent mobility, university and research partnerships.
07
Legal Frameworks,
Market Entry & Value Chains
Post-FTA market entry pathways, legal structures, IP protection, trade compliance, and cross-border dispute resolution.
08
AGENDA
MAIN FORUM DAY
MAIN FORUM DAY
Venue: Melia Hotel, 44B Ly Thuong Kiet (Grand Ballroom)
Expected Participation: 250 - 300 delegates
The Main Forum Day brings together high-level government representatives, leading businesses, academic institutions, and multilateral actors to advance the next chapter of Swiss and Vietnamese cooperation.
Program Highlights
08:30 - 09:30 | Registration & Exhibition
09:30 - 10:00 | Welcome & High Level Policy Dialogue
THEME: OPENING THE DOOR: FROM FTA SIGNATURE TO
MARKET OPPORTUNITY
Welcome address by SVEF leadership
Opening Keynote: 'From Signature to Implementation - What the FTA Means
for Business Today'
Vietnam’s growth ambitions and Swiss–Vietnamese cooperation
Regional integration and supply chain opportunities
Practical priorities for FTA implementation
Government and business action to deliver results
Moderator: Dr. Philipp Rösler, President, SVEF
Panelist:
Ms. Anja Fiedler, CEO, Swiss Global Enterprise (S-GE)
Ms. Mariam Sherman, Country Director for Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR, World Bank
11:00 – 12:00 | Session I - Industrial Transformation & Supply Chains
THEME: BUILDING SMART MANUFACTURING, RESILIENT SUPPLY CHAINS AND
SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIAL PARTNERSHIPS IN THE POST-FTA ERA
High-value manufacturing & industrial upgrading
Smart manufacturing & Industry 4.0
Supply chain resilience & diversification
Precision engineering & advanced manufacturing
Technology transfer & industrial innovation
ESG & sustainable production
Moderator: Ms. Quyen Nguyen, Center Co-Head of Smart Manufacturing and Global Value Chain, HCMC C4IR
Keynote Speaker: Ambassador Pietro Lazzeri, Head of the Economic Cooperation and Development, SECO
Panelists:
Mr. Martin Hirzel, CEO, Swissmem
Mr. Quang Hung Khuat, Director of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability, Nestlé Vietnam
Ms. Nguyen Thuy Lam Tuyen, General Director, Borad Chairwoman and Country Holding Officer, ABB
Mr. Jackson Woo, Managing Director, SGS
12:00 – 13:30 | Lunch Break
Business Lunch & Executive Networking
Curated bilateral table conversations
Post-FTA investment pipeline discussions
13:30 - 14:30 | Session II - Finance & Investment Ecosystems
THEME: From Capital to Growth: Capital Markets, Investment Flows & Financial Connectivity
Capital market development and investor confidence
Financial centres, cross-border finance and digital innovation
Financing business growth and supply chain participation
Swiss–Vietnamese partnerships in investment, expertise and talent
Moderator: Mr. Brook Taylor, Chief Executive Officer - Asset Management and Executive Director VinaCapital
Keynote Speaker: Ms Mirjam Staub-Bisang, Chair of the Board of Directors, Swiss Investment Fund for Emerging Markets (SIFEM)
Panelists:
Mr. Reto Marx, CEO Singaore, Sygnum
Ms. Tra Nguyen Zbonski, Managing Director and Head of Vietnam, UBS
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Duc Trung, President, Ho Chi Minh University of Banking
Ms. Ly Nguyen, Manager, Asia Pacific Advisory, Tony Blair Institute
Mr. Siva Krishnan, Chief Risk Officier, Techcombank
Representative, SSC
14:30 - 15:00 | Coffee Break
15:00 – 16:00 | Parallel Sessions - Round 1
Delegates are free to choose one session accordingly to their preferences
Session A: Mobility & Connectivity Infrastructure
Smart logistics & multimodal transportation
Regional connectivity between Europe & ASEAN
Infrastructure investment & PPP models
Urban mobility & smart cities
High-speed rail development
Ports, airports & trade corridors
Moderator: Mr. Marco Förster, Ha Noi Representative, SVEF
Keynote Speaker: to be confirmed
Panelists:
Mr. Benoit De Quillaq, Managing Director, MSC
Mr. Thomas Rechsteiner, Vice President/Operations Director, Linxon
Dr. Le Quang Trung, Vice President, Vietnam Maritime Corporation (VIMC)
Session B: Energy Transition
Renewable energy investment
Green finance & blended finance
Carbon markets & carbon credits
Energy transition technologies
Climate resilience & ESG
Swiss cleantech solutions for Vietnam
Moderator: to be confirmed
Keynote Speaker: to be confirmed
Panelists:
Mr. Marco Appolloni, Senior Vice President, GE Vernova
Mr. Werner Groenendijk, Chief Finance and Investment Officer, Vin Energo
Carsten Böhler, Head of Project Finance & Infrastructure, SERV
Session C: Innovation, AI & Digital Economy
AI commercialisation
Deep-tech ecosystems
Venture capital
Research commercialisation
Start-up scaling
Technology transfer
Moderator: Mr. Nguyen Van Chuong, Program Manager Swiss Entrepreneurship Program (Swiss Ep)
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Nguyen Trung Dung, CEO, BK Holdings
Panelists:
Prof. Dr. Harald Gall, Dean of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics, University of Zurich
Mr. An Mai, Chairman & Co-Founder, IMT Solutions
Mr. Markus Baur, CEO, Axon Active
Ms. Nhi Nguyen, Co-Founder, Datbike
Mr. Jonathan McGuiness, AI Pathfinder, 4th-IR (Zug)
16:15 – 17:15 | Parallel Sessions - Round 2
Delegates are free to choose one session accordingly to their preferences
Session D: Shaping Future Healthcare
Patient access with quality & transparency
Leverage EFTA for market access
Healthcare innovation scaling
Advance Swiss-Vietnamese partnerships
Agile & consistent healthcare regulation
Regulatory Knowledge Exchange
Moderator: Dr. Philipp Rösler, President, SVEF
Keynote Speaker: Mr. Stefan P.Butz, CEO, DKSH
Tentative Panelists:
Mr. Burak Pekmezci, General Manager, Roche Pharma
Mr. Charaf Kadri, Vice President, Healthcare, DKSH
Mr. Jondy Sỵjuco, Country President, Novartis
Representative, Roche Diagnostics
Session E: Education Cooperation & Talent Development
Higher education & international partnerships
Vocational education & workforce development
Applied research & innovation
Talent mobility & academic exchange
Industry-academia collaboration
Future skills & lifelong learning
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Marcus Wittner, Founding Partner, Contagi Group
Moderator: to be confirmed
Tentative Panelists:
Mr. Anatolijus Fourarcre, CEO, SPS Viet Nam
Mr. Hoang Viet Ha, President, FPT University
Ms. Hanh Nguyen, Country Representative, The Dariu Foundation
Session F: Legal Framework & Market Entry
Market entry & investment strategies
Legal structures & corporate governance
Regulatory compliance & investment
facilitation
Intellectual property & technology transfer
Arbitration & dispute resolution
Cross-border business partnerships
Moderator: Mr. Roger Leitner, Board Member, Swiss-Asian Chamber of Commerce
Keynote Speaker: Mr. Lutz Christoph Koch, Managing Director Hanoi, RÖDL
Tentative Panelists:
Mr. Fabian Stiefvater, Hub Leader of SBH South East Asia and Pacific, SBH
Prof. Dr. Le Hong Hanh, Chairman, Vietnam International Arbitration Center
Kevin Trinh Vu, Head of Asia Pacific Support, Endress+Hauser
17:15 - 17:45 | Closing Plenary: From Dialogue to Action
THEME: WHAT WE BUILD TOGETHER: THE POST-FTA BILATERAL AGENDA
Key takeaways and outputs from all Forum sessions
First commitments in the post-FTA era: what Swiss and Vietnamese companies are
prepared to do
MoU Signing Ceremony: formalisation of bilateral agreements and partnerships
SVEF Cooperation Roadmap 2026–2030: task forces, milestones, and accountability
Closing remarks by SVEF leadership and senior Vietnamese government
representative
19:00 | Gala Dinner
Open to all Forum delegates and invited guests
ORGANIZERS
SPONSORS
Co-lead Sponsors
Leadership Sponsors
Supporting Sponsor
ABOUT THE VENUE
Nestled in the heart of Hanoi, a capital steeped in a millennium of heritage and timeless culture, our chosen venue provides an inspiring backdrop for fostering Swiss-Vietnamese ties.
Deeply woven into the fabric of the city's cultural and dynamic life, it offers an ideal setting for dialogue, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas crucial to the Forum's success.
CONTACT US
Switzerland Office: Trust Square, Rennweg 57, Zurich-8001, Switzerland
VietNam Office: Vian Tower, 26 Street 40, Thao Dien Ward Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
