Leaders of Thuringia and a Vietnamese Embassy delegation agreed to promote cooperation between the German state and Da Nang city, as well as other Vietnamese localities, research institutes and training institutions, during a working session on October 30.
The meeting in Erfurt was attended by Thuringia Minister-President Mario Voigt, State Secretary Marcus Malsch and Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Dac Thanh.
Both sides highlighted the traditional friendship and cooperation achievements between Vietnam and Thuringia, particularly the Vietnamese community’s contributions to the state’s socio-economic development.
Voigt praised Vietnam’s economic growth and digital transformation. Thuringia hopes to expand substantive cooperation, particularly with Da Nang. He said the state is preparing a specific cooperation agreement with the central city and expressed his wish to pay an official visit to Vietnam soon.
The two sides discussed science and technology, innovation, optics, photonics, quantum technology, artificial intelligence, digital transformation and semiconductors.
The German side highlighted Jena’s position as a major technology hub, home to leading companies such as Zeiss, Jenoptik and Schott.
The Vietnamese delegation proposed strengthening links between Thuringia-based enterprises, research institutes and universities and Vietnamese partners, including Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park.
The two sides agreed to promote dual vocational training, mutual recognition of qualifications, and the exchange and training of skilled workers in healthcare, nursing, agriculture and industry, with the two countries’ chambers of industry and commerce facilitating the work.
They also agreed to identify priority areas, cooperation needs and suitable business partners, while organising business-matching activities ahead of official visits to facilitate concrete projects.
Cultural, sporting and people-to-people exchanges were also discussed. Thuringia expressed its readiness to host Vietnam’s national football team for training.
Both sides agreed to establish sector-specific working groups, prioritising optical technology, manpower training and local-level cooperation.
The Vietnamese delegation toured Carl Zeiss Meditec AG in Jena, a Zeiss Group subsidiary specialising in medical technology, particularly ophthalmological diagnostic and treatment systems.
The Vietnamese side pledged to connect the company with science and technology manpower training programmes in Vietnam, creating opportunities for doctors, specialists and researchers to receive training in Germany. It also proposed exploring a pilot mobile eye examination and surgery model to improve healthcare access in remote areas.
The delegation visited Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Erfurt University of Applied Sciences, met Vietnamese associations and students in Jena and Erfurt, and visited Vietnamese-owned stalls at a local distribution warehouse to learn about the community’s living and working conditions.
In 2025, Thuringia recorded gross regional domestic product of 80.64 billion EUR, or more than 90 billion USD. Per capita GRDP reached 38,591 EUR and exports totalled 18.2 billion EUR, mainly machinery, electrical and electronic goods, plastics, optical and medical equipment, and other industrial products.
Sources: VietnamPlus / Vietnam News Agency
