Recently, VinSpeed High-Speed Rail Investment and Development Joint Stock Company (a subsidiary of Vingroup ) and Siemens Mobility GmbH, a member of Siemens AG (Germany), signed a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation and Technology Transfer Agreement to develop a high-speed rail system in Vietnam.
The fact that a private enterprise within Vietnam's leading diversified economic group has proactively sought and signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement with a leading German technology group demonstrates a significant shift in the approach to large-scale infrastructure projects, focusing on mastering technology, gradually increasing the localization rate, and building long-term capacity for Vietnam's railway industry.
The signing ceremony for the comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement and high-speed rail technology transfer took place in the presence of the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Vietnam, Ms. Helga Margarete Barth. Mr. Nguyen Viet Quang - Vice Chairman and General Director of Vingroup (5th from the left), Mr. Pham Thieu Hoa - General Director of VinSpeed (6th from the left), and Mr. Michael Peter - General Director of Siemens Mobility (5th from the right), along with representatives from both sides, were present at the ceremony.
Choose partners at the "highest level".
According to Associate Professor Bui Quang Tuan, Vice President of the Vietnam Economic Science Association and former Director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics, selecting technology and partners at the "highest level" from the outset will create a foundation for Vietnam not only to develop high-speed rail but also to have the opportunity to participate more deeply in the global value chain.
"Siemens Mobility is one of the world's biggest names in the modern railway industry. VinSpeed's choice to cooperate with the 'giant' Siemens Mobility is a substantial and long-term step in Vietnam's strategic direction, directly accessing the most advanced technology and creating breakthroughs for the nation. This is also in line with the spirit of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo on breakthroughs in the development of science, technology, innovation and digital transformation of the nation; and Resolution 68-NQ/TW on the development of the private economy," Mr. Tuan commented.
According to Mr. Tuan, the most important factor in national-scale infrastructure projects is not just capital or progress, but the mindset in choosing technology and partners: "Choosing Siemens Mobility means VinSpeed chooses to 'play at the highest level' from the very beginning. Partnering with a world-class company is not only about acquiring modern technology, but also about accessing high technical standards, management processes, safety, and risk control capabilities... This also serves as motivation and pressure for Vietnamese businesses to strive for innovation and improve their technological capabilities."
Mr. Tuan argued that although the most advanced technology means higher costs, this is the right direction if Vietnam wants to build a sustainable high-speed rail industry with endogenous capacity, instead of taking small, fragmented steps. He affirmed: "Choosing a reputable partner with the highest standards in the world shows VinSpeed's commitment to this important infrastructure project. I believe this is the spirit of dedication of VinSpeed and Vingroup."
This image illustrates the design of VinSpeed's high-speed train.
Collaboration to lay the technological foundation
Meanwhile, Dr. Nguyen Minh Phong, an economic expert, former Head of the Economic Research Department, Hanoi Institute for Socio-Economic Development Research, and member of the Economic Advisory Council of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, stated that VinSpeed's implementation of specific activities related to high-speed rail demonstrates that its capabilities and commitment to quality are gradually being realized.
Dr. Nguyen Minh Phong believes that the collaboration between VinSpeed and Siemens Mobility could become a "foundation stone" for the repositioning of Vietnam's railway industry.
"The private sector is not just expressing a desire to participate, but has begun to take concrete action, seeking partners and preparing resources to undertake national-level projects, such as high-speed rail," Mr. Phong said.
According to Dr. Phong, VinSpeed's proactive signing of a comprehensive strategic agreement with a leading German technology group is a necessary step to raise standards from the enterprise level to the national level and approach international standards: "If the initial standards are low, the maintenance costs and safety risks later on will be very high. Conversely, raising standards from the start helps reduce long-term costs and creates a foundation for sustainable development."
This expert emphasized that the private sector is no longer at the stage of wanting to participate, but is now beginning to realize its internal strengths, seek strategic partners, and prepare resources for the high-speed rail project – a key infrastructure project.
Technical perspective and the challenge of mastering technology.
Sharing the same view, expert Nguyen Minh Dong - a long-time engineer in Germany, currently working at Volkswagen's Design and Testing Center (Germany) - also agrees that VinSpeed's choice to cooperate with a German partner shows that Vietnamese businesses are accessing a railway technology ecosystem that is among the world's leading advanced. Germany is a country with a long industrial tradition and possesses very strong high-speed rail technology capabilities.
He emphasized that by implementing projects to high standards, businesses not only build social trust in the railway system but also open up development space for the production and supply ecosystem serving large-scale infrastructure projects nationwide. This is not just the story of a few railway lines, but a qualitative change in the approach to national infrastructure.
However, according to Mr. Dong, the key issue is not buying technology but mastering new technology. He stated: "Just buying it for use is not difficult, but understanding, operating it in depth, and gradually mastering the new technology is the crucial challenge."
He also noted that high-speed rail is a complex field, and even in Germany, besides the technology that allows for very high speeds, practical operation is always considered on the basis of the overall efficiency of the system – from investment and maintenance costs to the level of sustainable operation.
This expert argues that cooperation with German partners should be viewed as a learning process, linked to human resource training, building technical capacity, and operational management from the outset – factors that determine the long-term success of large infrastructure projects.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/chon-siemens-mobility-tam-nhin-dai-han-and-thuc-chat-cua-vinspeed-ar994782.html
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