The consumer electronics industry has developed strongly in recent years but a lot more needs to be done to ensure further development.

“Electronics is one of the key industries with the deepest level of international integration, but the industry is still only focused on assembling, processing and after-sales service,” Nguyen Phuong Dong, deputy director of HCM City’s Department of Industry and Trade, said.

Delivering a speech at a seminar in HCM City on Tuesday titled “Enhancing linkage opportunities in the electronic supply chain”, he said in the last 10 years the number of enterprises in the industry had grown four-fold to 1,021, and the number of workers by nearly eight times to 327,000.

“Relevant authorities would like to connect electronics enterprises by offering more incentives to encourage linkages.”

Bui Thi Ninh of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Union of Electronics Enterprises in Viet Nam said the electronics industry had a very high growth rate and short life cycle for products, requires large investments, yields high profits but comes with intense competition and high risks.

“The industry has the largest number of workers and earns a large amount of foreign currency.

Dr Truong Thi Chi Binh, deputy chairwoman and general secretary of the Viet Nam Association of Supporting Industries (VASI), said: “To participate in the global supply chain, Vietnamese electronics enterprises must first meet safety demands and technical requirements and limit hazardous content in their products.

“Quality, environment and energy-efficiency are the general requirements. Corporate social responsibility and sustainable development are appreciated.”

VASI could actively support enterprises by providing consultancy, training, information, and databases and connecting them with international markets, she said. — VNS