The companies introduced their construction consultancy services, designs and applications of new materials as well as engineering and building solutions to project developers in Vietnam at a seminar and business-to-business meetings in HCMC on Wednesday.

New Zealand trade commissioner and consul general Graham Sims said the purpose of the seminar was to bring New Zealand innovations and solutions applicable to infrastructure projects in Vietnam.

“What we see that the need in Vietnam is developing strongly in infrastructure,” Sims told on the sidelines of the seminar. He said New Zealand construction companies were able to help with the issues that Vietnam had as a fast-growing country.

Technology and innovations in the areas of road, rail, air and sea as well as new wood, aluminum and steel materials for commercial and residential buildings can be provided by New Zealand companies including Beca, McIntosh Timber Laminates and Duffill Watts. Other New Zealand companies making presentations at the seminar are AHI Roofing, Intalok-Solid Timber Buildings, Howick Engineering, Overclad and AAL Aluart.

Sims said several of the companies such as Beca and Duffill Watts had already been involved in a number of development projects in Hanoi and the central coastal city of Danang. Sims disclosed more companies of New Zealand would come to sound out the prospects in Vietnam, and that their areas of interest also included aviation, education and timber.

According to the New Zealand embassy in Hanoi, last year saw bilateral trade in goods between the two countries surge 37% year-on-year to exceed US$275 million. Trade in services was also worth more than another US$30 million.

Sims said the trade between New Zealand and Vietnam was modest at the moment but more opportunities were opening for the two countries and Vietnam to boost, particularly after the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement comes into effect hopefully from next year.