Under an agreement between the park and the Department of Trade-Industry-Tourism of Japan’s Shiga Prefecture on Friday, they will help companies from Shiga and HCM City link up with each other and provide support for research and development activities.

Vietnamese businesses will be helped with attending trade fairs and exhibitions in Japan, information about socio-economic development in both countries will be provided to businesses from Shiga and HCM City, and exchanges between them will be enabled.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the head of the SHTP management, Le Hoai Quoc, said Shiga is one of the most industrialised provinces in Japan, with many industrial and manufacturing companies.

Shiga leads Japanese provinces in industrial growth rate. Industry accounts for 41 per cent of its economic output, much higher than the average of 23.7 per cent in Japan.

According to the director of the Shiga Department of Trade – Industry – Tourism, Hazumi Hiroshi, businesses in his province, especially medium-sized and small ones in hi-tech supporting industries, have been looking for business opportunities abroad.

Viet Nam and HCM City are attractive destinations for Japanese investors, especially those from Shiga, he added.