Workers at a hi-tech manufacturing hub in Ninh Bình Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — As 27 enterprises were awarded certificates for Outstanding Vietnamese Suppliers 2025 by the Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) on Thursday in sectors including mechanical engineering, electronics and information technology, textiles and footwear, food processing and other industries.

Speaking at the ceremony, Associate Professor Dr Hồ Sỹ Hùng, chairman of VCCI, said the Outstanding Vietnamese Supplier 2025 was recognition and also carried strategic significance. It supports the Government's policies on developing a strong Vietnamese business community with the capacity to compete at regional and global levels.

He noted that as global supply chains are being restructured, Vietnamese suppliers need to move beyond their traditional role as simple production units. Instead, they must become strategic partners with stronger technological capabilities, greater innovation capacity and better value-chain management, while meeting sustainability requirements.

Looking back on 40 years since the start of Đổi mới in 1986, Việt Nam has achieved remarkable results. Average income per capita has increased more than 67 times, from US$74 to $5,026. The country’s economic openness is among the highest worldwide, with total trade value equivalent to nearly 200 per cent of GDP. Việt Nam has also become an important import and export hub in the region and globally.

According to the VCCI Chairman, 2025 is a year marked by strong global economic fluctuations, but it also brings new opportunities as supply chains continue to shift. Investors today are no longer focused only on low costs. Instead, they increasingly look for countries with stable, reliable, flexible and sustainable supply ecosystems. In this context, suppliers must play a larger role. They are not only links in production chains, but strategic partners who work closely with lead firms to improve product quality, raise added value and help the economy better withstand external shocks. 

The selection process was carried out carefully and objectively over several months, screening hundreds of enterprises that registered for the programme. The evaluation was based on three main criteria groups. The first focused on operational capacity and production efficiency, including quality, pricing and delivery. The second assessed technology capacity and innovation, such as technology application, innovation activities and growth potential. The third examined value-chain governance and sustainable development, including supply-chain participation, management of sub-suppliers, ESG practices and international certifications. 

Sharing from the business perspective, a representative of TOMECO said the title of Outstanding Vietnamese Supplier 2025 should not be seen as an end goal, but as motivation for further improvement. The most valuable aspect of the programme, the company noted, lies in the self-review and serious self-assessment process based on clear standards, which helps enterprises define their long-term development direction in operations, technology, innovation and sustainable value-chain management.

The title is both an honour and a responsibility, especially amid complex geopolitical developments, the rise of automation, stricter green standards and the growing trend of service-oriented manufacturing. Opportunities, the representative said, will favour enterprises that are ready to change and continuously upgrade themselves.

As part of the event, exhibition booths introduced products, solutions and capabilities of outstanding suppliers, creating opportunities for direct connections between buyers and suppliers. The Outstanding Vietnamese Supplier programme is chaired by VCCI, with support from VietinBank and VCCI Intellectual Property Company, and is planned to be held every two years to promote stronger cooperation within Việt Nam’s business community and support sustainable economic development. — VNS