A Vietnamese delegation visit an apple farm in Japan. — VNA/VNS Photo Gia Quân

HCM CITY — There is huge potential for Vietnamese and Japanese firms to co-operate in many areas, including use of information and communication technologies in agriculture and food processing, a conference heard in HCM City yesterday.

Kondo Boboru, CEO of Brain Works Group, said with their increasing incomes Vietnamese consumers are looking for quality food products.

With their ICT expertise, Japanese firms can join hands with Vietnamese firms to create a food value chain from production to consumption, yielding products of high quality and ensuring traceability.

In addition, Vietnamese firms can co-operate with their Japanese counterparts to build brands for their products, he told the media on the sidelines of the 52^nd Asia Business Conference.

Việt Nam is in the top three countries in ASEAN in terms of investment opportunities, according to the CEO.

Besides, it is perceived by Japanese investors as a friendly destination.

Japan ranks among the top investors in Việt Nam though the number of Japanese companies investing in the country is low compared to those from South Korea.

He has been doing business in Việt Nam for 20 years and wants to promote tie-ups between the two countries’ businesses.

Organised by the Brain Works Group, the conference attracted nearly 150 Vietnamese and Japanese firms, including many Japanese firms in the fields of construction, ICT, real estate, agriculture, and food.

According to the Foreign Investment Agency, Japan was the third biggest investor out of 65 countries and territories investing in Việt Nam in the first eight months of the year, with US$1.46 billion, or 10.1 per cent of the total FDI. — VNS