Bồ Xuân Hiệp

HCM CITY — Sustainable building materials made in Việt Nam will not be able to compete with products from other markets unless manufacturers improve their trade promotions and marketing, Nguyễn Hồng Hà, trade secretary at the Vietnamese embassy in Singapore, said.

Hà spoke on the sidelines of green-building trade shows held recently in Singapore that focused on green architecture, smart technologies and energy-efficient solutions.

The trade shows Build Eco Xpo (BEX) Asia and Mostra Convegno Expocomfort (MCE) Asia 2016, organised by Reed Exhibitions, saw 12,000 visitors from 57 countries and territories, with seven exhibitors from Việt Nam.

Construction materials, especially floating glass and sandstone, are key Vietnamese products exported to Singapore, according to Hà.

“The trade shows provided an opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to seek partners and expand their exports as well as learn about the latest knowledge and technology in the industry,” Hà told Việt Nam News. 

In Việt Nam, more green buildings and new green standards for construction are urgently needed to save energy and cope with climate change, according to the Việt Nam Green Building Council.

Held as part of the 2016 Singapore Green Building Week, the ninth edition of BEX and second edition of MCE Asia hosted 450 exhibiting companies from 27 countries and territories, including Việt Nam, mainland China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Taiwan and the US.

The events, held from September 7-9, delivered ideas and solutions to future-proof the built environment with an increased focus on smart, energy-efficient technologies. 

Forty-eight industry practitioners shared insights on how to advance sustainability at the Green View and Mostra Xchange seminars.

Topics discussed included renewable energy, green architecture, smart technologies and energy-efficient solutions, as well as heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems.

More energy- and cost-efficient building is urgently needed in Southeast Asia because of accelerating climate change and rapidly increasing populations, industry experts said.

BEX Asia and MCE Asia were held along with the International Green Building Conference, which was organised by the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore under the Ministry of National Development. — VNS