PM Phạm Minh Chính (first, right) listens to an introduction of Brainport Eindhoven on December 11. VNA photo

AMSTERDAM– Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính visited Brainport Eindhoven, considered the Silicon Valley of Europe, in Eindhoven City of the Netherlands’ North Brabant Province on December 11, as part of his official visit to the European country.

There, he had working sessions with leaders of North Brabant Province, Brainport Eindhoven, and major enterprises.

Talking to Vice Governor of North Brabant Martijn van Gruijthuijsen and other participants, PM Chính said over the last nearly 50 years, Việt Nam and the Netherlands enjoyed flourishing cooperation in most aspects, including highly fruitful partnerships in climate change fight, between Bình Dương Province and Eindhoven City, between the Becamex corporation and Brainport in smart city building, and between An Giang and North Brainport provinces.

He said Việt Nam wished to learn from three models of the Netherlands, namely the airport, seaport, and Brainport models, noting that the Netherlands had turned from an agricultural country into an industrialised one based on innovation and smart services.

He called on the European country to help Việt Nam build an innovation and startup centre in Hà Nội similar to Brainport Industries Campus in Eindhoven City, from planning, making mechanisms and policies, mobilising resources for centre development, to training and attracting high-quality manpower to the centre.

The PM expressed his hope that after his visit to the Netherlands, relations between the two countries would be elevated to a new height, with more strides recorded in connections between their localities, ministries, and sectors, including between Brainport Industries Campus and Việt Nam.

In Brainport Eindhoven, PM Chính also met executives of some Dutch enterprises to discuss innovation and high-tech manufacturing.

The Prime Minister was impressed by the socio-economic development achievements of North Brabant – one of the most industrially developed provinces in the Netherlands, and Eindhoven city – the biggest technology, innovation, research, and higher education centre of the country.

PM Chính affirmed that Việt Nam attached importance to the comprehensive partnership with the Netherlands and supported stronger connections in trade and investment between the two countries’ localities.

He highly valued the close cooperation between Eindhoven and Việt Nam's Bình Dương Province, an industrial hub in the south of the country, particularly in science - technology, infrastructure development, and education - training, helping the Vietnamese locality obtain important results in smart city building.

The government leader asked North Brabant to expand cooperation with Vietnamese localities in terms of developing hi-tech parks, the Triple Helix model (cooperation among administration, enterprises, and universities/research institutes), smart cities, science - technology, and microchip manufacturing.

Vice Governor Gruijthuisen said North Brabant was ready to share development experience and strengthen ties with Southeast Asia, especially Việt Nam – a partner of leading importance of the Netherlands.

Speaking highly of the close links between Eindhoven and Bình Dương, he agreed with his guest’s opinions and affirmed the willingness to continue working closely with Bình Dương and expand relations with other localities of Việt Nam.

He also pledged to encourage enterprises of North Brabant to boost investment in Việt Nam in the fields they are strong in such as digital transformation, green transition, innovation, and smart city building. VNA/VNS