Nowhere on the DNV globe is the growth rate as high as in Vietnam. While the number of employees was less than 40 a year ago, it has today passed 70.
“This is a nation of opportunities,” states Ragnar Hansen, regional manager DNV Maritime South East Asia & Australia. “Vietnam effectively entered the shipping market when the sun was shining and has been overwhelmed with interest ever since.”
Deliveries from Vietnamese shipyards to domestic owners were almost zero just a couple of years ago. In June, the first two large bulk carriers in a long series for UK-based Graig Investment sailed away from Vinashin’s yards.
Vinashin (Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Corporation) has announced high ambitions for the future too: “We aim to become the world’s fourth largest shipbuilding nation,” says its chairman and CEO Pham Thanh Binh.
In the energy sector, Petrovietnam and major oil companies have accelerated strategic investment in refineries, terminals and chemical storage facilities. The same companies have also increased offshore activities to increase production of oil and gas for the coming years.
The main challenge for both Vietnamese industry in general and DNV in particular is obtaining qualified personnel. DNV has then established a DNV Academy in Vietnam, similar to what has been done in Korea and China previously.
The long-term objective is mainly to support the development of the ship newbuilding industry in Vietnam to ensure its products satisfy the requirements of international rules and standards. To achieve such an objective, DNV must deliver high quality training programmes for Vinashin.