Panasonic looks to become major healthcare solutions provider in Vietnam
Japan’s Panasonic Corp. is committed to long-term investments in Vietnam and envisions becoming a major supplier of comprehensive health solutions over the next 50 years.
The corporation’s Vietnam CEO Yoichi Marukawa outlined this vision at a business meeting in Hanoi between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the foreign corporate circle in the country.
Marukawa said the country's resilience and capability to recover from the pandemic had not only impressed and inspired him but also solidified Panasonic's confidence in Vietnam as one of its strategic markets.
"The impact of the pandemic fallout is not small, but Panasonic in Vietnam is recovering faster than others in Asia," he said.

Yoichi Marukawa, CEO of Panasonic Vietnam in Hanoi, September 17, 2022. Photo courtesy of the government’s portal.
He noted that Panasonic was expanding its investment portfolio in Vietnam, including building a local product development system for wiring devices and lighting as well as indoor air quality (IAQ) systems.
It is in the process of setting up a research and development (R&D) center and manufacturing hub of IAQ products for Asian markets in southern Vietnam's Binh Duong province; and similar hubs for smart washing machines and refrigerators for Asian markets in Hanoi and nearby Hung Yen province.
In developing relationships with Vietnamese companies, Panasonic “will build an office inside the satellite building of the National Innovation Center in Hanoi to partner with Vietnamese startups,” Marukawa said.
Over the next three years, Panasonic Vietnam expects to plant one million trees in the country as part of its environmental protection cooperation program with partners and customers, he added.
Marukawa tressed that Panasonic was still recovering and facing many serious problems like a shortage of raw materials and components, increasing transportation costs, pressure on environmental protection, and a global recession risk.
“We believe it is tough to overcome this difficult economic situation by simply expanding production or exporting, even with a clear strategic vision. Panasonic needs to be more aggressive in its business transformation to bring more value and improve its competitiveness, the same way that Vietnam is doing.”
He asked the Vietnamese government to support Panasonic in the journey ahead and in training human resources in information technology and artificial intelligence.
Under this initiative, Panasonic will continue to assist educational activities for Vietnamese students through online seminars, or work directly with local schools through its Risupia model.
Panasonic Risupia Vietnam is a play-and-learn platform using the corporation’s advanced audio-visual technologies to incorporate scientific knowledge into playing and learning models.
As of April 2022, Panasonic Vietnam Group comprises : Panasonic Vietnam; Panasonic Sales Vietnam; Panasonic Research & Development Center Vietnam; and four manufacturing companies - Panasonic Appliances Vietnam, Panasonic System Networks Vietnam, Panasonic Industrial Devices Vietnam and Panasonic Electric Works Vietnam. The seventh company is Panasonic Insurance Service Vietnam. The group employs over 7,000 people in the country.
- Read More
Vietnam's agri major Hoang Anh Gia Lai fined for bond information disclosure failure
Vietnam's agri major Hoang Anh Gia Lai JSC has been fined VND92.5 million ($3,528) for failing to disclose bond-related information as required by law.
Companies - Thu, August 7, 2025 | 4:31 pm GMT+7
Northern Vietnam province accelerates $2.2 bln LNG-to-power project
Quang Ninh province will hand over 4.9 hectares of reclaimed land to the Quang Ninh LNG-fuelled power plant project before August 11, local authorities stated at a meeting on Wednesday.
Energy - Thu, August 7, 2025 | 4:17 pm GMT+7
Vietnam's seafood firms ride profit wave ahead of US tariff hike
Vietnam’s seafood companies reported surging profits in Q2/2025, driven by importers ramping up purchases ahead of new U.S. reciprocal tariffs.
Economy - Thu, August 7, 2025 | 2:21 pm GMT+7
Le Anh Tuan appointed new CEO of Dragon Capital Vietfund Management JSC
Dragon Capital Group, Vietnam's largest asset manager, has appointed Le Anh Tuan as CEO of its arm Dragon Capital Vietfund Management Joint Stock Company (DCVFM), starting from October 1, 2025.
Companies - Thu, August 7, 2025 | 2:01 pm GMT+7
Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand expand local currency transaction network
Bank Indonesia, Bank Negara Malaysia, and Bank of Thailand have added new Appointed Cross Currency Dealer (ACCD) participating banks to broaden services for bilateral transactions in local currencies across the three nations, Bank Indonesia said in a statement on Tuesday.
Southeast Asia - Thu, August 7, 2025 | 12:48 pm GMT+7
ASEAN to sign MoU on regional power grid implementation
ASEAN member states are set to sign an MoU on the implementation of the ASEAN Power Grid during the bloc’s Energy Ministers’ Meeting this October.
Southeast Asia - Thu, August 7, 2025 | 12:43 pm GMT+7
Vietnam overtakes Thailand to become world's second-largest rice exporter
Vietnam has outranked Thailand as the world’s second-largest rice exporter in the first half of 2025, Thai PBS reported on August 3, citing the Thai Rice Exporters Association.
Companies - Thu, August 7, 2025 | 12:41 pm GMT+7
Vietnam posts trade surplus of $10.18 bln in 7 months
Vietnam’s export earnings grew by 14.8% to $262.44 billion in the first seven months of this year, while its import turnover rose by 17.9% to $252.26 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $10.18 billion.
Economy - Thu, August 7, 2025 | 12:19 pm GMT+7
Malaysia pledges big purchases, investments with US
Malaysia has agreed to buy and invest over $240 billion (MYR1.02 trillion) in the U.S. to help reduce the trade gap between the two countries.
Southeast Asia - Thu, August 7, 2025 | 12:08 pm GMT+7
Vietnam's leading property developer Novaland to issue 152 mln shares to settle $229 mln debt
Novaland, a major real estate developer in Vietnam, plans to issue nearly 152 million new shares to swap more than VND6 trillion ($228.8 million) worth of bond principal.
Companies - Thu, August 7, 2025 | 10:11 am GMT+7
Vietnam's FDI capital disbursement hits five-year record high despite US tariff turmoil
Disbursed foreign direct investment (FDI) capital in Vietnam reached $13.6 billion in Jan-July, up 8.4% year-on-year, despite U.S. tariff concerns.
Economy - Thu, August 7, 2025 | 9:57 am GMT+7
Malaysia steps up efforts to explore nuclear energy potential
Malaysia’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Chang Lih Kang on Wednesday reaffirmed his ministry’s commitment to enhancing cooperation with the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) in exploring the potential of nuclear energy.
Southeast Asia - Thu, August 7, 2025 | 8:10 am GMT+7
Indonesia's economy grows faster than expected
Indonesia's economy expanded by 5.12% year-on-year in Q2/2025, up from 4.87% in the previous quarter, exceeding the forecasts of many economic organizations, which had previously projected a rate of less than 5%, according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS).
Southeast Asia - Thu, August 7, 2025 | 8:07 am GMT+7
Philippine energy group eyes investment in Vietnam’s power sector
AboitizPower wants to invest in Vietnam’s electricity industry, especially in transmission infrastructure, said Danel Aboitiz, executive director of the corporation.
Energy - Wed, August 6, 2025 | 11:11 pm GMT+7
Vietnam seeks 8.3-8.5% economic expansion for 2025
The Government has requested the State Bank of Vietnam to proactively adjust the credit growth aim for this year in line with a GDP expansion target of 8.3-8.5%.
Economy - Wed, August 6, 2025 | 10:41 pm GMT+7
Japanese investment in Vietnam shifts toward service, trade, and technology: bank exec
Japanese investment in Vietnam is seeing a notable shift, with sharp increases in the services, trade, and technology sectors, while investment in manufacturing has slowed, said Abe Ryota, a senior economist at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC).
Economy - Wed, August 6, 2025 | 4:06 pm GMT+7