Vietnam's telco giant Viettel signs deal with France’s John Cockerill Defense

Viettel High Tech, the core military and civilian R&D arm of Vietnam’s military-run telecom giant Viettel, has signed a cooperation agreement with John Cockerill Defense, a leading weapon designer and manufacturer in France.

The agreement was one of several signed on Tuesday between Vietnamese and French partners at the French Embassy in Hanoi on the occasion of French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Vietnam.

It builds on an initial partnership established at the Vietnam International Defense Expo in December 2024, where James Caudle, general manager Asia at John Cockerill, praised Viettel’s strengths in radar and sensor technologies.

At the signing ceremony, the French Development Agency (AFD) also signed a financing agreement worth EUR 80 million with Vietnam Electricity (EVN) to support the development of pumped-storage hydropower.

Hydrogène de France (HDF) announced two separate collaborations: one with EVN SPC to develop low-carbon hydrogen power generation, and another with Vietnam Maritime Corporation (VIMC) to reduce shipping emissions using hydrogen-powered vessels.

Meanwhile, Dassault Systèmes and the University of Transport and Communications launched a collaboration focused on digital and rail technologies. Compagnie des Signaux, Mermec Group, and the Hanoi University of Civil Engineering formed a partnership on railway education and training.

The final agreement involved cooperation between Business France and VNPT in the areas of digital infrastructure, innovation, and technology services.

France is currently Vietnam’s 16th-largest foreign investor, with 700 active projects totaling $3.95 billion.