2013 Japan Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Week began in Hanoi on October 23, offering a chance for local IT businesses to explore deals with Japan , the world’s fourth largest IT software market.

2013 Japan Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Week began in Hanoi on October 23, offering a chance for local IT businesses to explore deals with Japan , the world’s fourth largest IT software market.

Over 80 meetings between the two countries’ IT businesses are expected to take place during the annual event, which is co-organised by the Vietnam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA) and the Vietnam-Japan IT Cooperation Club (VJC). 

Over a decade, advantages in labour cost, proficient working staff and tax incentives have helped Vietnam lure nearly 80 IT Japanese companies and these will bring in an additional 20 ones by the end of this year. 

In 2012, Vietnam surpassed India to become Japan ’s second largest IT partner last year, after China , in the field. 

According to Vice President of the Japan IT Service and Industry Association Junko Kawauchi, Japanese businesses and people are satisfied with IT cooperation with Vietnam . 

To further enhance the cooperation in the future, the project and quality management capacity, Vietnamese engineers’ Japanese proficiency and Japanese engineers’ fluency in English need to be improved, she said. 

VINASA Deputy Chairman and General Secretary Pham Tan Cong affirmed that Vietnam ’s IT sector is growing robustly and VINASA’s member businesses have been consolidating their niche in the Japanese market. 

During the week, a wide range of activities will be held in the capital Hanoi and the central city of Da Nang , including conferences on cooperation between Vietnamese and Japanese businesses, and an offshore business development forum. 

A writing contest about applications for smart phones and tablets, an employment fair, cultural exchanges and tourism activities will also be organised. 

Japan spends around 130 billion USD annually on IT software and is in need of new partners in the area.