Ready to take the leap?
Your way into Southeast Asian markets: Vietnam
and Greater Bay area via Hong Kong, for SMEs in
Sweden, Finland, Estonia & Latvia within the Central Baltic area.
Why the Greater Bay Area (via Hong Kong)?
The Greater Bay Area (GBA), with Hong Kong at its center, is one of Asia’s most dynamic markets. It combines access to a fast-growing health sector, advanced manufacturing in green transition, and a strong position as a global business and logistics hub.
What makes the GBA unique:
- Home to one of Asia’s largest and fastest-growing health markets, with pathways for accelerated entry.
- The province of Guangdong is a powerhouse of global manufacturing, now driving a rapid green transition.
- Hong Kong as a leading exhibition and business hub for showcasing innovation and building partnerships.
- A strategic gateway connecting Southern China with Southeast Asia, backed by world-class trade and logistics.
Why Vietnam?
Vietnam is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, with an average GDP growth of 6.8% between 1993–2022. The country is rapidly opening to international business, driven by free trade agreements, a strong innovation agenda, and rising demand for high-tech and sustainable solutions.
What makes Vietnam unique:
- One of the fastest-growing economies globally, with consistent long-term growth.
- EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) reduces tariffs and improves access for EU products.
- Growing demand for high-tech health solutions, cleantech, and premium food.
- An ambitious startup ecosystem aiming for high-income status by 2045, open to global partnerships.
- Strong national focus on quality, innovation, and clean technologies.
Meet the mentors
Meet the local business experts and industry leaders that will support you during your market entry
Chloe Li
Greater Bay Area
Chloe brings strong expertise in bridging business and cultural dynamics between Europe and China, helping Nordic scale-ups navigate market entry with greater confidence and establish high-value strategic partnerships. With a focus on AI, advanced manufacturing, and health tech, she advises high-tech companies on localized strategies that support sustainable growth. She also helps organizations maintain focus on their strategic priorities. Committed to continuous learning, Chloe believes that progress is built through curiosity, collaboration, and a deep understanding of people.
Thomas Wong
Greater Bay Area
With 35+ years of executive leadership across business, government advisory, and NGO sectors, Prof. Thomas CC Wong brings rare strategic depth to Finnish SMEs entering the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Hong Kong. Serving on the boards of several chambers and standards bodies, he specializes in sustainability, healthcare, technology, IP, and education. Beyond basic market entry advice, Prof. Wong helps companies decode regulatory nuances, unlock cross-border financing, and align with your priorities, turning GBA complexity into competitive advantage. His C-suite and policy networks enable rapid, trusted partnerships, so Finnish firms seeking not just a guide but a gateway to scalable, high-trust growth in the GBA gain senior-level leverage at every stage.
Rachel Ou
Greater Bay Area
With over 18 years of experience as a Greater Bay Area (GBA) market expert, Rachel has a strong track record of supporting international companies in South China. She brings extensive experience advising companies through both public institutions and private organisations, with a background spanning European and U.S. contexts. She combines strategic advisory and legal expertise to help companies navigate regulatory and commercial complexity in the GBA, across sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, digitalisation and cleantech.
Mr. James Chen
Greater Bay Area
With more than three decades of hands-on experience in Hong Kong and Mainland China, James Chen helps Nordic and Baltic companies find their footing in the Greater Bay Area. He supports companies in navigating local business culture, structuring their market entry and building the right partnerships from an early stage, always with a focus on practical decisions, local collaboration and long-term growth in Asia.
Stewart Randall
Greater Bay Area
With extensive experience helping Western technology companies enter and scale in Greater China, Stewart Randall plays a key role in bridging global innovation with the region’s most dynamic tech ecosystems, including the Greater Bay Area. As Vice President and Deputy MD for Greater China at Intralink, he supports companies in navigating local market complexity, shaping effective market-entry strategies, and building strong partnerships across China. Deeply embedded in the regional tech landscape and fluent in Mandarin, Stewart combines cultural insight with practical execution to help electronics, semiconductor, and software businesses establish a durable, growth-focused presence in Greater China.
Betty Pallard
Vietnam
Vietnam market expert and strategic advisor with more than 15 years of experience supporting European and international companies entering and scaling in Vietnam. She specializes in market entry strategies, ESG and sustainability frameworks, carbon markets, and sustainable finance. As Founder of ESGs & Climate Consulting and active member of EuroCham initiatives, she works at the intersection of innovation, regulation, and climate transition, helping companies navigate complex standards-driven markets.
Csaba Bundik
Vietnam
He is an entrepreneur with IPO experience and a long track record in the ASEAN region. He serves as an Investment Jury Member for the EIC Accelerator, the flagship deep-tech funding programme of the European Innovation Council, with expertise in deep tech and services. He is the Founding Vice Chairman of the Central and Eastern European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (CEEC VN) and previously served as Executive Director of EuroCham Vietnam, where he supported the creation of the EU–ASEAN Business Council.
Ngo Minh Phat
Vietnam
With 12 years of experience and 7 years in C-suite roles, he specializes in driving market entry and scaling operations for European and global companies within Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Having led both massive organizations and agile tech startups, he provides deep strategic expertise across Fintech, ICT, IoT, Green Tech & Automotive, Edtech, and Healthtech. By blending global corporate standards with local entrepreneurial grit, he transforms complex market-entry theories into high-growth realities through winning sales strategies and creative marketing execution, ensuring international partners achieve sustainable dominance in the region.
Pham Thi Thanh Thao
Vietnam
She is the Country Manager for Vietnam at Orissa International and a senior advisor to international technology companies expanding into Southeast Asia. She supports global innovators in navigating Vietnam’s fast-evolving industrial and digital landscape through practical market entry, partner development, and commercial expansion strategies. Based in Ho Chi Minh City, Thao works extensively across sectors including semiconductors, AI, cybersecurity, smart manufacturing, and industrial automation, overseeing more than 80 market-entry and trade initiatives annually. With strong relationships across Vietnam’s public and private sector networks, she combines deep local insight with hands-on execution experience to help technology companies de-risk expansion and build high-value partnerships.
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