International meeting unites New Zealand business pioneers with entrepreneurs from Southeast Asia
The Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) are set to host a significant business summit in Viet Nam, bringing together alumni of the Young Business Leaders Initiative (YBLI) and entrepreneurs from New Zealand and Southeast Asia. The event, taking place as part of celebrations marking 50 years of ASEAN–New Zealand relations, aims to strengthen bilateral and regional ties, facilitate trade, and encourage collaboration.
The summit is expected to feature sessions on entrepreneurship, innovation, sector-specific collaborations, and discussions on navigating regional trade ecosystems. There may also be practical workshops, panel discussions, and opportunities for deal-making, reflecting the objectives of the YBLI program and recent commercial successes during high-level New Zealand visits to Viet Nam.
The primary purpose of this summit is to deepen economic and people-to-people linkages between New Zealand and ASEAN countries, particularly Viet Nam. The event aims to strengthen bilateral and regional partnerships, facilitate trade and investment, promote knowledge exchange, encourage collaboration, and establish a foundation for ongoing dialogue and partnership between the two regions.
Fonterra, a global dairy giant, is navigating Southeast Asia's complex trade landscape through regulatory expertise, long-term resilience planning, and strong local partnerships, with Vietnam at the heart of its ASEAN expansion. The shared vision between Vietnam and New Zealand is driving their economic partnership, with complementary industries and a regional trade framework in place, positioning them for a new era of inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
The summit is expected to deliver several tangible outcomes, including strengthened business networks, anticipated growth in bilateral trade and investment, progress on addressing non-tariff barriers and streamlining regulatory processes, exchange of best practices in entrepreneurship, innovation, and regulatory frameworks, and a platform for future engagement.
Notable figures such as Nick Carey, managing director of Green Meadows Beef in New Zealand, and Bicky Nguyen, co-founder of Cricket One in Vietnam, have expressed their anticipation and excitement for the event. The summit will gather YBLI programme alumni and entrepreneurs from various industries, including agribusiness, technology, tourism, fashion, health, and food and beverages.
The event marks 50 years of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and both ASEAN and Vietnam, as well as the 30th anniversary of the Asia New Zealand Foundation. Suzannah Jessep, chief executive at the Asia New Zealand Foundation, stated that the summit aims to build lasting connections among entrepreneurs from New Zealand and ASEAN. New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam, Caroline Beresford, states that strengthening ties with ASEAN goes beyond diplomacy and will empower young leaders, build partnerships, and create mutually beneficial opportunities for both sides.
In conclusion, the ASEAN-New Zealand Business Summit promises to be a significant event in strengthening economic ties between New Zealand and Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam. By bringing together dynamic business leaders, the summit aims to catalyze new ventures, foster collaboration, and contribute to the shared ambition of reaching US$3 billion in bilateral trade between New Zealand and Viet Nam by 2026.
- The summit, hosted by the Asia New Zealand Foundation and MFAT, will cover topics such as entrepreneurship, innovation, and sector-specific collaborations to strengthen ties between New Zealand and Southeast Asia.
- Fontera, a global dairy giant, is deepening its economic partnership with Vietnam through regulatory expertise, resilience planning, and strong local partnerships, reflecting the shared vision between the two countries.
- The event will gather YBLI programme alumni and entrepreneurs from various industries, including agribusiness, technology, tourism, fashion, health, and food and beverages.
- The summit anticipates several tangible outcomes, such as strengthened business networks, anticipated growth in bilateral trade and investment, and a platform for future engagement in education-and-self-development and career-development sectors, as well as skills-training opportunities.
- The gathering aims to build lasting connections among entrepreneurs from New Zealand and ASEAN, working towards ASEAN-New Zealand bilateral trade reaching US$3 billion by 2026, while also encouraging collaboration and mutual beneficial opportunities in the technology, finance, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, and education-and-self-development industries.
