The “Vietnam – ASEAN Hydrogen Human Resources 2025” workshop took place in Ho Chi Minh City on November 28, 2025, bringing together experts, policymakers, and enterprises in the field of hydrogen technology from Vietnam, Europe, and Asia. Co-organized by the Vietnam ASEAN Hydrogen Club (VAHC), Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Resources and Environment (HCMUNRE), Pacific Group, and TPBank, the event occurred in the context of Vietnam emerging as Asia’s new hydrogen hub, with USD 2.1–2.4 billion in FDI in 2025 and a series of large-scale green hydrogen projects such as China Huadian’s USD 2.39 billion plant and The Green Solutions’ 24,000-ton-per-year production facility. Despite advantages in policies, natural conditions, and investment capital, Vietnam’s hydrogen workforce has yet to meet market demand, while countries like South Korea, Australia, and Singapore have already implemented comprehensive training programs for the 2025–2035 period.
Figure 1 – Overview of the workshop
To close the human resource gap, Vietnam is strengthening international cooperation: Australia supports green economy training and offers long-term scholarships; Germany is investing USD 50 million in a renewable energy training center; Singapore is developing a clean-tech research ecosystem; and South Korea promotes technology transfer through VKIST. Domestically, HCMUNRE aims to become the key hydrogen training hub in southern Vietnam, implementing a three-phase roadmap featuring modular training programs, hydrogen laboratories, certification courses, and new academic majors. The university targets the training of 500–800 engineers and technicians by 2027, expanding to 5,000–7,000 personnel by 2035. The sustainable development of Vietnam’s hydrogen industry depends on the country’s ability to build a high-quality workforce capable of supporting rapid investment and production growth.
Figure 2 – Delegates
During the opening session, representatives of the organizing units shared key orientations. Mr. Le Ngoc Anh Minh, Chairman of VAHC, emphasized the strategic importance of high-quality human resources in the hydrogen ecosystem. Dr. Tran Thanh Tam, Deputy Head of the Department of Science–Technology and International Relations at HCMUNRE, affirmed the university’s commitment to advancing green technology education. Mr. Vo Thanh Hoang, Deputy Director of the Corporate Banking Division at TPBank, shared the bank’s vision in supporting clean-energy financing. As part of the program, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between Pacific Group Co., Ltd. and TPBank took place, marking an important milestone in collaboration on hydrogen energy development and green finance.
Figure 3 – Opening remarks
The workshop continued with a series of technical presentations delivered by international and domestic experts, focusing on hydrogen technology development strategies and workforce training. Highlights included a keynote presentation by Dr. Duong Mien Ka on building Vietnam’s hydrogen workforce; insights from Dr. Hao Ngo on industry–university training collaboration models; a talk by Ms. Hee Jeon Kim on hydrogen safety innovations in South Korea; a presentation by Dr. Tran Thanh Tam on HCMUNRE’s plan to implement hydrogen technology training programs; and a speech by Mr. Berkutov Mikhail on potential cooperation between Russia, Vietnam, and ASEAN in hydrogen workforce development. The Finance & ESG session, chaired by TPBank, provided practical perspectives on the role of finance in the hydrogen ecosystem and modern ESG models.
Figure 4 – Discussion session
A roundtable discussion themed “Finance and Human Resource Development for the Hydrogen Era in Vietnam & ASEAN,” moderated by Dr. Nguyen Thanh Tam, gathered experts and institutional representatives to analyze strategies for green finance, models of cooperation between universities, research institutes, and industry, as well as opportunities to enhance the competitiveness of the regional hydrogen workforce.
Figure 5 – Closing session
The workshop concluded with remarks from Mr. Le Ngoc Anh Minh, Chairman of VAHC, highlighting the importance of establishing a regional cooperation network for hydrogen training and calling on organizations to continue supporting the development of a competent workforce to meet the future demands of the industry.