To help Vietnamese manufacturers overcome disruptions in global supply chains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, on July 23, the USAID Linkages for Small and Medium Enterprises (USAID LinkSME) project and the Vietnam Association for Supporting Industries (VASI), a leading Vietnamese business support organization, held the “Manufacturing Matchmaking Event 2020” in Hanoi. The event served as a platform to strengthen linkages between lead firms sourcing in Vietnam and Vietnamese small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in local supply chains. Lead firms such as VinFast, Thaco, Panasonic Vietnam, Samsung Vietnam, Ford Vietnam, and Mitsubishi Motors Vietnam connected with more than 60 local SMEs in the metals, electrical, electronics, plastics, rubber, and automation sectors. Local suppliers marketed their products, built business relationships with lead firms, and shared information on new developments and technology in the manufacturing industry.

So What? Strengthening and realigning linkages between lead firms and Vietnamese suppliers in the manufacturing industry expands Vietnamese SMEs’ integration into supply chains, promotes resilience, and supports Vietnam’s post-COVID-19 economic recovery efforts, Journey to Self-Reliance, and independence from efforts by malign actors to capture supply chains.