On July 3, the Vietnamese government issued a decree on direct power purchase agreement (DPPA) that allows enterprises to purchase renewable energy from private producers without an intermediary.

The agreement allows enterprises to sign renewable energy contracts exceeding a certain scale with private producers, not just the state-owned Vietnam Electricity (EVN). Until now, enterprises mainly procured renewable energy through small-scale solar panels on the roofs of their business sites or by purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs).

With the implementation of the DPPA, Samsung Electronics Vietnam will be able to strengthen the institutional foundation for securing renewable energy.

Samsung Electronics has been tirelessly working with various stakeholders, including the Vietnamese government and civil society organizations, to introduce the DPPA system and put climate strategy into practice. Since the first DPPA discussions began in 2019, Samsung has emphasized the need to introduce the renewable energy procurement mechanism as soon as possible to achieve net zero carbon emissions goals, and provided technical advice on how to implement the mechanism in a stable manner. Samsung has also continued to communicate with stakeholders through the Asia Clean Energy Coalition (ACEC), a coalition of renewable energy buyers, in collaboration with sellers and financiers, to strategically shift policy in key Asian markets, including Vietnam.

“Through the DPPA, we plan to get in touch with large-scale renewable energy producers proportionate to the size of operations at Samsung Electronics Vietnam and make competitive purchases of renewable energy,” said Executive Vice President Joo Ho Choi, General Director of Samsung Vietnam Complex. “We will continue to work with the Vietnamese government to advance Vietnam’s renewable energy infrastructure.”

The ceremonial event to present the donation was attended by Van Son Nguyen, the Deputy Minister of Public Security, Joo Ho Choi, Head of Vietnam Manufacturing Complex of Samsung Electronics, and other senior leaders of Samsung Vietnam. Also in attendance were representatives from departments and agencies under the Ministry of Public Security and the Management Boards of the Public Security Departments from the 11 beneficiary provinces.

Tran Trung Tranh (left), Deputy Chief of Vietnam Fire and Rescue Department, shakes hands with Joo Ho Choi (right), Head of Vietnam Manufacturing Complex of Samsung Electronics at the ceremony to hand over the donation of 300 IGNIS thermal imaging cameras.

Samsung’s IGNIS thermal imaging cameras are able to detect ignition points, locate victims, identify terrain, determine time and indicate paths to be avoided, helping firefighters to both rescue those in danger and keep themselves safe during a rescue operation. The cameras were designed for high resistance to water, dust and heat, with outstanding durability in a compact, wearable size (106*95*64mm, 350g).

“Fire prevention and rescue activities are pivotal in every nation for saving lives and assets of citizens. We are pleased to know that local firefighters will be equipped with our cameras, which will help them fulfill their duties and protect public safety,” said Choi.

After receiving the 300 IGNIS thermal imaging cameras, the Vietnam Fire and Rescue Police Department will organize a training course for officers and firefighters on how to utilize the devices. Deployment of these cameras will help improve firefighting capacities and minimize the damage caused by fires, explosions, or accidents in 11 provinces including Hanoi, HCMC, Hai Phong, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Da Nang, Can Tho, Bac Ninh, Ninh Binh, Phu Tho, and Thai Nguyen.

How One Firefighter’s Experiences Sparked Inspiration

The IGNIS Thermal imaging camera is a product originating from Samsung Tomorrow Solutions, a social contribution project and open idea contest that began in 2013. Samsung Tomorrow Solutions invites people to produce and submit ideas that can change society for the better.

Finding that conventional thermal observation devices (TOD) for firefighters are too heavy and expensive to be provided to each firefighter, Gyeong-Seung Han, a firefighter from South Korea, was prompted to devise a thermal imaging camera based on his firefighting experiences. Han submitted his idea to the 2016 event and his entry was awarded IDEA Grand Prize (2016) and IMPACT Grand Prize (2017).

Not only was Han provided with prize money and additional funds to help further develop his idea, he was also provided with a team of support from engineers from C-Lab – Samsung’s idea generation and entrepreneurship program – to help bring his ideas to life. The IGNIS team worked through many versions of the device to realize Han’s vision for a more compact, easier-to-use, cost-effective thermal imaging camera that can withstand extreme conditions. As a result, Samsung Electronics has provided 1,000 IGNIS thermal imaging cameras to firefighting units in South Korea to put into practice. There have been numerous real-life testimonies from firefighters that they were able to save more lives through the use of IGNIS thermal cameras.

Summary

• Vietnamese employee Le Khoi Nguyen graduated from Ho Chi Minh Polytechnic University before applying for Samsung’s Global Scholarship Program in 2007.
• He studied Business Administration in South Korea, going on to work for Samsung in the country.
• He returned to Vietnam in 2011 and became Head of Marketing of the Mobile Device Division, one of the youngest people to have achieved this position.
• Nguyen’s efforts have helped Samsung’s share of the Vietnamese mobile phone market to soar over the course of just a few short years.

When Le Khoi Nguyen applied for the 2007 Samsung Global Scholarship Program, the young Vietnamese student could hardly have known that this was the first step on a journey to becoming one of the youngest director-level managers at Samsung less than five years later.

With a youthful face that belies his years of experience, Nguyen has taken his team at Samsung from strength to strength, in a story parallels how hard work and dedication have shaped Samsung’s growth in Vietnam.

Serendipity for the Scholar

In 2007, Nguyen approached the end of his Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Telecommunications at Ho Chi Minh Polytechnic University. He was weighing up his options for the future when he learned about the scholarship opportunity to undertake a Master of Business Administration and practical training in Korea. The scholarship was offered by Samsung to students from the top four universities in Vietnam.

“I knew I had a real desire for business. When I first read about this scholarship, I thought to myself: ‘It was made for me.’ So, even though I didn’t have a business background, I submitted my application.”

His initial concerns were unfounded, as the company actively sought out candidates from a range of disciplines for the scholarship. After passing several rounds of interviews, Nguyen became one of three Vietnamese students chosen to receive the Samsung scholarship, leaving for Korea shortly after.

Nguyen faced many difficulties during his master’s program, but a lack of professional knowledge and getting to grips with the Korean language proved to be the greatest.

“When learning about business, I was very surprised and very worried. As everything was new to me, I was forced to put in more effort to match my counterparts. Studying Korean was hard work. It was difficult when I first started as the grammar was completely different to Vietnamese.”

In his second year, Nguyen’s language skills developed, and he was able to communicate more freely with his classmates. After graduating with a Master of Business Administration Degree, Nguyen was assigned the role of Area Manager for the IT and Mobile Business, based in Suwon, South Korea.

Wisdom of Youth

Nguyen returned to his home country in 2011 to take up a position as the Head of Product Marketing of the Mobile Device Division in Vietnam.

His Vietnam team was a small unit of just two people between 2012 and 2013. Together, they managed the mobile product strategy for the entirety of the Vietnamese market.

“When I was first appointed – it felt like an enormous amount of pressure. It was my passion that kept me going. 100 percent was never quite enough,” Nguyen explained. “But regardless of where you come from, the head-on challenges and experiences are more or less the same. The company continues to give all its employees opportunities to grow.”

His team of two grew to a division of 14 people, and Nguyen is now the Head of Product Marketing. Nguyen and his colleagues have strived for success in the Vietnamese market, constantly moving forward with the next project.

“Pressure is not about being in the position of director, but rather being responsible for your own work and deciding what you need to do, then doing it. I would like to be remembered as a person who does not just come up with ideas, but also sees those ideas through to the finish.”

Exciting Potential

Nguyen did indeed meet the challenges he faced head-on. As his experience grew, so did Samsung Electronics Vietnam, with Samsung’s mobile phone market share in Vietnam increasing to reach 50% in the last months of 2017.

Vietnam is a significant country for Samsung, a hub for production and exports. The vibrant nation adapts quickly to shifts in the market, and individuals from Samsung Electronics Vietnam provide their insights to help the corporation localize.

“The team in Vietnam is one of Samsung’s youngest teams in the region. The atmosphere here is young, and perhaps a bit more ‘free-spirited, ,” revealed Nguyen. “There is no strict hierarchy, and all ideas are put on the table for discussion.”

Offering up his own assessment of his performance over the last ten years, Nguyen says that he now prefers to think more deeply, look at problems from more angles and make concerted efforts to improve himself every day.

“If I had to give advice to young people looking for opportunities at Samsung, I would advise them to understand their passion and cultivate a creative mind.”

Samsung Electronics Vietnam employs over 100,000 across its manufacturing facilities in Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen provinces and provides residence for 30,000 employees within its gates. Here, football (or soccer, depending on where you’re from) has been very popular even before the AFC U-23 Championship.

Winners of the 2017 ‘CUP TỨ HÙNG SEV’ celebrate their victory (Photo: Samsung Xin chào Facebook page)

About 1,700 employees make up 86 different men’s and women’s football teams at Samsung Electronics Vietnam. Apart from the regular games before and after work, these teams also compete for the top spot in the annual ‘CUP TỨ HÙNG SEV,’ or ‘Samsung Electronics Vietnam Friendship Cup.’

Already boasting a strong football culture within, anticipation grew to an unprecedented whirl of excitement in Samsung’s facilities in Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen as the U-23 national team made history.

Those who could got off early to join the crowds in the streets and watch the games. Those who couldn’t remained at Samsung where large screens throughout the facilities – TVs in cafeterias, displays in meeting rooms, and screens in monitoring rooms, auditoriums and even in-house movie theatres – were used to show employees the Vietnamese team’s games.

Employees gather at a dormitory movie theatre to watch the AFC U-23 Championship final on January 27 (Photo: Samsung Xin chào Facebook page)

Employees cheer from a meeting room as Vietnam edges past Qatar in the AFC U-23 Championship semi-finals on January 23 (Photo: Kilsang Ryu, Samsung Electronics)

A monitoring room turns into a temporary sports broadcast center on January 23 (Photo: Tran Thi Quynh Mai, Samsung Electronics Vietnam)

Cafeteria TVs highlight the previous night’s AFC U-23 semi-final game on January 24 (Photo: Samsung Xin chào Facebook page)

As the tournament proceeded, Vietnamese and Korean employees in the facilities developed a special bond as the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship closely resembled the 2002 World Cup celebrations in Korea.

“I’ve never seen my colleagues so happy,” said Kilsang Ryu, a Korean Samsung Electronics employee in Vietnam. “The Vietnamese national football team brought us all together. It reminded me of Korea in 2002 and in cheering on the Vietnamese team, I grew to feel even closer with my friends here.”

Employees pose before the final of the AFC U-23 Championship (Photo: Samsung Xin chào Facebook page)

Sports have a special way of bringing people together and our colleagues in Vietnam were some of the most recent to experience that. For more information about Samsung Electronics in Vietnam, please visit Samsung Newsroom Vietnam at: https://news.samsung.com/vn/.