The Nordic Business Awards 2025 was not just a night celebrating outstanding achievements; it vividly demonstrated how Nordic values: innovation, resilience, sustainability, transparency, and community impact are shaping Vietnam’s business landscape.
If there is one philosophy that summarizes the success of the Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland), it is a deep belief in balancing profit with purpose. They show that businesses can be economically efficient while taking serious responsibility for the environment and society.
In Vietnam, the Nordic Business Awards 2025 highlighted six companies that successfully applied this philosophy, turning Nordic values into concrete actions with undeniable impact.
SME Excellence: Sustainable Innovation As The Foundation Of Startups
The core values of Nordic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are flexibility, creativity, and resilience. They not only seek markets but also aim to solve social problems in innovative ways.
RecyGlo Vietnam
Winner of the SME Excellence category, RecyGlo Vietnam is a typical example of this spirit. They are more than a waste management company. RecyGlo has built a smart waste management solution combining technology, advanced recycling processes, and community education.
How RecyGlo changes the game:
- They help large companies and communities shift from a linear economy (“extract—use—dispose”) to a circular economy (“produce—reuse—recycle”).
- System Innovation: By applying technology to measure, monitor, and reduce clients’ waste, RecyGlo turns environmental responsibility into a clear business strategy.
- Macro Impact: Through research collaboration projects, such as pilot production of fertilizer from household waste (in partnership with the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture), RecyGlo directly contributes to Vietnam’s Net-Zero 2050 goal while raising community awareness about sustainable living. They demonstrate that a small company can still drive systemic change.
Business Innovation: Leading Through Creativity And International Standards
The Nordics are globally known for their capacity for innovation, particularly in applying technology to solve major industrial challenges.
VARD Vung Tau
Winner of the Business Innovation category, VARD Vung Tau has brought Norwegian maritime expertise to Vietnam’s shipbuilding industry, a traditional yet high-potential sector.
- Technology and Engineering Transfer: VARD Vung Tau is not just a contract manufacturer. They design and build high-quality specialized ships integrating the latest technology. Their projects include building clean-energy vessels (methanol and hybrid battery systems) and implementing electric and remote-operated solutions. This is innovation not only in products but also in production processes.
- Innovation Culture: The company positions innovation and sustainability as core business drivers. They cultivate a work culture focused on training, empowerment, and employee recognition, thereby enhancing local workforce skills and meeting the strictest international standards.
- Industry Impact: VARD Vung Tau has helped raise Vietnam’s shipbuilding standards, contributing to regional competitiveness and sustainable growth.
Community Impact: Public Health As Corporate Responsibility
In the Nordics, social responsibility is not a marketing campaign but an essential part of the business model. This is clearly demonstrated by leading pharmaceutical companies.
AstraZeneca
Winner of the Community Impact category, AstraZeneca demonstrates long-term commitment to public health in Vietnam.
- Investment in Healthcare: AstraZeneca has heavily invested in R&D and funded numerous clinical studies to help Vietnamese patients access the latest medicines earlier, especially for non-communicable diseases. They work closely with the Ministry of Health to improve infrastructure, expand treatment access, and raise awareness of disease prevention.
- Climate and Health Action: Recognizing the close link between climate change and human health, AstraZeneca has committed $50 million to reforestation and landscape restoration projects in Vietnam. With a target of planting 22.5 million trees, this initiative supports Vietnam’s climate commitments and creates sustainable livelihoods for tens of thousands of households.
- Community Value: AstraZeneca shows that investing in public health and environmental protection are strategic investments that bring long-term benefits to both businesses and the nation.
Work The Nordic Way – Best Place To Work: People-Centered Work Culture
Transparency, fairness, diversity, and inclusion are pillars that allow Nordic companies to create the world’s most effective and humane workplaces.
Carlsberg Vietnam
Winner of the Work the Nordic Way – Best Place to Work category, Carlsberg Vietnam has become a benchmark workplace in Vietnam.
- “People First” Culture: Carlsberg has successfully created an environment where transparent communication, openness, and fairness are prioritized. They believe that when employees feel respected and empowered, productivity and engagement increase.
- Gender Equality in Practice: Over 40% of senior leadership positions at Carlsberg Vietnam are held by women. This is the result of comprehensive policies that break gender biases and expand opportunities for women.
- Labor Market Impact: By setting standards for fairness and inclusion, Carlsberg inspires other companies in Vietnam to adopt similar practices, contributing to a more sustainable and humane labor market.
Green Business Of The Year: Accelerating Clean Energy Transition
Environmental commitment is not just a rule but a competitive advantage. Nordic companies lead this race by deeply integrating sustainability into their value chains.
Hitachi Energy
Hitachi Energy was honored as Green Business of the Year for its essential role in strengthening Vietnam’s energy infrastructure.
- Renewable Energy Integration: Over more than three decades, Hitachi Energy has helped integrate over 30% renewable energy into the national grid. The inauguration of a modern transformer plant in Bac Ninh further reinforces this commitment, providing high-tech solutions to build a stronger, smarter, and greener grid.
- Ethical and Environmental Governance: The company ranks in the top 1% globally for sustainability and is among the top 10 sustainable FDI companies in Vietnam. They demonstrate that business growth and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.
- National Impact: Hitachi Energy plays a pivotal role in accelerating Vietnam’s clean energy transition, creating jobs and supporting communities while minimizing environmental impact.
Nordic Company Of The Year
The highest award, Nordic Company of the Year, recognizes the company with the greatest influence, voted by winners of other categories.
Vestas
Vestas won the top prize due to its global expertise and impressive impact in Vietnam’s wind energy sector.
- Creating Massive Impact: Vestas has installed a total capacity of 1.6 GW of wind power in Vietnam, providing clean, stable electricity to about 5 million households and helping the country avoid 3 million tons of CO₂ emissions annually.
- Knowledge Transfer: Vestas not only supplies turbines but also transfers expertise, operational technology, and people-centered work culture (as a finalist of the Work the Nordic Way category) to help Vietnam become a regional hub for renewable energy.
- Positioning Vietnam: Vestas has played a key role in putting Vietnam on the global renewable energy growth map, directly supporting the country’s energy security and sustainable development.
Conclusion
The stories of winners at the Nordic Business Awards 2025 prove that Nordic values are not just theory but a successful business strategy in Vietnam. These companies are redefining what a “good business” is: one that performs well for profit, people, and the planet.
This event offers over 250 leaders, professionals, students, and job seekers the opportunity to explore the Nordic philosophy of Transparent, Balanced, and Purposeful work. It is a place where employers and future talent meet, ready to embark on a sustainable growth journey.
The Nordic spirit continues to spread. It is not just a way to work but a way to build a better business future in Vietnam.
Vietnam Innovators Digest (VNID) is proud to be the Community Partner of NordCham Vietnam, bringing you the latest insights from the Work the Nordic Way and showcasing how Nordic values are shaping the future of business in Vietnam.
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