Seville, the capital of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, has a population of nearly 700,000 and serves as one of southern Spain's leading centres for economic activity, higher education, and the aerospace industry. The city's economy is underpinned by a highly competitive ecosystem encompassing services, tourism, and creative industries, supported by a strategic approach to positioning Seville as an attractive destination for businesses operating in high value-added sectors. Seville's key economic strengths include high-tech agriculture, agri-food processing, science and technology, and renewable energy. In recent years, the city has increasingly established itself as a knowledge-based and innovation-driven metropolis, successfully integrating the preservation of its rich cultural heritage with the development of a dynamic innovation ecosystem that supports digital transformation and sustainable economic growth.
Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc calls on Spain to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in key sectors such as railways, high technology, and human resource training. - Photo: Government News
Over the years, cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Seville has continued to expand in both scope and substance, evolving beyond traditional cultural exchanges and academic cooperation toward stronger collaboration in the knowledge economy and high-value industries. Since the establishment of the Friendship and Cooperation Agreement, the bilateral partnership has achieved a number of meaningful milestones, providing a solid foundation for more practical and results-oriented cooperation. Within the broader framework of Viet Nam–Spain relations, high-level exchanges and national cooperation agendas have created favourable conditions for both sides to translate memoranda of understanding into practical initiatives. These efforts have enabled Ho Chi Minh City to exchange experience with Seville in areas such as climate-resilient smart agriculture, food biotechnology, and clean energy solutions for sustainable urban development, while fostering broader cooperation in innovation, technology, and knowledge sharing.
Looking ahead, particularly within the framework of the 3rd Ho Chi Minh City Friendship Dialogue (FD 2026), Ho Chi Minh City seeks to further expand cooperation with Seville and encourage foreign direct investment (FDI), technology transfer, and the sharing of governance expertise in the following five priority areas:
1. Cultural Tourism and the Heritage Economy: Promote cooperation in heritage conservation, smart management of historic urban assets, the organization of large-scale cultural festivals, and the development of high-value cultural tourism products.
2. Creative Industries, Events and Design: Strengthen collaboration in international conference and exhibition services, cultural and artistic events, multimedia communications, creative design, and the development of digital creative spaces.
3. Aerospace Industry and High-Tech Services: Explore opportunities to attract enterprises from Seville to participate in industrial supply chains, promote advanced technical training, and facilitate the transfer of aerospace technologies and high-tech solutions.
4. Renewable Energy and Sustainable Manufacturing Innovation: Leverage Andalusia's strengths in renewable energy to foster cooperation in clean energy solutions, circular economy technologies, eco-industrial innovation, and sustainable manufacturing practices in support of green growth.
5. People-to-People Exchanges, Education and Gastronomy: Promote student and academic exchange programmes, institutional partnerships in higher education, and cultural and culinary events to strengthen friendship and deepen mutual understanding between the two cities.