Danish tug operator Svitzer is looking for Vietnamese shipyards to build electric tugboats. The move could create new green‑maritime jobs for young people in Vietnam.

Svitzer’s technical director Jakob Diemer said the company is surveying Vietnamese shipyards because Vietnam already has strong shipbuilding capabilities, large manufacturing capacity and a growing port network. These strengths make Vietnam a suitable partner for both electric and conventional tugboat projects.

The cooperation could let Vietnamese businesses supply electrical equipment, control systems and related services. It would also give local professionals hands‑on experience on green‑technology vessels, which is exactly the kind of skill‑building Svitzer wants to support.

Svitzer hopes to go beyond building tugboats and later offer tugboat services in Vietnam, especially with electric models. However, Diemer warned that high initial investment and the current lack of charging infrastructure at ports are major challenges. The partnership fits into a wider Denmark‑Vietnam programme that aims at technology transfer, green maritime workforce development and mutual economic benefit.

According to Dang Thi Que, a business growth partner at Svitzer, practical cooperation projects can give young Vietnamese professionals more chances to learn, gain experience and develop expertise in many maritime roles, not only technical ones. In short, the Danish‑Vietnamese electric tugboat collaboration could open new career and business opportunities for Vietnam’s youth in the growing green maritime sector.