Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has opened a new design and engineering office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and plans to expand the local team to more than 40 engineers in the coming years, MarineLink reported on 5 October 2026.
Vard, which is part of the Fincantieri group, announced the establishment of the Ho Chi Minh City office as a further step in broadening its global design capacity. The move was described in a MarineLink item dated 5 October 2026 and the report included the company plan to grow headcount in the city over time.
The new office has been presented as a Vard Design and Engineering facility, intended to provide engineering and design support to the wider organisation. Such offices commonly handle tasks ranging from detailed design packages and production documentation to systems integration and technical coordination, though the MarineLink summary does not list the office's precise remit.
Vard's integration within Fincantieri places the opening in the context of a larger shipbuilding group with international operations. The MarineLink report identifies Vard as part of the Fincantieri group but does not set out how the Ho Chi Minh City office will interact with other design centres or shipyards within the group.
Strategic workforce expansion
The company has signalled that it intends to grow the Vietnam-based team to more than 40 engineers in the coming years, an indication that the office will be staffed principally by technical personnel rather than administrative support. The plan to build an engineering workforce implies a focus on technical capacity that can contribute to Vard projects, but the report does not provide a timeline or recruitment milestones beyond the general statement of planned growth.
Regional implications
Establishing a design and engineering presence in Ho Chi Minh City is a material development for Vard's footprint in Asia, as it creates a localised resource for design work in the region. The MarineLink item does not elaborate on whether the office will serve specific vessel types or projects, nor does it identify clients or immediate contract work tied to the opening.
The report did not include further operational details, financial commitments, or statements from Vard management, so the immediate scope of activity at the office remains limited to what MarineLink summarised. Readers should note that further specifics about the office's functions, the pace of hiring, and how its output will be integrated into Vard's global programme were not included in the supplied summary.
Vard's decision to open a design and engineering office in Ho Chi Minh City was reported by MarineLink on 5 October 2026 and stands as the principal public detail available in the supplied account. The company plan to increase the headcount to more than 40 engineers in the coming years is the clearest commitment in that report and will be the primary benchmark for assessing the office's growth once updates are published.
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