TPS Energy Takes Centre Stage at Meet Australia 2026

When up to 200 Australian companies flew into Ho Chi Minh City last week for Meet Australia 2026, one small but fast-growing Tasmanian firm had a seat right at the top table. TPS Energy Australia's Chairman and Managing Director, Dr. Tien Ho, was invited to speak on the event's headline energy panel — sharing the stage with Australia's Consul General and leaders from some of the region's biggest engineering and power companies.

The three-day mission, co-hosted by Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, is the largest bilateral business programme between the two countries since they upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2024. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong, Ho Chi Minh City Standing Vice Chairman Nguyen Loc Ha, and Australian Ambassador Gillian Bird opened proceedings at the Binh Duong Convention and Exhibition Centre, setting the tone for hundreds of deals and discussions across trade, green energy, and workforce development.

The highlight of TPS Energy's participation came during the panel Australia–Vietnam Partnerships in Energy Transition and the Green Economy, moderated by Ms Kate Hardwick, APAC Advisory Lead at Arup. Dr. Ho joined Ms Kate Wallace (Australian Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City), Mr Bill Giannikos (Aurecon Group), and Mr Nguyen Ly Trung (BV Power) to identify practical cooperation models, investment opportunities, technical innovation, and policy solutions to accelerate Vietnam's progress toward its net-zero emissions target by 2050.

Dr. Ho's contribution centred on one of the most urgent questions facing Vietnam's energy sector: the country has moved beyond simply adding renewable generation — the real challenge now is integrating that renewable power reliably into a national system growing at breakneck speed. Drawing on his Australian experience, Dr. Ho shared a key lesson Vietnam should adopt early in its transition, as well as a hard-won Australian challenge the country would be wise to avoid as it charts its own path forward.

He also addressed the practical groundwork needed to make green energy work at utility scale. From technology selection and project financing to day-to-day operations and integration with existing infrastructure, Dr. Ho outlined what it takes to move renewable energy from ambition to delivery — a perspective shaped by TPS Energy Australia's hands-on experience in transmission systems, and in designing and executing electrical systems for renewable energy projects.

While the panels made headlines, much of the real work happened at the B2B matching tables. The TPS Energy delegation — Dr. Tien Ho, David Barwick, and Logan Ho — met with Vietnamese enterprises and energy stakeholders, exploring partnerships across the company's full range of services: solar energy, waste-to-energy, electrical design consultancy, installation and commissioning, and technical strategy consulting.

Meet Australia 2026 may have wrapped up, but for TPS Energy the work is just getting started. With new relationships forged, fresh insights exchanged, and a growing reputation on both sides of the partnership, the Hobart-based firm is proving that you don't have to be the biggest company in the room to make the biggest impression.