The centre is the first foreign-invested project to be built and put into operation in the province's Thanh Ha Handicraft and Industrial Complex.

The Japanese Okiden Kioyo Group's Okinawa-Hoi An company, with a total investment capital of US$3.5 million, specialises in producing glassware and other traditional fine art products such as jewelry, embroidery, brocade, ceramics, musical instruments and marble sculptures.

The centre is expected to help maintain the Hoi An-Okinawa trademark in the international integration process and promote Hoi An as a fine art trademark in addition to a world cultural heritage site.

The company exported a container of fine art products in February and its first batch of glassware is expected to be shipped in September. The company plans to train 100 skilled workers for its production.