Can Tho accelerates industrial park development: Towards the industrial - energy center of the Mekong Delta region

(Chinhphu.vn) - In the context of the Mekong Delta region promoting industrialization and economic restructuring, Can Tho City has emerged as a locomotive with the orientation of building a system of modern and sustainable industrial parks (IPs) and export processing zones (EPZs), associated with digital transformation and green industry.

Can Tho City Party Secretary Le Quang Tung speaks at the meeting - Photo: VGP/LS

Can Tho 'industrial picture': Expanding scale, strong increase in investment capital

On the morning of October 27, Secretary of the Can Tho City Party Committee Le Quang Tung chaired a working session with the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee and leaders of the City People's Committee on the operation of export processing zones, industrial parks and energy projects.

According to Mr. Le Cong Ly , Head of the Management Board of Export Processing Zones and Industrial Parks of Can Tho City, as of October 2025, the City has established 13 industrial parks , 3 concentrated industrial clusters , 1 Song Hau Power Center and 1 Song Hau Industrial Park Management Center , with a total area of ​​3,036 hectares . In addition, the remaining 27 zones are in the process of planning , towards the period 2030-2050 .

Currently, Can Tho has 314 enterprises implementing 381 projects , with a total registered investment capital of 10.29 billion USD , of which the realized capital reaches 4,755.62 million USD , equivalent to 46.3% of the total registered capital - a figure that demonstrates the strong attraction of Can Tho in attracting industrial investment.

According to the planning period 2021-2030, vision 2050 , the Management Board is assigned to manage 41 industrial parks , 3 industrial clusters , 1 Song Hau Power Center , 1 Song Hau Industrial Park Operation Center (total area of ​​over 22,900 hectares ) and 1 Tran De Economic Zone of 40,000 hectares .

During the 2020-2025 period , enterprises in the industrial park created 658,767 billion VND in production value , 14.5 billion USD in export turnover , paid 22,800 billion VND to the budget and created more than 515,000 jobs - affirming the key role of the industrial sector in the city's economic structure.

Challenges: Lack of high-quality human resources and specific competitive mechanisms

According to the 9-month report of 2025, the industrial production value (at comparable prices) reached 71,148 billion VND , accounting for 22.82% of the total production value of the whole city. The export value reached about 1.6 billion USD , an increase of 14% over the same period in 2024.

Enterprises in the industrial parks contributed 3,079 billion VND to the budget ; Saigon Soc Trang Beer Company Limited alone paid 688 billion VND , Song Hau 1 Thermal Power Plant (PVN) paid 456 billion VND , and Hau Giang Pharmaceutical Company paid 438 billion VND . The total number of employees in the industrial parks is currently about 94,000 people , showing the strong recovery after the pandemic and the stable growth of Can Tho's industry.

Despite many positive results, Can Tho still faces major bottlenecks in industrial development. According to the Management Board of Export Processing Zones and Industrial Parks, the city lacks high-quality human resources , especially engineers and technology experts , leading to high costs and difficulty in expanding production.

In addition, the investment attraction policy mechanism is not different enough from other localities. Investment promotion activities are still fragmented , causing Can Tho to not attract "eagle" investors and not form a complete industrial ecosystem.

The Management Board of Can Tho Export Processing Zones and Industrial Parks also recommended that the City review industrial planning , focus on developing large industrial centers , prioritize investment in synchronous infrastructure and develop specific policies on land, compensation costs, and construction materials to increase competitiveness .

In particular, it is necessary to calculate appropriate land rental prices , speed up site clearance while still ensuring resettlement and livelihoods for people, a key factor for large-scale industrial projects to be deployed simultaneously in the 2026-2030 period.

Can Tho lacks high-quality human resources, especially engineers and technology experts - Photo: VGP/LS

Strategic breakthrough: Towards green industry, automation and digital transformation

Can Tho has identified a new direction for industry, shifting from a model using a lot of cheap labor to applying high technology and automation , both saving land and improving productivity.

The city aims to develop renewable energy , green industry - circulation - emission reduction , while promoting digital transformation and smart governance in industrial parks . The Management Board recommends increasing the capacity of the Investment Promotion Center of Can Tho City , closely coordinating with departments and branches to attract high-tech industrial projects and strategic FDI enterprises .

Regarding specific mechanisms , the City needs to advise on building specific policies on investment and development of economic zones and free trade zones to pave the way for attracting large-scale investment in the future.

Secretary Le Quang Tung: 'We must turn industrial parks into a driving force for economic restructuring'

Concluding the meeting, Secretary of the City Party Committee Le Quang Tung emphasized: Developing industrial parks, export processing zones and industrial clusters is an urgent requirement in the economic restructuring of Can Tho. This must be the driving force for growth, contributing to improving people's lives.

He requested the authorities to build synchronous digital data for each industrial park and export processing zone , deploy an online management system , serve planning and attract investors more effectively . At the same time, it is necessary to promote attracting large domestic and foreign investors , especially high-tech and clean energy corporations, such as PVN Group, to form modern industrial clusters, hire large consultants to systematically and modernly plan the Tran De coastal economic zone and other key areas.

The Secretary of the Can Tho City Party Committee also emphasized the issuance of policies to attract large investors , associated with strong decentralization to local authorities , to speed up the settlement of procedures, land and infrastructure investment, creating a flexible and favorable environment for businesses.

In particular, he emphasized the role of large energy projects, such as the Hau River Energy Center , considering it a "billion-dollar project" that can create a growth breakthrough for the City , while ensuring national and regional energy security .

"These key projects, when completed, will generate large revenues for the budget. Therefore, we need the highest support from all levels and sectors to speed up progress," Mr. Le Quang Tung emphasized.

Can Tho is entering a new phase of industrialization , with the vision of building an industrial - energy - high-tech center of the Mekong Delta . The strong shift to green industry, automation and digital transformation , along with a special investment attraction policy , will be the lever to help the City break through , creating sustainable growth and spillover value for the entire Southwest region.

Le Son

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/can-tho-tang-toc-phat-trien-khu-cong-nghiep-huong-toi-trung-tam-cong-nghiep-nang-luong-vung-dbscl-102251027135947371.htm