Key industries are transforming to lead the capital's economy.

Key industrial products facing new challenges and demands.

Currently, Hanoi 's key industrial sectors generate revenue of approximately 200,000-220,000 billion VND per year, with export turnover reaching nearly 2 billion USD. The growth rate of this group is 1.3-1.7 times higher than the average, playing a crucial role in driving the city's industrial growth.

*The strong growth of the processing and manufacturing sector continues to play a leading role in Hanoi's industrial landscape. (Illustrative image)*

Hanoi's key industries are creating jobs for approximately 80,000 direct workers and serving as a "practical training ground" for engineering students. Many key industrial products have joined the supply chains of Japan, South Korea, the EU, and the US, meeting international standards such as CE, RoHS, and ISO 13485, gradually enhancing the status of "Made in Hanoi" products.

During the period 2018-2025, many businesses boldly invested in CNC, robotics, and MES/ERP, gradually participating in global supply chains. However, the overall picture still has many limitations: automation remains low among small and medium-sized enterprises, the localization rate only reaches 10-30%, there is a lack of supply chain linkages, a lack of specialized industry clusters, and especially a shortage of high-quality engineers and technical workers.

Entering the 2026-2030 period, ESG, CBAM, and supply chain transparency standards will become mandatory "passports." Smart manufacturing and the application of AI, IoT, and next-generation MES/ERP will no longer be options but standards. Meanwhile, the majority of businesses in Hanoi are only at level 1.0-2.0, requiring rapid and significant upgrades.

Along with this comes increasingly fierce competition for human resources. It is projected that Hanoi will face a shortage of 8,000-10,000 engineers each year, while FDI enterprises are increasingly attracting highly skilled technical workers, posing a major challenge for the domestic business sector.

Orientation towards enhancing the competitiveness of key products.

According to Mr. Nguyen Cong Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi Association of Key Industrial Products Manufacturers (HAMI), three major trends—restructuring global supply chains; technological transformation and smart manufacturing; and sustainable development requirements such as ESG (environment, social, and governance) and CBAM (Carbon Border Amity Management Mechanism)—are profoundly impacting the industrial sector in general and key product groups in particular.

To enhance competitiveness, during the 2026-2030 period, Hanoi needs to prioritize the development of high-tech industries such as precision mechanics, electronic components, semiconductors - integrated circuits, high-tech pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and new materials; thereby creating a technology spillover effect, improving the quality of growth and expanding integration.

In addition, industrial spaces should be developed in the form of clusters, corridors, and high-tech zones, linked with R&D centers, shared laboratories, and innovation centers, in order to shorten product innovation cycles and attract high-tech capital.

Key industrial products need to be positioned with four core roles: selecting technology-leading enterprises; directing high-quality capital flows; standardizing the industry value chain; and linking production, research and development (R&D), digital transformation, and green growth.

Adjusting criteria, creating genuine incentives.

In 2025, Hanoi had 35 products from 28 businesses honored as key industrial products, with 10 products recognized in the Top 10. The total revenue of these businesses reached approximately 59,000 billion VND, with 11 businesses having revenue exceeding 1,000 billion VND; many businesses are among the Top 500 largest private enterprises in Vietnam and possess national brands.

Overall, during the period 2018-2025, 199 products from 107 enterprises were recognized as key industrial products. This force is increasingly affirming its pioneering role, as a pillar and driving force for the development of Hanoi's industry.

Towards the vision of Hanoi becoming a regional high-tech industrial hub by 2045, many opinions suggest adjusting the criteria for key industrial products towards quantifying technological capabilities, including the level of automation, robotics, IoT, MES/ERP; R&D capabilities, intellectual property; participation in international supply chains; localization rate and ESG compliance. Key industrial products should not only be considered a prestigious title, but also a strategic tool for regulating and guiding the industrial development of the capital city.

At the same time, it is necessary to be flexible with revenue criteria to suit high-tech, semiconductor, and deeptech businesses; link the criteria with tangible incentives in terms of capital, land, public procurement, and international promotion; and implement a co-financing mechanism for digital transformation and R&D.

According to Hanoi Statistics, in the first 11 months of 2025, the city's industrial production index increased by 7.0% compared to the same period in 2024. Specifically, manufacturing increased by 7.2%; water supply and waste treatment increased by 6.7%; electricity production and distribution increased by 5.4%; and mining decreased by 1.6%. The strong growth of the manufacturing sector continues to play a leading role in Hanoi's industrial landscape, demonstrating a clear recovery and development in production and consumption.

The development of industry in general, and key industries in the capital city in particular, has been and continues to be a top priority for all levels and sectors, from the central government to the city. Based on the Politburo 's resolutions, the Hanoi People's Committee has issued a plan for the development of key industrial products in Hanoi until 2020, with a vision to 2025. The Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade is currently advising on and developing a plan for the development of key industrial products until 2030, with a vision to 2045.

The Hanoi City Key Industrial Product Development Project aims to develop industrial products with high competitiveness, large and stable growth rates, in line with market trends, while also being linked to sustainable development and environmental protection, ensuring alignment with the socio-economic development strategy of the Capital City.

Key industrial products are a crucial pillar of Hanoi's industrial strategy. The period 2026–2030 presents significant opportunities but also more stringent requirements. With the right direction and the efforts of businesses, Hanoi could become a regional high-tech industrial hub by 2045.

With an increasingly完善 policy framework, the support of associations, and the transformation efforts of businesses, key industrial products continue to be a strategic pillar in enhancing Hanoi's industrial competitiveness, creating momentum for the capital to realize its goal of becoming a high-tech industrial center of the region by 2045.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/cong-nghiep-chu-luc-chuyen-minh-de-dan-dat-kinh-te-thu-do-434606.html