Growth drivers from the FDI sector.

The economic landscape of Thai Nguyen in recent years shows that the foreign direct investment (FDI) sector is increasingly asserting its pivotal role. Not only does it contribute significantly in terms of scale, but the FDI sector also plays a leading role in industrial growth, exports, and promoting economic restructuring. In the context of a slow global economic recovery and increasingly fierce competition for investment, Thai Nguyen's ability to maintain relatively strong growth and solidify its position as one of the region's major industrial centers demonstrates the clear impact of this economic sector.

The economic landscape of Thai Nguyen in recent years shows that the foreign direct investment (FDI) sector is increasingly asserting its pivotal role. Not only does it contribute significantly in terms of scale, but the FDI sector also plays a leading role in industrial growth, exports, and promoting economic restructuring... Photo: TL

Growth pillars are linked to key industrial zones.

In 2025, the value of industrial production in Thai Nguyen province is estimated to reach VND 1,058,000 billion, an increase of 6.37% compared to the previous year. In the overall structure, the FDI sector plays a leading role, accounting for nearly 93% of the total production volume. Export turnover is estimated at USD 29.9 billion, an increase of approximately 9%, placing Thai Nguyen among the top 5 localities nationwide, with the FDI sector contributing about 97%. These indicators clearly reflect the crucial role of the FDI sector in the province's industrial growth and international economic integration process.

The role of the FDI sector is clearly demonstrated in the growth structure and development dynamics of the local economy, closely linked to the formation and development of key industrial parks.

Leveraging its advantageous geographical location, convenient transportation infrastructure, and increasingly open investment environment, Thai Nguyen has formed distinct industrial growth centers in its industrial parks. Currently, the province has 19 approved industrial parks with a total planned area of ​​over 6,400 hectares, of which 12 have been established and 6 are operational. Production activities in the Yen Binh and Diem Thuy Industrial Parks (Zone A) are stable and continue to expand.

Trina Solar Cell Co., Ltd. (Yen Binh Industrial Park) specializes in manufacturing photovoltaic panels (solar panels) with a production capacity of 560 million panels per year. Photo: Provided

Yen Binh Industrial Park has been identified as the province's investment attraction hub, boasting a 100% occupancy rate and concentrating many large-scale projects in the electronics and telecommunications sectors. Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien, Deputy General Director of Yen Binh Investment and Development Joint Stock Company, stated: The industrial park currently houses 48 FDI projects with a total registered capital of over US$8.9 billion. Businesses maintain stable operations, and many projects continue to expand, making a significant contribution to the province's industrial production value and export turnover.

From a business perspective, Mr. Wu Zou Jiang, Director of DBG Technology Vietnam Co., Ltd., stated: "In 2025, the number of orders and output of the company are expected to triple compared to the previous year. The company highly values ​​the market prospects and continues to pursue investment expansion in Thai Nguyen."

Along with Yen Binh, Diem Thuy Industrial Park is emerging as an attractive destination for investors from Japan, South Korea, and China in the fields of supporting industries, precision mechanics, and electronic components. A satellite business ecosystem and supply chain are gradually being formed, creating a foundation for in-depth production development.

Diem Thuy Industrial Park attracts many FDI enterprises that invest in and develop production with high efficiency. Photo: Provided

Currently employing around 1,000 workers, KSD Vina Co., Ltd. - a South Korean-invested enterprise located in Diem Thuy Industrial Park - has a positive assessment of the province's investment environment. Mr. You In Ho, Deputy Director of KSD Vina Co., Ltd., stated: "The provincial government and the Industrial Park Management Board always provide timely support in resolving procedures and arising issues, creating favorable conditions for businesses to confidently produce, conduct business, and expand long-term investments."

Amidst the trend of global supply chains being restructured towards greater flexibility and sustainability, many FDI enterprises in Thai Nguyen continue to express optimism about market prospects. Mr. Kaoru Ogane, General Director of Mani Hanoi Company, said: The company aims to increase revenue and profit by approximately 5%, and production by 10% in 2026.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Doan Nhu Hai, General Director of KD Heat Technology Thai Nguyen Co., Ltd., affirmed: A stable investment environment, abundant human resources, and reasonable costs are important factors for businesses to feel secure and committed to the locality in the long term...

Electronic component manufacturing at KSD Vina Co., Ltd., a company with 100% South Korean investment. Photo: Provided.

The quality challenge in the new development phase

While in the previous phase, Thai Nguyen was recognized as an industrial production hub, in the new development phase, the requirement is no longer to expand the scale but to focus on the quality and depth of foreign direct investment (FDI). With FDI accounting for over 90% of industrial production value and almost all of the province's export turnover, the central issue is not how many projects to attract, but rather selecting those projects that have the potential to lead the industrial structure in the medium and long term.

This orientation was clearly demonstrated at the Thai Nguyen Province Investment Promotion Conference 2026, held on January 5th with the theme "Thai Nguyen: A Hub for Connection - Creating Prosperity". The event marked a shift in development thinking, from attracting investment broadly to selecting strategic investors, prioritizing high technology, green industries, and high added value.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises in the province account for a large proportion of the total export turnover of over 30 billion USD/year. Photo: Provided.

At the conference, Thai Nguyen province awarded investment certificates and commitments to 31 projects, including 8 FDI projects with a total capital of over 1.5 billion USD and 23 domestic projects with a total capital of nearly 2.9 billion USD. The total scale of investment capital and committed expansion reached nearly 4.4 billion USD. The significance of these figures lies not only in the total amount of capital mobilized, but more importantly in the qualitative shift in the structure of capital flows that the province is proactively choosing.

Speaking at the conference, Comrade Vuong Quoc Tuan, Alternate Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, affirmed that Thai Nguyen is steadfast in building a proactive, action-oriented, and service-oriented government, using business satisfaction as a measure of governance effectiveness. The province is simultaneously implementing key infrastructure projects and accelerating administrative procedure reforms under the green channel mechanism, aiming to build a transparent, stable, safe, and convenient investment environment. This approach shows that Thai Nguyen does not focus on attracting investment through potential, but rather on governance capacity and institutional quality.

Thai Nguyen Customs officials survey the operational situation to support the export procedures at a foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprise. Photo: Provided.

At the macro level, Comrade Nguyen Hoa Binh, Member of the Political Bureau and Standing Deputy Prime Minister, assessed that Thai Nguyen is a safe and attractive investment destination with sufficient room for strong breakthroughs in the coming period, and has the basis to soon realize the goal of becoming a modern industrial center of the northern midland and mountainous region. The consensus from the Central Government and the clear commitment to action from the locality have created a new guiding framework for the province's FDI strategy.

From the perspective of industrial park management, Mr. Pham Manh Hung, Deputy Head of the Provincial Industrial Parks Management Board, said: Thai Nguyen will prioritize attracting projects with modern technology, high added value, environmental friendliness, linked to the development of supporting industries and increasing the localization rate. The overarching principle is not to attract investment at all costs, but to select projects that make a substantial contribution to the budget and create a ripple effect in technology, management, and human resources...

In practice, FDI has contributed to shaping production methods, labor discipline, and industrial management standards in the province. However, as FDI continues to play a dominant role, the requirement is to strengthen linkages with domestic enterprises, gradually integrating domestic businesses more deeply into the supply chain, thereby retaining greater added value in the local economy.

To date, Thai Nguyen province has 244 active FDI projects with a total registered capital of over US$11.38 billion. In 2025 alone, 25 new projects are expected to be approved with a total registered capital of approximately US$200 million. While the additional capital has not resulted in a sudden surge, FDI flows into Thai Nguyen remain stable and show a clearer trend towards selective investment, focusing on processing, manufacturing, electronics, and supporting industries, aligning with the province's in-depth industrial development orientation.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202601/dong-luc-tang-truong-tu-khu-vuc-fdi-1ac6e63/