Dong Nai - a bright spot in attracting FDI investment

The ceremony to admit new members of the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce in Dong Nai in 2025. Photo: Ngoc Lien

Up to now, the whole province has nearly 2,200 FDI projects with a total registered investment capital of more than 41 billion USD. Investment projects in Dong Nai come from 46 countries and territories around the world such as: Korea, Japan, Taiwan (China), China... Many large enterprises and economic groups have invested in Dong Nai since the first days the province "opened" to attract investment such as: Cargill, Ajinomoto, Kao, Samsung, Amata, Vedan, Formosa, Nestlé...

"Cradle" of industrial park development in Vietnam

In the early 1990s, Dong Nai province stood out in attracting FDI with a massive wave of investment. Industrial parks (IPs) such as Bien Hoa 1, Bien Hoa 2, Amata... became attractive destinations for FDI enterprises. Along with the investment wave, Dong Nai welcomed a rapidly increasing number of immigrants to live and work, leading to strong development of services, gradually forming a bustling industrial "capital" of the country.

Dong Nai identified foreign economic relations as a dynamic and relatively effective development field in this period. After the National Assembly (VIII term) promulgated the Foreign Investment Law at the end of 1987, the province actively called for and supported domestic and foreign enterprises to invest in Dong Nai. Since 1991, the province has successfully promoted with Taiwanese investors under the name of Dong Nai - Taiwan Association, opening up investment directions for Dong Nai.

Coming to Dong Nai since the 1990s, General Director of Kien Dat Industrial Co., Ltd. Lin Shu Li (Long Binh Industrial Park, Long Binh Ward, Dong Nai Province) shared: At the invitation of a Taiwanese partner to cooperate, she came to Dong Nai in a completely unfamiliar state. At first, due to her young children, incomplete infrastructure in Dong Nai, and differences in language and culture, Ms. Li encountered many difficulties in accessing regulations, policies, and relationships in company management and operation.

Dong Nai strives to have a total product in the area (GRDP at current prices) of over 1.2 million billion VND by 2030; GRDP per capita of over 250 million VND. Industry and construction sectors increase by 60-64%; agriculture - forestry - fishery increase by about 5-7%; trade - services increase by 25-28%, the number of newly established enterprises in the province in the period of 2026-2030 is 36 thousand.

However, with the motto of considering employees as family members and always proactively training and supporting employees in their work, Ms. Li has gradually created a bond with employees. Currently, after more than 30 years of investment in Dong Nai, Kien Dat Company has always maintained stability and developed production and business activities, the relationship between company leaders and employees has always been preserved and developed better and better. In addition to running her own company, Ms. Li is currently Vice President of the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce in Dong Nai with 370 members. Taiwan is currently one of the three countries and territories with the largest investment capital in Dong Nai.

Industrial parks are concentrated, attracting many FDI enterprises to invest in the province, industry gradually becomes the main production sector, stimulates the development of agricultural production and contributes significantly to the change of the rural face in the province. The rapid growth rate of the industrial sector is the basis for the transformation of the industry structure in the gross domestic product (GDP) in the whole province. The proportion of added value of the industrial sector increased from 19% in 1990 to 36% in 1995. In particular, attracting FDI capital and private capital into industrial production has stimulated and better served agricultural production and rural construction. Notably, the food processing industry, beverage and tobacco production use raw materials mostly from agricultural production. Industry has developed quite steadily due to its high level and large consumer market.

Becoming the “cradle” of industrial park development in Vietnam, after nearly 40 years of attracting FDI, Dong Nai is still in the top of the country and has an important position in attracting FDI. Old enterprises regularly increase investment capital. New FDI enterprises prioritize choosing modern, environmentally friendly, less labor-intensive projects according to the general policy of the province and the Central Government.

Dong Nai on the journey of innovation

Dong Nai currently has nearly 70 thousand large and small enterprises in operation. Along with the potential for synchronous transport infrastructure development, the province continues to promote planning, promote cooperation, and attract FDI capital flows, especially high-quality capital flows. Currently, Dong Nai has 145 planned industrial parks and clusters with a total area of over 42 thousand hectares, of which 59 industrial parks, economic zones, high-tech zones and 17 industrial clusters have been established and leased over 8.7 thousand hectares, becoming one of the industrial centers of the country and achieving impressive results.

Comrade Thai Bao, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Committee and Comrade Nguyen Thi Hoang, Provincial Party Committee member, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Committee awarded investment registration certificates to enterprises in early 2025. Photo: Ngoc Lien

According to the assessment of investors in Dong Nai, foreign representative agencies in Vietnam and economic experts, Dong Nai is a bright spot in attracting FDI with a favorable location, traffic infrastructure as well as other public infrastructures that are planned and invested in strong development. FDI enterprises have made great contributions to the socio-economic development of the province as well as the whole country, including many large corporations in the world that have set up factories in Dong Nai such as: Lixil, SMC Manufacturing, Coherent, CP. Among them, many enterprises have invested for decades and are still continuing to develop in Dong Nai such as: Amata, CP of Thailand; Nestlé of the Netherlands; Coherent, Cargill of the United States; Hyosung of Korea...

Chairman of Amata Group Vikrom Kromadit said: In the journey of developing industrial parks in Dong Nai over the past 30 years, Amata has attracted many domestic and foreign investors, thereby contributing to the development of industrial parks for Dong Nai in particular and throughout the strategic economic regions spanning the North - Central - South of Vietnam.

According to the Chairman of Amata Group, the group always wants to bring smart industrial urban models to Vietnam. In the future, Amata Group in Vietnam will continue to invest and expand its operations even more, striving to achieve many successes in the future. Amata is committed to building projects according to the zero emission, zero wastewater, zero waste model.

Deputy Consul General of Korea in Ho Chi Minh City Kwon Tae Han commented: Korean enterprises are investing quite a lot in Dong Nai, making significant contributions to the socio-economic development of the province. With an important position in the Southern key economic region, when Long Thanh International Airport comes into operation, Dong Nai continues to hold an important position; at the same time, it increases its attractiveness to investors when the transportation system is connected and developed synchronously, promoting investment attraction and development.

"In the near future, we hope that Dong Nai province will provide more support to Korean enterprises in particular and other FDI enterprises investing in Dong Nai in general," said Mr. Kwon Tae Han.

To continue to be an attractive destination for FDI investors, the Deputy Consul General of Korea in Ho Chi Minh City hopes that Dong Nai province will actively disseminate new policies, regulations, and investment promotion conditions so that enterprises can understand and invest in the right direction. In addition, Dong Nai province needs to further enhance the proactive exchange and dissemination of the State's policies and laws for FDI enterprises; or sharing information and conditions on foreign investment for enterprises is also an important issue. Localities need to create more favorable conditions for investors in Dong Nai.

Accompanying FDI enterprises

In the years 2021-2025, the province's economic growth rate will reach over 7.1%/year. By 2025, the total product in the province will reach over 694 trillion VND, GRDP per capita will reach 153.7 million VND, equivalent to about 6 thousand USD. Industrial development policies are of interest. Dong Nai focuses on establishing ecological industrial zones and clusters. Selectively attracting investment, developing high-content industry, and processing agricultural products. Projects such as Long Thanh International Airport, expressways, and belt roads through Dong Nai, connecting with Ho Chi Minh City, the Southeast region and the Central Highlands have been started, helping to create new development momentum for the province.

However, besides the achieved results, Dong Nai still has some problems such as: economic growth is not really sustainable, economic structure transformation is still slow. Regional linkage mechanisms and policies, connecting infrastructure are not yet synchronized. Industry clusters have not been formed, the connection between industry - trade - services - agriculture is still not tight. Project scale is small, with little advanced technology; public investment disbursement has not met the plan. High-tech industries, services, tourism, logistics have not developed commensurate with their potential...

Dong Nai is ranked 4th in the country in attracting FDI. With the advantage of having a synchronously developed transport infrastructure in all 5 modes including: road, air, rail, sea and inland waterway, Dong Nai is promoting investment attraction, developing infrastructure of industrial parks and economic zones in the province; at the same time, connecting with the Long Thanh International Airport Project, creating convenience in travel, transactions and transport of goods.

From the achievements and limitations that have been frankly recognized and evaluated by the Provincial Party Committee, in the coming years, with the motto "Solidarity - Pioneering - Breakthrough - Integration - Development", the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee always upholds the spirit of solidarity, with potential, advantages and new development space, successfully implementing the target of double-digit economic growth. Aiming to build Dong Nai province to develop green, civilized, modern, and together with the whole country into a new era.

Specifically, implementing solutions in areas such as: shifting industrial structure towards ecology and high technology; developing food processing industries, mechanical industries serving agriculture; supporting industries, new technology industries, biotechnology. Improving the operational efficiency of existing industrial parks and clusters; investing in expanding and developing new industrial parks and clusters according to planning and encouraging the conversion of existing industrial parks into ecological industrial parks that are attractive to investors and large corporations.

In addition, Dong Nai promotes the development of the private economy, expands economic sectors, contributing to promoting double-digit economic growth. Creates a fair and transparent business environment to support the sustainable development of enterprises and economic sectors, and increases the attraction of foreign corporations with modern technology. Promotes the development of the private economy, exploits the potential and creativity of people and enterprises. Develops a team of entrepreneurs with ethics, business culture and patriotism, courage, intelligence, national pride and aspiration to contribute. Increases the attraction of foreign investment in high-tech industries with added value, promotes linkages, technology transfer, and management skills between FDI enterprises and domestic enterprises.

Comrade Vo Tan Duc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee affirmed: Dong Nai province is committed to always accompanying and creating favorable conditions for FDI investors to come and invest in Dong Nai. Dong Nai prioritizes attracting high-tech, advanced, environmentally friendly and less labor-intensive projects, aiming at the goal of sustainable, effective and long-term development.

Ngoc Lien

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/kinh-te/202509/ong-nai-diem-sang-trong-thu-hut-dau-tu-fdi-7050d2e/