Developing smart and eco-industrial parks

Dong Nai is a key locality in Vietnam for industrial park (IP) development. Drawing on practical experience gained over many years of developing IPs and attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and domestic projects, Dong Nai has gradually shifted its approach to building and developing its industrial sector in recent years.

Long Thanh high-tech IP is gradually attracting investors with modern technologies.

Building green and eco-industrial parks (EIPs), while minimizing environmental emissions, is a direction Dong Nai will strongly promote in the coming period.

Lessons from IP infrastructure enterprises

Amata IP is a typical example of the transition toward an eco-industrial park model in Dong Nai and across Vietnam. In 2020, it was selected by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (now the Ministry of Finance) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to participate in the pilot project to develop the eco-industrial park model.

Amata Corporation has operated in Vietnam for 30 years and currently runs three industrial parks. According to Pham Anh Tuan, Senior Manager of Water and Environmental Management at Amata Bien Hoa Urban Joint Stock Company, sustainable development and the circular economy bring significant economic and environmental benefits. The development of eco-industrial parks aims to increase water recirculation rates and improve performance indicators for industrial parks.

According to Tuan, industrial parks are facing growing pressure from both customers and investors to provide clean energy, ensure low-carbon indices, and supply recycled water. In addition, when listed on the stock exchange, enterprises are required to report sustainable development indicators to meet the increasingly high expectations of investors focused on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors.

International experience shows that the economic, environmental, and social benefits generated by EIPs vary widely and far exceed those of conventional business models. These benefits are not only commercial but also strategic, helping to reduce risks, enhance competitiveness, expand business, maintain continuous production, and strengthen cooperation with stakeholders. EIPs enable companies to benefit from collaboration and exchanges within enterprises (among management, technical and environmental staff, finance departments...) as well as between enterprises, service providers and local authorities. Environmental awareness is widely shared, turning environmental issues into business solutions by using resources more efficiently and rationally through shared infrastructure.

In practice, the tangible benefits of sustainable development and the circular economy have been clearly demonstrated. Amata IP is building industrial symbiosis models that deliver distinct environmental and economic advantages while meeting export requirements of international markets.

To achieve high standards, Amata IP closely follows four groups of criteria for EIP recognition: park management, environment, social community, and economy, with support from the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme. To date, Amata IP has met 86 percent of the criteria under the international framework and could reach 97 percent. Building on this success, Amata Corporation is replicating EIP standards at Long Thanh high-tech IP, covering more than 410 hectares, as well as at other locations in Vietnam.

Electronic Tripod Vietnam Co., Ltd (Bien Hoa 2 IP) specializes in manufacturing printed circuit boards for the semiconductor industry.

Similarly, after more than 12 years of operation, Long Duc IP, covering 282 hectares, has attracted more than 70 projects with a total registered investment capital of nearly US$2 billion. The industrial park has been equipped with modern infrastructure and prioritizes high-tech projects, supporting industrial production and environmentally friendly manufacturing, in line with eco-oriented, green development.

According to Ishii Hiroyuki, General Director of Long Duc Investment Co., Ltd., the developer of Long Duc IP, the park currently meets 15 of the government’s 22 criteria for EIPs. The enterprise is continuing to finalize documentation, add infrastructure, and promote industrial symbiosis linkages to obtain EIP certification soon. Long Duc aims to become a pioneer in investment in the green transformation of industrial park infrastructure in Dong Nai.

Accelerating the transformation of IP model

In the 2025-2030 period, Dong Nai aims to become a leading province in industrial development and a center for supporting industries in the Southern Key Economic Region. At the same time, it will accelerate the completion of infrastructure for innovation centers, research and development hubs, and modern vocational training centers at both regional and national levels, laying the initial foundation for an Industry 4.0 industrial ecosystem in the province.

By 2050, Dong Nai will be a national and regional hub for supporting industries, with key components including specialized and high-tech industrial parks; diverse industrial support services; R&D centers and science parks; and a strong system of vocational education and innovation centers.

With its strategic geographical location and convenient connectivity to major economic centers, seaports, and airports, Dong Nai has become an increasingly attractive destination for both domestic and foreign investors. The review, adjustment, and completion of planning for industrial parks, economic zones, and high-tech parks over the past few years not only meet local industrial development requirements but also reflect a long-term vision aligned with regional and national development strategies.

According to the Dong Nai Economic and Industrial Zones Authority (DEIZA), practical experience demonstrates the need to adjust planning to align with modern industrial development requirements. Most existing IPs were formed in the early stages of industrialization and are multi-sector parks with relatively modest value-added contributions. Therefore, in the coming period, the province needs to boldly shift toward new-generation models such as IP–urban–service complexes, EIPs, specialized IPs, and high-tech IPs. This model enables close integration between production and urban spaces, contributing to land savings, synchronized infrastructure development, improved living standards for workers, and higher industrial added value.

Several large-scale IPs of over 1,000 hectares, such as Bau Can - Tan Hiep and Xuan Que - Song Nhan, have been proposed for development under the IP–urban–service model to ensure harmony between production, residential life, and commercial services. IPs located in the provincial core area will be evaluated and selected for development toward specialization, high technology, or eco-orientation, depending on locational advantages and sectoral strengths.

Adjusting and updating the planning framework not only helps define the province’s industrial development space more clearly but also provides an essential legal basis for implementing investment-attracting policies, developing infrastructure, and using land efficiently and sustainably. In the near future, the DEIZA will continue to strengthen coordination with departments, sectors, and localities to complete planning databases, moving toward building a geographic information system (GIS) dataset for the province’s industrial parks and economic zones. This endeavor will serve as a foundation for digital transformation in state management, support enterprises and investors in looking up information, and enhance the effectiveness of management and planning supervision.

Amata Corporation aims to become a leading developer of eco-friendly, green, and modern IPs in Dong Nai and Vietnam.

Encouraging enterprises to reduce emissions

Alongside transforming industrial park models, Dong Nai also encourages enterprises to adopt green technologies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Lam of Lac Hong University, enterprises need to shift toward low-emission production and apply high-tech, green, and clean technologies. This undertaking is a complex task because most IPs in Dong Nai are already fully occupied by enterprises using outdated technologies. Therefore, the shift toward high-tech production should be mandated for each enterprise. Innovation should be considered as a driving force that helps enterprises upgrade products or develop new ones, thereby strengthening competitiveness. Local authorities, he suggested, should incorporate these criteria into the review of investment registration, renewals, dissolution, and enterprise support mechanisms.

At Electronic Tripod Vietnam Co., Ltd in Bien Hoa 2 IP, which manufactures printed circuit boards for the semiconductor industry, technology application in production has been prioritized. Since early 2023, the company has begun shifting production technology and reorienting its product portfolio from low-layer circuit boards to high-end, multi-layer boards used in high-tech fields such as servers and notebooks. The enterprise has invested tens of millions of US dollars in this transformation, focusing on automating production lines. The board loading and unloading systems are now automatically controlled by robotic arms, replacing previous manual labor.

IPs play a crucial role in Dong Nai’s economic growth. In the future, the province will develop its industrial sector with a core focus on attracting strategic, next-generation investors, filling existing IPs, and continuing to draw investment into potential IPs, while prioritizing high-tech industries, green industries, and supporting industries. Close partnership and cooperation between local authorities and enterprises will help Dong Nai achieve its dual objectives: maintaining its position as a key industrial growth pole while pioneering efforts to fulfill the province's and the country's net-zero commitments.

Nguyen Kim Long, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee.

At the provincial level, in early 2024, the Provincial People’s Committee issued the Carbon Emission Reduction Plan for Dong Nai Province for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050. Accordingly, seven key sectors are prioritized for emission reduction: energy; transport; industry; environment; agriculture, forestry, and land use; construction and materials; and urban areas. The province will develop policies to support a low-carbon economy, promote technological transformation and green production and consumption models, and raise community awareness and action.

According to Pham Viet Phuong, Deputy Head in charge of the DEIZA, the manufacturing industry is one of the seven priority sectors for emission reduction under the provincial carbon reduction plan, aiming to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. This objective is not only an environmental target but also a “key” to enhancing competitiveness and meeting the “greening” requirements of global supply chains.

By Vuong The – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho