Expanding collaboration between Vietnamese enterprises and FDI companies

As one of Vietnam's leading destinations for foreign direct investment (FDI), Dong Nai is entering a new phase of development following the issuance of Politburo Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW, dated June 8, 2026, on the development of the foreign-invested economic sector.

Products from Diep Nam Phuong Investment Joint Stock Company were displayed at the 2025 Vietnam-Japan Business Networking Conference, hosted by the Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee (now the Dong Nai City People's Committee). Photo: Vuong The

The resolution not only seeks to attract high-quality investment but also stresses the need to strengthen linkages between domestic enterprises and FDI companies, promote technology transfer, raise localization rates, and develop a sustainable manufacturing ecosystem. This is also a challenge that Dong Nai must address more vigorously if it is to enhance the added value and competitiveness of its industrial sector.

Strengthening business linkages

After decades of attracting foreign investment, Dong Nai now hosts more than 2,200 FDI projects from dozens of countries and territories, with a combined registered capital exceeding USD45 billion, placing it among Vietnam's largest FDI destinations.

The foreign-invested sector accounts for more than 70% of the city's export turnover, provides jobs for hundreds of thousands of workers, and remains a major driver of local economic growth.

Despite these impressive achievements, however, cooperation between FDI enterprises and domestic businesses has yet to reach its full potential.

Under Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW, Vietnam will shift from an investment strategy of "attracting investment at all costs" to one of selective investment attraction, prioritizing projects in high technology, innovation, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and the green economy. The resolution also calls on FDI enterprises to strengthen partnerships with Vietnamese companies and support their participation in global value chains.

One important initiative is the development of a digital database to support industry enterprises, providing up-to-date information on each company's capabilities by sector. Such a database would enable multinational corporations to identify qualified domestic suppliers more efficiently, reduce supplier search costs, and increase localization rates across industrial sectors.

For Dong Nai, this strategy is particularly significant as the city aims to become a high-tech industrial hub in the Southeast region, supported by Long Thanh International Airport and a modern logistics network.

Currently, Dong Nai has around 1,000 supporting-industry enterprises, many of which have gradually invested in expanding production capacity and developing business strategies to supply products to foreign-invested manufacturers. According to Nguyen Nhat Huy, General Director of Numatec Vietnam Joint Stock Company in An Phuoc Industrial Park, the company has steadily expanded cooperation with foreign-invested partners throughout Dong Nai and neighboring provinces. He expressed hope that government agencies would continue to serve as a bridge to help domestic enterprises upgrade their production capabilities and better meet the requirements of FDI partners, particularly Japanese investors.

Nevertheless, many Vietnamese companies remain small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with relatively few capable of becoming long-term suppliers to major multinational corporations. Many continue to face challenges related to investment capital for technological upgrades, management capacity, compliance with international quality standards, and the availability of highly skilled technical workers. These limitations have reduced the spillover benefits expected from the FDI sector.

Building a collaborative industrial ecosystem

According to economic experts, sustainable cooperation between FDI enterprises and Vietnamese companies cannot be achieved solely through business matching events. Instead, it requires developing a comprehensive industrial ecosystem.

Beyond investment size and technology, new FDI projects should also be evaluated based on their commitment to sourcing from domestic suppliers, transferring technology, training local workers, and helping Vietnamese enterprises improve their manufacturing capabilities.

Supporting industry products from Dong Nai showcased at a Vietnam-Japan business networking program organized by the City People's Committee. Photo: Vuong The

For many years, Dong Nai has implemented the model of the Dong Nai Supporting Industry Promotion Coordination Team, which has played an important role in connecting Vietnamese enterprises with Japanese partners and gradually strengthening the supporting-industry supply chain. According to Nguyen Huu Duc, Deputy Head of the Coordinator Team, every enterprise surveyed represents an essential link in completing the industrial supply chain. The team's guiding principle is to create genuine business value through practical connections rather than symbolic networking activities.

For Vietnamese enterprises, enhancing competitiveness remains the central challenge. Domestic manufacturers must continue investing in technological modernization if they are to participate more deeply in global supply chains. According to Nguyen Huu That, General Director of Diep Nam Phuong Investment Joint Stock Company in Loc  An–Binh Son Industrial Park, the company has invested tens of billions of VND in constructing a modern factory and upgrading its machinery, enabling it to confidently meet the stringent quality requirements of international customers.

Creating symbiotic value by connecting local enterprises and opening up opportunities for cooperation is one of Dong Nai's priorities. According to Nguyen Kim Long, Member of the Standing Board of the City Party Committee and Permanent Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai People's Committee, when FDI enterprises and Vietnamese businesses establish symbiotic partnerships by sharing technology, markets, and supply chains, the resulting value extends far beyond investment figures and export earnings. Such cooperation will lay the foundation for a more self-reliant, modern, competitive, and sustainable industrial economy in Dong Nai.

By Vuong The – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho