Dong Nai steps up industrial infrastructure to attract new investment

The shift in manufacturing and logistics supply chains and changes in investment strategies are prompting Dong Nai to proactively prepare its industrial infrastructure to attract high-quality investment in the coming years.

Green production at Nestlé's factory in Amata Industrial Park (IP), Dong Nai City.

Investing in and upgrading industrial park (IP) infrastructure, promoting greener production, and building a strong industrial ecosystem are key to helping Dong Nai attract investment in strategic industries and sectors.

Strong demand from businesses

According to Cushman & Wakefield Vietnam, the Southern industrial property market continues to benefit from strong investor demand for industrial land. FDI companies are expanding production, while demand is also shifting from central areas to localities with more room for development. As industrial land in central Ho Chi Minh City becomes increasingly limited, Dong Nai and Tay Ninh are becoming attractive destinations thanks to their large land reserves and improving infrastructure connections.

The occupancy rate of industrial properties in the southern region stood at 76.3% in the second quarter of 2026. Ho Chi Minh City recorded the highest rate at 86.1%, followed by Dong Nai at 73.1% and Tay Ninh at 60.9%. The shift in demand among localities shows that the market is becoming more balanced rather than remaining concentrated in a few traditional areas.

For Dong Nai, the goal is not simply to raise occupancy rates. In the next phase, each industrial park must provide an environment in which businesses can reduce energy costs, use water and materials more efficiently, treat waste, share data, and cooperate with one another. This, in turn, could encourage businesses to continue expanding their operations in Dong Nai through additional projects.

Localities across the region are also moving from reviewing their plans to preparing large-scale projects. Dong Nai is focusing on developing three key industrial parks covering a total of 2,200ha. Tay Ninh has approved a list of 49 IPs covering about 16,000ha, while Ho Chi Minh City is promoting investment in 14 new industrial parks covering 3,800ha.

These moves show that all three localities are preparing future industrial land supply, but with different priorities. Dong Nai is focusing on improving the quality of investment attraction, Tay Ninh on expanding its industrial land reserve, and Ho Chi Minh City on attracting high-value-added industries. The distinct roles of the three localities are expected to create a more sustainable driver of growth for the region as a whole in 2026-2028.

Another key factor supporting the southern industrial property market is the expansion of regional infrastructure. Projects such as Long Thanh International Airport, Ring Road No. 3 through Dong Nai, expressways, and Cai Mep Port are expected to improve connectivity and expand space for industrial and logistics development. At the same time, FDI in electronics, semiconductors, and logistics is expected to continue supporting demand for industrial property.

According to Chuong Quoc Doan, Associate Director, Industrial & Office Leasing at Cushman & Wakefield Vietnam, over the next two to three years, Long Thanh Airport, Ring Road No. 3 and the Dong Nai-Ho Chi Minh City waterway corridor will improve regional connectivity and provide further momentum for the industrial market. Better infrastructure will also reshape the region's industrial landscape, with each locality taking on a clearer role in the supply chain.

Preparing for new investment trends

Dong Nai, which has built its industrial base largely on its favorable location and land reserves, is now shifting toward attracting investment with higher technology content, greater added value, and the potential to lead production chains. To achieve this, industrial infrastructure must be developed ahead of demand. This is also in line with the restructuring of Dong Nai's development space under Politburo Resolution No. 16-NQ/TW, dated July 21, 2026, on building and developing Dong Nai City through 2035, with a vision to 2065. Under the resolution, Long Thanh will become a new hub for aviation, high technology, logistics, and innovation. At the same time, northern Dong Nai will have greater room to develop new industrial growth poles.

Workers at Nestlé's factory in Amata IP. Photo: Vuong The

For many years, Dong Nai's industrial investment attraction strategy was built around several key advantages: a favorable location, available land, IPs, and convenient connections with Ho Chi Minh City and seaports. This formula helped build a large industrial base, but it now faces new challenges as international investors change the criteria they use to choose locations.

High-tech investors are no longer asking only, “How much cleared land is available?” They also want to know whether the power supply is stable, how strong data connectivity is, whether logistics are convenient, where skilled workers can be found, what environmental standards apply, and which businesses they can connect with along the supply chain.

Therefore, Dong Nai's challenge today is not simply to expand IP areas, but to prepare production spaces suited to the needs of new generations of investors. Infrastructure must be planned around the industries the city wants to attract, rather than simply preparing land and waiting for businesses to choose.

At the Dong Nai – The Southern Hub for Industry, Logistics, and Strategic Investment Conference held on August 20, Pham Viet Phuong, Deputy Head in charge of the Dong Nai Industrial Parks and Economic Zones Authority, said that proactively preparing infrastructure to support high-quality investment is crucial. Dong Nai is not simply chasing investment flows. Instead, it aims to use planning, infrastructure, and its industrial ecosystem to channel investment into sectors capable of generating greater added value, improving productivity, and taking the city's industry into a new phase of development.

By V. The – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho