Southeast Asia Development Research

Foreign Investment Trends in Sustainable Industrial Parks in the Hai Phong City of Vietnam

Authors

  • Alessandro Flammini

    United Nations Industrial Development Organization, A-1400 Vienna, Austria

    Author
  • Ngoc Hai Bui

    Hai Phong Economic Zone Authority, Hai Phong 15000, Vietnam

    Author
  • Tram Anh Nguyen

    United Nations Industrial Development Organization, A-1400 Vienna, Austria

    Author
  • Anh Phu Hoang

    Foreign Investment Agency, Ministry of Finance, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam

    Author
  • Thanh Trung Nguyen

    Green Ventures Vietnam Joint Stock Company, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam

    Author
  • Geert Dom

    International Maritime and Transport Advisors BV,  2170 Antwerp, Belgium

    Author
  • Van Vuong Nguyen

    Hai Phong Economic Zone Authority, Hai Phong 15000, Vietnam

    Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63385/sadr.v1i2.334

Keywords:

Vietnam, Hai Phong, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Sustainable Industrial Parks, EIP, Sustainability, Industrial Development, Circular Economy

Abstract

This paper analyzes foreign direct investment (FDI) trends in Hai Phong, Vietnam, with a focus on the transformation of its industrial parks towards sustainable development. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines statistical data with stakeholder insights, the study highlights the city’s strategic location, proactive government incentives, and adoption of eco-industrial park (EIP) models as main drivers of its competitiveness. Between 2015 and 2024, Hai Phong attracted more than 1,000 FDI projects with cumulative capital exceeding USD 30 billion, making it the second-largest FDI destination in Vietnam. In 2024 alone, foreign investment inflows into industrial parks and economic zones reached USD 4.35 billion, contributing to an 11% GRDP growth and sustaining double-digit growth for ten consecutive years. Socioeconomic outcomes include a 23.1% increase in the industrial workforce and a 9.5% rise in average monthly income from 2020 to 2023. Sustainability initiatives are advancing rapidly: Deep C Industrial Park pioneered roads built with recycled plastics, Nam Cau Kien developed three industrial symbiosis models, and several parks set targets to source up to 50% of energy from renewables by 2030. However, challenges remain in infrastructure quality, skilled labor availability, regulatory processes, and environmental management, particularly wastewater reuse and rising emissions. The paper concludes with policy recommendations to strengthen infrastructure, workforce skills, regulatory streamlining, and green innovation, positioning Hai Phong as a leading hub for sustainable industrial investment in Southeast Asia.

References

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How to Cite

Flammini, A. ., Bui , N. H. ., Nguyen, T. A., Hoang, A. P. ., Nguyen, T. T. ., Dom, G. ., & Nguyen, V. V. . (2025). Foreign Investment Trends in Sustainable Industrial Parks in the Hai Phong City of Vietnam. Southeast Asia Development Research, 1(2), 12-24. https://doi.org/10.63385/sadr.v1i2.334