Inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) are opening up fresh development space for Hai Phong. Beyond capital attraction, the city is gradually defining its position within the global value chain.
A series of meetings with international partners and memoranda of understanding signed from the beginning of 2025 reflect a clear shift in Hai Phong’s investment-attraction mindset.
The city is not only receiving new investment flows but also aligning FDI with the goal of deeper participation in the global value chain, step by step shaping a development structure driven by value added, technology, logistics and services.
Hai Phong’s shift in investment attraction lies in moving from a focus on “having projects” to “having quality projects,” along with the ability to draw supply chains, facilitate technology transfer and form production-service networks connected with regional and international markets.
The Netherlands, one of the world’s leading countries in logistics and maritime transport, is opening up promising cooperation opportunities for Hai Phong. The connection between a rapidly growing port city and a global-scale logistics hub goes beyond individual projects, offering prospects for deeper integration into global transport and trade networks.
For the Czech Republic, Hai Phong stands ready to provide industrial park infrastructure, cleared land and favorable support mechanisms for investment in manufacturing, high-tech industries and renewable energy. This approach is an important gateway for attracting European capital while diversifying partners and improving the quality of FDI toward green and sustainable growth.
In another direction, cooperation with South Korea reflects a shift from traditional industry to technology and governance. Joint programs in artificial intelligence, smart transportation, urban management, cybersecurity, healthcare and education have brought about both technological value and a foundation for urban-governance modernization and improved workforce quality.
With China, a long-standing and significant partner in trade and investment, Hai Phong continues to strengthen cooperation, focusing on areas with strong potential and high connectivity needs such as logistics, supporting industries, import-export activities and supply-chain linkages. This approach aims to optimize the effectiveness of each project while enhancing connectivity and spillover effects within the local economy.
The FDI landscape from the beginning of the year shows Hai Phong gradually becoming more visible within the flow of global value chains, strengthening its role in value-added components. This direction aligns with the global economic restructuring of supply chains, in which locations with strong infrastructure, stable investment environments and consistent policies like Hai Phong will become destinations for major corporations.
Throughout this process, Hai Phong demonstrates a proactive approach by promoting investment, expanding its partner network and defining priority sectors. The city’s identification of key pillars such as high-tech industry, logistics, supporting industries, green growth and innovation reflects a development mindset shifting toward greater sustainability, creating a foundation for deeper participation in regional and global value chains.
Proactively welcoming FDI associated with shaping its role in the global value chain is the pathway for Hai Phong to realize its goal of fast, sustainable development befitting its position as the northern maritime economic gateway of Vietnam.
HA KIEN