In January 2025, Vietnam experienced a strong start in attracting FDI, with 4.33 billion USD in registered capital, representing a 48.6% increase compared to the same period last year.
A key highlight was the 1.2 billion USD expansion project by Samsung Display in Bac Ninh Province. The project was officially registered on the first working day of the new year, further solidifying Bac Ninh as a major hub for global tech giants in Vietnam.
Significant qualitative change
Along with Bac Ninh, Binh Duong has also made significant strides in foreign investment attraction. In early February 2025, the province granted investment certificates and approved investment policies for seven FDI projects, with total registered capital of nearly 1 billion USD.
Among these, two VSIP projects —an industrial park infrastructure project and a new urban area project — accounted for over 812 million USD. Other notable projects included capital increases from Cheng Loong Paper, Deneast Vietnam, and Dongil Rubber Belt Vietnam.
Despite not reaching the target of 39-40 billion USD in FDI attraction, Vietnam secured 38.23 billion USD in 2024 — an impressive achievement. In addition, FDI disbursement hit a record 25.35 billion USD, demonstrating investor confidence and project implementation efficiency.
The foreign investment trend remains strong, with major investors reaffirming their commitment to Vietnam. During a New Year meeting with Bac Ninh authorities, Goertek leader announced new projects and plans to bring in additional experts, advanced technology, and equipment to Vietnam in 2025.
As of now, Goertek had already invested over 1.3 billion USD in Bac Ninh to build four factories specialising in electronic devices and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In 2025, the company plans to double its UAV production capacity from 30,000 to 60,000 units per year through additional capital investment.
According to Nguyen Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Foreign Investment Agency (under the Ministry of Planning and Investment), FDI inflows into Vietnam are continuing to shift in a positive direction. The processing and manufacturing sector remains the largest recipient of FDI, attracting 15.8 billion USD in 2024, which accounts for 80.7% of total FDI inflow.
Vietnam has been witnessing strong commitments from major global tech giants such as Samsung, LG, and SK. In addition, many large corporations in the world are also expressing their intention to invest in Vietnam, including technology corporations from the US, Europe, Japan, the RoK, and Taiwan (China). These are extremely positive signals.
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In 2024, Bac Ninh secured 4.8 billion USD in FDI, ranking among the top provinces in Vietnam for foreign investment. (Photo: YEN PHONG) |
Proactive approach to seize the FDI wave
With proactive efforts in promotion and investment attraction, after more than a year since its groundbreaking, Hai Long Industrial Park (Thai Binh Province) has secured six investors who have signed principal contracts, along with a group of satellite companies that have signed memorandums of understanding for investment. The total committed capital amounts to 652 million USD. All signed projects involve high-tech applications and are expected to generate significant added value.
Do Quang Tuan, Chief Operating Officer of Hai Long Industrial Park, stated that investment attraction has been carried out selectively based on multiple criteria, with a priority given to high-tech manufacturers and large-scale investors.
"From the very beginning, we have taken a step-by-step approach in selecting and engaging with investors. Unlike in the past, when the focus was on filling up the park at all costs by attracting all types of industries and investors, we now prioritize quality and strategic investment," Tuan shared.
In 2024, Thai Binh attracted 55 FDI projects worth 1.16 billion USD into its industrial parks, ranking among the top six in the Red River Delta region and 13th nationwide in FDI attraction. To further boost FDI inflow, the province has actively and selectively sought investment capital.
According to Vu Kim Cu, Head of the Thai Binh Economic Zone and Industrial Parks Management Board, the province has been prioritising attracting investment in sectors such as automobiles, electricity, electronics, supporting industries, and renewable energy. Thai Binh has been focusing on inviting investors with advanced and environmentally friendly technologies, large-scale investment capital, and minimal labour-intensive operations. This strategy aims to enhance investment efficiency and generate added value for the locality.
Many experts affirm that the outlook for FDI attraction in Vietnam in 2025 will remain positive, thanks to proactive efforts from both central and local governments.
From the beginning of this year, many foreign investors have been actively increasing their investment in industrial park infrastructure in Vietnam. Notable among them are two projects by VSIP, including an industrial park infrastructure project and a new urban area project in Bac Ninh, with a total investment of over 812 billion USD. Meanwhile, WHA Group (Thailand) has recently received an investment certificate to develop its second industrial park in Nghe An Province. These developments indicate that investors are preparing to ride the wave of positive investment trends in Vietnam in the near future.
The prime minister has repeatedly emphasised at various forums that Vietnam's investment attraction policy is based on the principles of harmonised benefits, shared risks, and, most importantly, fostering a "win-win" partnership between Vietnam and foreign investors. According to Nguyen Anh Tuan, if this principle is well understood and consistently applied from the central to the local level, awareness will translate into concrete actions that align closely with investors' needs.
Notably, the recently issued Decree 182/2024/NĐ-CP on the establishment, management, and utilisation of the Investment Support Fund (promulgated on December 31, 2024) introduces groundbreaking incentive policies, including direct financial support. This is expected to be a crucial step in helping Vietnam proactively attract and retain investors, particularly in high-tech sectors such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI).
Many other countries have already implemented financial support policies to attract targeted investments, and Vietnam cannot afford to stay outside this trend. The business community's main expectation is that the implementation of these support policies will be streamlined, making it easier for enterprises to access and benefit from them while ensuring strict oversight to prevent policy abuse.
Before the Lunar New Year, during the prime minister’s visit to Europe, executives from major corporations such as Visa, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Trip.com, and especially leading technology firms like Google, Siemens, Qualcomm, and Ericsson, expressed their strong interest in investing and expanding their business operations in Vietnam, particularly in key sectors like technology, semiconductors, and AI.
