A crane loads a container on board a cargo ship at Chân Mây deep sea port in central Thừa Thiên Huế Province. The province has begun speeding up investment promotion for next decade of development. Photo courtesy of Chân Mây-Lăng Cô Industrial Zone

THỪA THIÊN HUẾ — The central province of Thừa Thiên-Huế has introduced a centre of investment, trade and business support as a positive step to promote investment towards building the province as a ‘smart and green’ urban hub in 2030-50.

The province said the centre, which was built after the Prime Minister’s decision, would help boost investment promotion programmes in key industries of high-tech, semiconductors, biological and nano-technology, information technology and sea-based economic development from major markets including Japan, Korea, Europe and the US in the coming years.

Thừa Thiên-Huế, which was designed as an attractive destination on the basis of world heritage and a rich unique culture, is expected to become a centrally-run city in 2025 and a heritage city of Việt Nam in 2030, as well as one of the major and unique centres of ASEAN in terms of culture, tourism, and health care.

The province has granted 13 new investment projects worth a total of VNĐ3.53 trillion (US$141 million), including six foreign direct investment (FDI) projects worth US$30 million, since early January.

A production line of brewer Carlsberg Việt Nam in Thừa Thiên Huế. The beer producer contributed 86.4 per cent to the provincial state budget in 2023. VNS Photo Công Thành

To date, the central hub has attracted 126 investment projects with total funds of $4.5 billion, with operating FDI projects creating revenue of $1.4 billion in 2023.

According to a report from the provincial planning and investment department, Thừa Thiên Huế contributed VNĐ4.37 trillion – including VNĐ3.5 trillion, or 86.4 per cent, from Carlsberg Việt Nam – to the state budget in 2023.

A series of key infrastructure projects commenced construction from 2023 and are expected to start operations in 2025.

Included among the construction projects were two piers at Chân Mây deep-sea port, sea and river cross traffic routes, and a domestic container route at Chân Mây Port connecting with Hải Phòng and HCM City

The key port in the province will be able to handle 70,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage) cargo ships in a 200,000 DWT transshipment area. It expects to host from 5 million to 6 million tonnes of commodities by 2025.

An education project of FPT Group has commenced construction in an urban area of Thừa Thiên Huế Province. The central hub eyes developing itself as a centre of high-tech, international health care and education in 2023-50. Photo courtesy of Phạm Vân Anh

Aeon Mall Việt Nam has registered to build its first trading centre, Aeon Mall Huế, covering 86,000 sq.m, with an investment of US$170 million in the central province’s new urban area of An Vân Dương.

A project of Kim Long Huế Motors has been in construction on an area of 160ha at a cost of VND3.3 trillion ($143.4 million). The automobile plant on the Chân Mây-Lăng Cô EZ plans to manufacture 16, 30 and 45-seat buses and 16,000 vehicles per year.

The American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) and the province authorities also agreed to boost ties between businesses from the US and the province to promote Huế as a future ‘green’ economic growth area.

Huế – a tourism hub in central Việt Nam – is seen as a favourite destination for investors from European countries, Japan and the US in high-tech, tourism, logistics, health care and advanced farming.

Excavators start work on a logistics project in Thừa Thiên Huế. About 13 new projects worth US$141 million have been granted approval in the province since early 2024. Photo courtesy of Gilimex Company

It connects to the East-West Economic Corridor that links Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and Việt Nam, and has railway, seaport and airport systems and large areas for industrial zone development.

The province invested VNĐ400 billion (US$16 million) to build the International Central Hospital No. 2 for the next decade of development. -VNS