The southeast region will prioritise the industrial sector to drive further development. - VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Industrial production is supporting the steady growth of the southeast region, with HCM City moving towards high-tech industries and Bình Dương expanding its role as a key industrial centre.

In the southeast region, local authorities are using various strategies to facilitate industrial development, concentrating on new technologies, green materials and energy, and sustainable growth.

The People's Committee of HCM City said that the Industrial Production Index (IIP) increased by 6.4 per cent in the first eight months of 2024 compared to the same period last year, with the mining sector growing by 51.4 per cent, manufacturing by 6.1 per cent, and electricity production and distribution by 6.7 per cent.

In the same period, the manufacturing sector’s consumption index increased by 9.7 per cent.

Significant growth was seen in rubber and plastic products, which rose by 41.2 per cent, wood processing and wood-based products jumped 34.9 per cent, and chemical products increased 18.9 per cent.

However, the contribution of industry has been steadily decreasing, now making up only 17.8 per cent of the city’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP), while the service sector accounts for 65.6 per cent of the city’s economy.

Experts said that HCM City's industrial sector has become outdated, relying on resource-intensive and labour-heavy processes with low added value. Therefore, transitioning towards high-tech industries is seen as essential for the city’s ongoing development.

Nguyễn Ngọc Hòa, chairman of the HCM City Business Association, said that industrial transformation will add significant value to the city, meeting both domestic and international demand. This new direction will help HCM City avoid falling behind global standards and improve the quality of products for the local market.

In Bình Dương Province, several industrial parks and multi-sector industrial clusters have been developed, with numerous large-scale supporting industry projects from international corporations such as Kolon (South Korea), Polytex Far Eastern (Taiwan), Tetra Pak (Singapore), Mitsubishi (Japan), and Lego (Denmark).

Bình Dương is now a key industrial centre in Việt Nam, featuring 28 active industrial parks covering 7,000 hectares, with more than 93 per cent of the space already leased.

Key areas like electronics, telecommunications, mechanics, and export manufacturing are crucial to the province’s economic development.

Solutions for development

HCM City is actively pursuing several initiatives to ensure sustainable development. One such effort includes transforming five outdated export processing zones into eco-industrial parks, high-tech areas, or logistics areas.

The city is also encouraging innovative startups that focus on sustainability through competitions and projects.

Bình Dương Province aims to become a centre for smart manufacturing, with widespread application of automation in production to enhance productivity, quality, and competitiveness.

According to its vision until 2030, the industrial and construction sectors will constitute 64 per cent of the economy, with 87 per cent of the workforce trained to meet the demands of the industrial sector.

Bình Dương is also taking steps to boost growth, including setting up the “Bình Dương innovation zone” project to promote digital transformation and improving industrial infrastructure alongside urban development.

These initiatives will attract greater foreign investment and improve the province’s competitiveness, positioning Bình Dương as a leading destination for global companies in industrial production, high technology, and industrial services. - VNS