Delegates participate in a celebration event to begin testing systems at the LEGO factory in the southern province of Bình Dương. — Photo courtesy of LEGO Manufacturing Vietnam

BÌNH DƯƠNG — The LEGO Group on Wednesday began testing systems and infrastructure at its new factory in the southern province of Bình Dương, the company’s most environmentally sustainable factory to date.

The installation of the factory’s production equipment and initiation of systems tests is an important milestone as the site progresses towards its grand opening in the first half of next year.

This test period marks the start of a months-long journey towards ensuring that when the factory is permitted for production in early 2025 ahead of the grand opening, it meets the high quality and safety standards upheld at each of the LEGO Group’s manufacturing sites worldwide. 

Speaking at the factory milestones celebration event on Wednesday, Jesper Hassellund Mikkelsen, Senior Vice President of Asia Operations and General Manager of LEGO Manufacturing Vietnam, said: “This is a significant moment in our journey towards our commitment to innovation, quality, sustainability and bringing the joy of building to children around the world.”

“Today marks the next critical step in bringing our vision to life and putting this factory into operation from 2025 with the test of the building and infrastructure and systems in this newly constructed factory building, which is designed and built in accordance to the most stringent Vietnamese construction standards, world class LEGO factory specifications and LEED guidelines.”

“The factory test run process that begins today will ensure that every brick we produce meets our highest standards of excellence and has quality consistency to the bricks produced at all other LEGO factories when official production starts after receiving the final approvals and permits.”

These bricks will be made with extreme precision – within 1/10th of a hair’s width – meaning that bricks produced in the years to come fit seamlessly into bricks that have been produced over the last decades, he said.

“We remain firmly committed to realising our ambitions to be the LEGO Group’s most sustainable factory to date. We are in the process of converting our pre-pack lines around the world to produce paper-based bags,” Mikkelsen said.

“We are the first factory in the LEGO Group to exclusively produce these paper-based bags from the start, replacing single use plastic bags. We have received positive feedback from customers when changing from foil to paper,” he said.

Võ Văn Minh, Chairman of Bình Dương Province People’s Committee, said that leaders of Bình Dương province highly appreciated and valued the project of LEGO Manufacturing Vietnam.

"I believe that the company will operate efficiently and provide domestic and global markets high quality products, meeting the most stringent standards of precision and excellence, and will continue to expand its investment in the province,” Minh said.

"Two years since its ground breaking ceremony in November 2022, we are glad to witness the celebration event which marks a critical milestone in the journey of the establishment and development of the company," he said.

The provincial leaders together with leaders of departments and agencies will create favorable conditions and solve difficulties faced by the company in a timely manner to ensure the factory operates efficiently, he said.

Approximately 90 per cent of construction and building infrastructure of the LEGO Manufacturing Vietnam project at the Việt Nam - Singapore industrial park Ill is completed. — Photo courtesy of LEGO Manufacturing Vietnam

Workforce set to double in 2024

With approximately 90 per cent of construction and building infrastructure complete, the company continues to ramp up its workforce, which is on track to double over the course of 2024. 

A comprehensive training programme that combines local on-the-job training with hands-on learning experiences at the company’s factories worldwide launched in August 2024. 

Several hundred employees are expected to participate in the programme, which will continue through the first quarter of 2025.

More than 4,000 highly skilled technology and innovation jobs will be created over the coming years.

The new factory is designed be the company’s most sustainable to date, with plans to reduce energy consumption and maximise the use of renewable energy. 

The company completed the installation of 12,400 rooftop solar panels in the third quarter of this year, which will generate an estimated 7.4 MWp, the equivalent of powering approximately 1,270 households annually.

The construction of the factory is part of the company’s strategy to expand its supply chain network to support long-term growth and locate production facilities close to its major markets to respond to shifts in local demand, shorten the supply chain, and reduce its environmental impact. 

With total investment capital of more than US$1 billion, the LEGO Manufacturing Vietnam project covers 44 hectares at the Việt Nam - Singapore Industrial Park Ill. —VNS