Director of Đà Nẵng City's Priority Infrastructure project management board Lê Thành Hưng displays a development plan for the Liên Chiểu deep-sea port, an important piece of the plans for the Đà Nẵng Free Trade Zone. Photo courtesy of Giao Liên

ĐÀ NẴNG – Đà Nẵng's Hi-Tech Park and Industrial Zones Authority (HPIZA) has been assigned to take on a management role for the proposed Free Trade Zone (FTZ) that will start construction this year, after the National Assembly approved the project last June.

The central city’s People’s Committee said the decision, which was signed on April 29, will help the HPIZA accelerate preparatory work on establishing the FTZ project in the near future.

It said the HPIZA will gain a new name: the Đà Nẵng Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZ), covering the management of the Hi-Tech park, IT Park, six other industrial parks, four centralised information technology zones (CIZs) and other semiconductor, AI and digital economy developments.

The Đà Nẵng FTZ, which will cover more than 2,300ha with key function sites for manufacturing, a logistics centre and trade and services, would need an investment of VNĐ40 trillion (US$1.6 billion).

According to the city's People's Committee, the FTZ will be developed along with plans to build an international finance centre under the 2030-2050 Master Plan, as well as developing the deep-sea Liên Chiểu Port and expansion of air cargo service at the current Đà Nẵng International Airport.

Construction has started on the Liên Chiểu deep-sea port in Đà Nẵng. The port will be a key base for logistics and exports for the Đà Nẵng Free Trade Zone. VNS Photo Công Thành

The city has submitted a plan for a duty-free zone on 151ha at the end of Bà Nà Suối Mơ Road, 30km southwest of the centre and near the Bà Nà Hills resort. This proposed zone will be a trade complex and entertainment site, including duty-free shops, a logistics hub, warehouses, healthcare services, an R&D centre, an international education centre, a medical school and an exhibition centre.

Đà Nẵng has also been promoting itself as an international centre for semiconductor and hi-tech industries, calling on Intel, Marvell Technology Inc. and Synopsys in the US for long-term investment commitments.

Five key partners and investors have previously inked a series of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on cooperation in training programmes on semiconductors and AI in the city worth nearly US$300 million.

Thus far, six industrial parks, the Hi-Tech Park and the IT Park have drawn more than 1,000 projects with total investment of $4.35 billion. VNS