Tân Phú Trung Industrial Park in HCM City's Củ Chi area, where a US$2.1 billion AI data centre is being developed to strengthen the city's digital infrastructure. — Photo courtesy of Tan Phu Trung Industrial Park

HCM CITY — HCM City attracted US$5.7 billion in domestic and foreign investment into its export processing and industrial zones during the first nine months of 2026.

The figure exceeded the city's full-year target by 31 per cent, highlighting strong momentum in high-quality industrial investment under Resolution No.10-NQ/TW.

Total investment reached 131 per cent of the 2026 target of $4.25 billion and represented a 29 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2025, according to the city's Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority (HEPZA).

Trần Việt Hà, deputy head of HEPZA, said the inflows reflected a gradual shift towards projects with greater technological content, stronger industrial linkages and higher long-term value.

Rather than focusing solely on manufacturing capacity, many newly licensed projects are expected to strengthen industrial infrastructure, attract supporting industries and create opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises to participate more deeply in global supply chains.

Strong FDI growth

Foreign direct investment remained the main growth driver, reaching $4.3 billion, up 62 per cent year-on-year.

During the first nine months, HEPZA granted investment licences to 100 new projects with combined registered capital of $3.1 billion.

Another 120 existing projects received approval to increase their capital by a total of $1.1 billion.

Hà said the quality of investment was becoming increasingly important as HCM City pursues a greener, more technology-oriented industrial development model in line with national strategies for private-sector growth and innovation.

The largest project approved during the period is a $2.1 billion data centre in Tân Phú Trung Industrial Park.

Designed as high-performance computing infrastructure for artificial intelligence and large-scale data processing, the facility is expected to become one of the country's key digital infrastructure investments.

The project is also expected to stimulate demand across related sectors, including energy, telecommunications, cloud services and highly skilled technology employment.

Another significant development is Phase 1 of Vĩnh Lập Industrial Park, which has received investment approval from the city People's Committee.

The project covers more than 497 hectares with total investment exceeding $379 million.

Planned as a multi-sector industrial park, Vĩnh Lập will prioritise high-tech manufacturing while developing towards a green and circular industrial model in the coming years.

With annual investment targets already surpassed, HEPZA said its priority for the final quarter of 2026 will be accelerating approved projects, resolving implementation bottlenecks and promoting investment to strategic investors in high technology, research and development, innovation and advanced manufacturing.

High-tech momentum

The HCM City High-Tech Park (SHTP) also recorded robust investment during the first nine months of the year.

The investment trend aligns with Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, which identifies science, technology, innovation and digital transformation as key drivers of Việt Nam's long-term economic growth, with priority given to strategic technologies, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, big data and next-generation digital infrastructure.

The park granted investment certificates to four new projects with total registered capital of $1.2 billion, equivalent to 87.9 per cent of its annual target of $1.4 billion.

Among the new projects were two foreign-invested projects worth nearly $590 million and two domestic projects with combined investment of approximately $640 million.

In addition, five existing projects increased their capital by $57.5 million.

Nguyễn Kỳ Phùng, head of the SHTP Management Board, said the newly licensed projects were designed to complement the park's broader innovation ecosystem by strengthening digital infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and high-value services.

The largest foreign-invested project is the Evolution Hyperscale Wholesale Data Centre, with registered capital of more than $508 million.

It is the biggest new FDI project approved by the park during the period and will expand the city's capacity in large-scale data infrastructure.

Another notable investment comes from Techtronic Tools Việt Nam, which will invest $81 million in a smart electronics manufacturing plant, reinforcing supplier networks and high-tech production within the park.

On the domestic side, the STARMASON hyperscale data centre complex will contribute around $480 million, while the Tâm Anh High-Tech Centre, with investment of $160 million, will expand biotechnology and advanced medical technology services.

Phùng said these projects would generate demand for high-quality human resources, technology services and closer collaboration between domestic and international enterprises, supporting the objectives of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW and contributing to the development of HCM City's innovation ecosystem.

Saigon Hi-Tech Park hosts major global manufacturers including Intel, Samsung, Nidec and Jabil, reinforcing HCM City's role as a leading high-tech manufacturing hub. — Photo courtesy of SHTP

By the end of September 2026, the High-Tech Park hosted 165 valid investment projects with total registered capital of $13.9 billion.

Among them, 57 foreign-invested projects accounted for approximately 79.4 per cent of total registered capital, equivalent to around $11 billion.

The continued presence of global technology companies including Intel, Samsung, TTI, Nipro, Jabil and Nidec has strengthened the park's role as one of Việt Nam's leading high-tech manufacturing and innovation centres.

Looking ahead, the SHTP Management Board will continue reviewing land resources, upgrading infrastructure and preparing a new portfolio of investment projects.

Priority will be given to attracting investors to the city Strategic Technology Development Centre while striving to exceed the park's $1.4 billion investment target for 2026. — VNS