Expanding Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park: A strategy for the innovation ecosystem.
The government has approved the expansion of the Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park (SHTP) by nearly 195 hectares. This is not just a decision to increase the area mechanically, but a strategic transformation that will help SHTP rise from a high-tech manufacturing "factory" to a comprehensive innovation ecosystem. A reporter from SGGP newspaper interviewed Professor Nguyen Ky Phung (pictured), Head of the SHTP Management Board, to further clarify the vision and roadmap for this transformation.
Inspecting products before shipment at the Intel Products Vietnam factory in Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park (PHOTO: INTEL)
Editor's Note: Science and technology are not only identified by Ho Chi Minh City as the foundation but also as one of the main driving forces determining the speed and quality of socio-economic growth. To realize the goal of becoming a regional-level technology and innovation center, the city is accelerating the restructuring of its science and technology potential, creating a favorable environment to attract high-tech investment capital. This is the strategic "key" for Ho Chi Minh City to break through, shift its economic structure towards modernity and sustainability, and enhance its competitiveness in the digital age.
REPORTER: Sir, the government's approval to expand the Saigon Hi-Tech Park (SHTP) to nearly 195 hectares in Long Phuoc ward, Ho Chi Minh City, is considered by experts to be a "boost" in technology infrastructure investment. In your opinion, how will this impact the city's and the nation's technology development map?
PROFESSOR NGUYEN KY PHUNG: I believe the government's decision to expand SHTP is of particular importance, creating a strategic technology space to move into a new phase of development. In fact, after more than two decades, SHTP has reached its limit in terms of land availability for large-scale projects. The addition of 195 hectares not only solves the infrastructure problem for next-generation technology projects but is also a prerequisite for transforming the model from focusing on attracting purely manufacturing investment to building a comprehensive innovation ecosystem. In this new space, we expect to forge an organic link between research and development (R&D), high-skilled workforce training, innovative startups, and advanced manufacturing. This is the foundation for realizing the strategy of transforming SHTP into a "smart innovation space" with international standards. This new space will act as an "incubator" for emerging industries, helping workers find high-paying jobs based on technology commercialization and enhancing the nation's R&D capacity.
Will the goal of transforming the high-tech zone into a Science and Technology Park become a reality after a considerable period of planning?
The expanded SHTP space in Long Phuoc ward is indeed a prerequisite for gradually forming a science and technology park for the city. The Science and Technology Park (SHTP) is envisioned as a space to strongly promote R&D activities, technology transfer, and especially to strengthen the close links between the "three stakeholders": universities, research institutes, and businesses. The overarching goal of SHTP is to make the Science and Technology Park the science and technology hub for both Ho Chi Minh City and the Southeast region. In this roadmap, we have identified five key areas: investing in modern research infrastructure, building a business incubation ecosystem, strengthening the network of linkages, focusing on key technology sectors, and developing high-quality human resources. Through this, the Science and Technology Park will play a leading role in the innovation process for the entire region in the coming period.
To date, SHTP is home to 166 active projects with a total investment capital equivalent to approximately US$13.75 billion. Of that total, foreign investors contributed over US$11 billion and domestic businesses contributed over US$2.7 billion. These results demonstrate strong confidence that the development of production and investment attraction at SHTP is progressing very well, serving as a springboard for expansion.
Faced with the challenges posed by global economic fluctuations, investment attraction at SHTP in the past period seems to have "reached its limit." Is there still an opportunity to create new value in the coming period?
I affirm that SHTP's attractiveness remains very strong despite global economic fluctuations. In the first six months of 2026 alone, SHTP granted new investment certificates for 4 strategic projects with a total capital of over US$1.23 billion, reaching nearly 90% of the annual plan. Of the total capital of over US$1.23 billion, domestic resources contributed approximately US$640 million with 2 projects; Foreign investment capital reached nearly US$590 million across two projects. In addition, existing businesses adjusted their investment capital upwards by more than VND 440 billion.
Over the past 20 years, SHTP has attracted technology giants. Is expanding its scale the golden opportunity for SHTP to innovate and keep pace with contemporary technological trends?
After more than two decades, SHTP proudly serves as the home of leading corporations such as Intel, Samsung, Nidec, Jabil, and Schneider Electric... However, we are not resting on our laurels. 2026 is the year SHTP will innovate to anticipate the new wave of investment in crucial areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), data centers, and digital technology. Among the four new projects for which the management board recently awarded certificates, two are large-scale data center projects with a total investment of nearly US$1 billion. This will be the foundational infrastructure for AI and cloud computing in Ho Chi Minh City in the future. In addition, Techtronic Industries (TTI)'s investment of over $730 million to develop smart electronic products integrated with IoT demonstrates the confidence of international investors in SHTP's development capabilities.
Engineers working on the production line at Intel Products Vietnam's factory, Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park (photo: intel)
How do you envision the position and contributions of SHTP after its expansion?
The expansion will help SHTP transform into a completely larger and stronger entity. In the future, I believe it will be a complete science and technology ecosystem, capable of independently creating Vietnamese-branded technologies and products instead of just assembling and manufacturing. SHTP will be home to advanced R&D centers in cutting-edge fields such as microelectronics - semiconductors, AI, automation, and green energy. I also believe that linking research with the market will enhance the technological self-reliance of Vietnamese businesses. SHTP will not only create export value but also train high-quality human resources for the nation, acting as a driving force in implementing national strategies on semiconductors and digital transformation. This will be the core element that will help Ho Chi Minh City rise to a prominent position on the regional technology map.
Prioritizing financial resources for the expansion of SHTP
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has drafted a plan for the implementation of the SHTP expansion project, with key contents including: establishing a Steering Committee for the implementation of the SHTP expansion project; prioritizing financial resources, balancing and allocating city budget funds to invest in the construction of infrastructure for the SHTP expansion and researching and proposing central government budget support along with the city budget to focus on one key project, the expansion area; prioritizing and allocating investment capital to complete and upgrade infrastructure and access to the SHTP expansion area, with priority given to investing in the road connecting the existing SHTP to the SHTP expansion area; perfecting mechanisms and policies to attract effective investment, including developing policies and programs for the transformation and development of the innovation ecosystem…
Ba Tan
Saigon Liberation Newspaper Online