Trend to develop eco-industrial parks dominates at forum

Speakers joining the Industrial Property Forum 2022 organised by Vietnam Investment Review in Ho Chi Minh City on May 24 agreed that eco-industrial parks not only meet the needs of tenants but also are consistent with the government's sustainable development orientation.

Nguyen Chi Toan, head of Marketing at VSIP South & Central said, “The aim is to create an industrial lifestyle that includes living, working, resting, and entertaining in sync. Thus, a multi-functional industrial park (IP) will be established, creating a new residential area with an industrial rhythm.”

Toan added, “Entering Vietnam in 1996 with the single-function IP. In 2006, when we started to develop VSIP II with an area of over 2,000 hectares. We target to become an industrial-urban-service complex. To date, VSIP II’s occupancy ratio is 99 per cent, attracting 340 projects with a total investment capital of approximately $5 billion,” Toan said.

A highlight of VSIP’s development strategy are the consecutive upgrades. "In March 2022, we started the construction of VSIP III, which marks an important milestone in our sustainable development strategy. Besides this, VSIP III will integrate smart technology in managing energy, water, waste, security, and transport,” Toan said.

The model aims at sustainable development, balancing production and maintaining a green ecosystem, as well as reducing emissions and industrial waste. An eco-industrial park deploys many solutions such as recycling waste and sharing energy among companies in the IP, simultaneously helping manufacturers to save production costs.

Pham Hong Diep, chairman of Shinec JSC – the investor and operator of Nam Cau Kien IP – said, “In order to establish an eco-industrial park, it needs the participation of investors in the IP. In Nam Cau Kien, we establish a club named eco investors. All members of the club understand that a symbiotic relationship will create a large benefit for them.”

Tran Quoc Trung, deputy director general of the Economic Zones Management Department under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) said, “The MPI submitted the draft Decree to replace Decree No.82/2018/ND-CP of the government regulating the management of industrial parks and economic zones to the prime minister for approval. We hope that the draft decree will be approved this quarter.”

Trung added, “There will be many adjustments and regulations mentioned in the new decree to create favourable conditions and encourage investors to develop eco-industrial parks as well as switch the existing IPs to eco-industrial parks.”