Hanoi advances hi-tech industry, with Hoa Lac as its key growth engine

From early morning, Hoa Lac Hi Tech Park comes alive as buses bring in young engineers, eateries open their stoves and factories and labs light up with screens and robotic arms starting their day.

The sound of machines mixes with morning greetings, forming the daily rhythm of a rapidly growing technology center. Hanoi is redefining its industrial strategy after more than three decades of industrialization, shifting toward high technology, innovation and R&D.

Several industrial zones are being reorganized under integrated models that combine manufacturing, urban areas and services, aligning with the city’s green transition and digital transformation goals.

The city currently has nine operational industrial zones covering 1,348 hectares, with an occupancy rate near 100%, attracting 736 projects including 315 FDI projects with total registered capital of US$9.40 billion.

Recent investment flows have shifted strongly toward pharmaceuticals, electronics and logistics high-value sectors aligned with global trends.

Against this backdrop, the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park is emerging as the focal point of Hanoi’s new development strategy. Initially envisioned as a “city of science and technology,” the park spans 1,586 hectares and is being planned for expansion by an additional 460 hectares to the east, increasing its total area to about 2,046 hectares.

According to Vu Xuan Hung, President of the Hanoi Hi-tech and Industrial Park Management Board, these achievements stem from a consistent development vision supported by both the central government and the city, particularly as Hoa Lac has been designated the nucleus of Vietnam’s national innovation ecosystem for the 2025 to 2030 period.

As of October 2025, Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park had attracted 109 investment projects, including 15 FDI projects with total registered capital of US$945 million and 94 domestic projects totaling VND99,419 billion (approximately US$3.77 billion). Of these, 63 projects are operational. Major corporations like Viettel, VNPT, FPT, Hanwha Aero Engines and Nidec have established facilities here, creating strong pull for supporting industries.

Infrastructure in Hoa Lac has been upgraded comprehensively, from transport, electricity and water to waste treatment and telecommunications-data systems that meet international standards. Hung noted that these foundations allow the park to receive projects with high technical requirements and long investment cycles.

The Management Board has also streamlined investment procedures, cutting the time required to issue investment certificates from 15 days to just 3 days, applying a one-stop mechanism, and offering various incentives on taxes, land, and R&D support, strengthening investor confidence.

Looking toward 2030, Hoa Lac is planned to become a national innovation hub. Upcoming priorities include institutional improvements, administrative bottleneck removal, high-quality workforce development, and the construction of a smart urban environment favorable for research, testing, and high-tech production.

Thanks to its strategic location, synchronized infrastructure and a steadily maturing ecosystem of research, training and high tech production, Hoa Lac is increasingly demonstrating its appeal to technology enterprises.

Beyond convenient regional connectivity, the area is also seeing rapid growth in residential and service infrastructure, with new urban zones and amenities emerging along Thang Long Boulevard, the Ho Tay to Ba Vi corridor and the Thach That to Quoc Oai area.

This creates favorable conditions for engineers and experts to work and live in a stable environment while remaining closely connected to Hanoi’s expanding urban landscape. Low traffic pressure and fast access to the city center, the airport and major transport routes have helped Hoa Lac stand out compared with many other peri urban industrial zones.

Among the companies operating in areas overseen by the Hanoi Management Board of Hi-tech and Industrial Parks, Phi Thi Cuc, Head of Administrative Management at Young Fast Optoelectronics, believes that Hoa Lac offers infrastructure advantages well suited for high tech manufacturing.

"Strong transport links to nearby residential areas help the company maintain a stable workforce and reduce labor turnover, which is essential for electronics production," said Cuc.

Administrative support is quick, clear and effective, enabling Young Fast to expand its facilities and accelerate production line automation."

According to Cuc, as policies are refined and infrastructure continues to improve, Hoa Lac will become an attractive destination for technology enterprises seeking a standardized production environment with a complete research and development ecosystem.

From the perspective of a major technology corporation, Vu Tien Dat, Human Resources Director of FPT Software, FPT Corporation, said the company chose Hoa Lac because it received strong and consistent support from the Management Board from day one.

The favorable administrative environment allowed FPT to quickly develop Hola Park, a 120,000 square meter campus with three F Ville buildings that now accommodate more than 5,000 employees in a green, modern setting with extensive amenities.

Hola Park has also become a magnet for experts from Japan, South Korea and the United States, and hosts hundreds of international delegations each year, raising Hoa Lac’s profile in the global technology community.

FPT is delivering software projects across multiple fields and follows an AI First approach that integrates generative AI, Big Data, cloud computing and DevSecOps into its development process. Its research and development capability is strengthened through partnerships with Mila, NVIDIA, Coursera and Harvard Business Impact, giving young engineers access to advanced knowledge and large scale projects.

Regarding human resources, Dat stressed that people have always been FPT’s most valuable asset. He said the company promotes a diverse and dynamic workplace while expanding training programs and opportunities for employees to join global projects.

Assessing the investment environment, he acknowledged Hoa Lac’s significant progress but noted that improvements in transportation, urban services and personal income tax policies would further strengthen the area’s ability to attract talent.

Over the next five to ten years, FPT aims to expand its research and development footprint, advance automation and develop more Make in Vietnam products, contributing to Hoa Lac’s vision of becoming a national center for smart technology and innovation.

Many engineers working in Hoa Lac say the technical environment is modern and stable.

Trinh Quang Truong, Project Manager in the overseas software sector at FPT, has been working in Hoa Lac since 2019 and considers it the place where he has grown most significantly in his career. He said the environment here gives him “a very different kind of energy,” thanks to its green surroundings, modern facilities and well planned infrastructure.

“Working here feels like being part of a real technology ecosystem where everyone is always ready to learn and share,” Truong said.

His daily work ranges from managing project timelines and coordinating with clients to providing technical support for his team and the environment in Hoa Lac helps him maintain a steady and productive workflow.

Truong values the opportunity to access new technologies, attend advanced training programs and work within a young and enthusiastic engineering community. These experiences, he noted, allow him to improve quickly while keeping a strong spirit of curiosity.

“Hoa Lac gives me not only knowledge and skills but also the motivation to innovate every single day,” he shared.

Looking ahead, Truong hopes the technology hub will continue expanding its creative spaces while preserving the green and peaceful character that makes Hoa Lac unique.

Associate Professor Bui Thi An, Director of the Institute for Resources, Environment and Community Development, believes that human resources are the decisive factor for Hanoi to become a true high technology center.

She emphasized that “no matter how modern the infrastructure is or how advanced the technology may be, it cannot be effective without a capable workforce to master and operate it.”

According to her, Hanoi needs to promptly review its pool of scientific and technical personnel, strengthen retraining and new training programs, and attract talent from both inside and outside the country.

“To move toward green technology, we must first have people who can master high technology,” An said.

A major strength of Hoa Lac is its model connecting universities, research institutes, and businesses. The park hosts facilities of FPT University, Vietnam Japan University, the Vietnam National University Hanoi urban campus and campus 2 of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, ensuring a continuous supply of high-quality human resources and enabling technology transfer within the park.

At the same time, Hoa Lac is increasingly asserting its role as the anchor of Hanoi’s industrial restructuring. The park is not only a high-tech infrastructure center but also a reference point encouraging satellite industrial zones such as Thach That - Quoc Oai and Bac Phu Cat to shift toward greener, more modern, higher-value models. With strong connectivity advantages, Hoa Lac is driving a wave of technological diffusion and sustainable development thinking that pushes surrounding areas toward green industry and innovation.