As Vietnam's cost advantage gradually narrows, management capability and operational quality are emerging as the new “competitive keys" for the country's industrial parks (IPs). From infrastructure systems to investor support services, adopting professional operational standards is seen as an essential step toward retaining next-generation FDI inflows.
Redefining Positioning to Keep Pace with a New Era
At the Vietnam National Industrial Real Estate Forum 2025, Mr. Zhang Deng, Director of UNI-T Vietnam, shared that choosing Vietnam was a strategic decision within the corporation's global expansion plan. However, operating a factory in Vietnam has proven far from simple.
Procedures related to fire safety or environmental impact assessment remain complex, often taking significant time to receive approval. Moreover, the greatest challenge the company faces is workforce-related — while Vietnam has a young labor force, the number of skilled and experienced workers in high-tech industries remains limited.
According to Mr. Nguyen Khac Son, CEO of IMC Industrial Park Management JSC, UNI-T's story is far from unique. In many localities, FDI enterprises are facing similar challenges: complex legal procedures, a shortage of skilled labor, rising operating costs, and increasingly stringent global requirements regarding environmental, governance, and emission standards.
For decades, Vietnam's industrial park model has contributed greatly to economic growth, job creation, and FDI attraction. Yet, the traditional “land development – land leasing" model is now showing its limitations. Many parks have focused on expanding land areas and leveraging cheap labor and tax incentives, while lacking supply-chain connectivity, efficient resource use, and sustainable environmental management.
Meanwhile, the new wave of FDI demands stricter compliance with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards, digital transformation, emission reduction, and, most importantly, high-quality operation and management services.
Next-generation FDI enterprises impose stricter ESG requirements. Photo: Pinterest
The rise of new industrial park models such as industrial-urban complexes, service-based parks, and eco-industrial parks has introduced additional requirements, calling for professional management teams to ensure operational efficiency and enhance tenant appeal.
Building Service Ecosystems to Attract FDI Enterprises
Experts agree that Vietnam's industrial parks are at a critical point of transformation — shifting from pure infrastructure leasing to developing comprehensive, green, smart, and sustainable ecosystems. As international standards tighten, management capability and operational quality have become the decisive factors in retaining global investors.
For over a decade, IMC has partnered with numerous developers and FDI enterprises in managing industrial park infrastructure operations. The company is also applying advanced technologies to develop smart, green IP models aligned with ESG criteria.
At Quang Minh Industrial Park (Hanoi), IMC has deployed a Smart Operations Center equipped with hundreds of IoT sensors, AI cameras, and a real-time environmental monitoring platform. This system enables early anomaly detection, automatic alerts, and proactive maintenance.
Smart Industrial Park Operations Center developed by IMC
In addition, IMC serves as a “bridge" between enterprises and local authorities, assisting with legal procedures and connecting clean energy projects such as rooftop solar power.
At present, IMC is advising seven traditional industrial parks on their transformation toward eco-industrial models and four new parks that have achieved official EIP (Eco-Industrial Park) standards.
As a member of ROX Key Holdings — part of the ROX Group ecosystem — IMC inherits comprehensive capabilities across operations management, human resources, technology, and communications. The company provides a fully integrated suite of services for industrial parks, including infrastructure management, wastewater treatment, security, sanitation, landscaping, and financial solutions in partnership with MSB Bank.
The “one-stop, multi-service" model offered by IMC and ROX Key enables industrial park enterprises to reduce costs, optimize operations, and maintain a professional working environment.
“Amid global fluctuations in tariffs and rising costs, FDI investors need more than land or tax incentives — they require a long-term supportive ecosystem. From project preparation and operations to expansion, comprehensive and professional support is the key for Vietnam to retain and sustainably grow FDI inflows," emphasized Mr. Khac Son.