Developing green and smart industrial clusters: Strategic satellites for regional industry
From 2016 to 2024, the industry in the Ha Nam, Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh provinces achieved an average growth rate of 13.25% a year, far exceeding the overall growth rate of the entire regional economy of 8.75%/year.
By 2024, the industrial sector accounted for 39.2% of the region’s GRDP structure, higher than the service sector (32.5%) and if the construction sector is included, the proportion will reach 47.9% of GRDP. This figure shows the key role of industry in the regional economy, and at the same time poses an urgent need to reorganise production space to suit the trend of green growth, circulation and regional connectivity.
Along with that development is the increasingly expanding system of ICs, which are systematically planned for each locality. In the planning period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, the total number of ICs planned in the entire merged region is 115 clusters, with a total area of more than 5,400 hectares.
Specifically, former Ha Nam province plans 21 ICs with an area of about 1,035 hectares. By the end of 2024, this locality had established 19 ICs, of which 14 were put into operation, achieving an average occupancy rate of up to 98%, creating jobs for 12,325 workers.
Former Nam Dinh province had the largest planning scale among the three localities with 70 ICs, covering a total area of 3,178.5 hectares. Up to now, it has established 36 ICs, of which 20 ICs have come into operation, attracting 545 investment projects and creating jobs for more than 20,900 workers.
As for former Ninh Binh province, it planned 24 ICs with a total area of 1,253.7 hectares. By the end of 2024, 17 ICs had been established and 13 ICs had been put into operation. With 362 investment projects under implementation, these ICs have created jobs for over 30,000 workers.
In total, after the merger, Ninh Binh province has 47 ICs in operation. The positive point is that some localities have invested in centralised wastewater treatment systems that meet standards.
The IC system is increasingly asserting its role as an important link in the development chain, especially in localities with advantages in terms of geographical location, labour and production traditions.
However, besides the achieved results, many ICs are still facing difficulties in terms of infrastructure investment progress, especially the unsynchronized environmental treatment system, and the lack of specialized clusters. On the other hand, in many rural and suburban areas, the craft village production model is still scattered, posing a potential risk of pollution and ineffective in exploiting land resources.
In addition, the structure of production industries is not clearly oriented according to the value chain or regional linkage, leading to fragmented and unsustainable exploitation of potential.
The mergence of the three provinces opens up a golden opportunity to integrate planning and systematically review the space for inter-regional industrial park development. This helps connect the industrial park system to become effective satellites for large industrial parks such as Dong Van, Bao Minh, Khanh Phu, and Gian Khau.
Nguyen Thi Hoa, Head of the Industrial Cluster Development Division under the Department of Innovation, Green Transformation and Industrial Promotion at the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that the orientation to 2030, with a vision to 2050, the industry sector of the merged province will develop ICs according to four main models: specialised ICs according to value chains, ecological ICs, high-tech ICs, ecological craft village ICs and mixed ICs associated with urban areas, agriculture and services.
She also suggested that in the period of 2025-2030, the province will pilot 1-2 specialised ICs in central areas, in which priority is given to the mechanical, assembly, textile, supporting, logistics and agricultural and aquatic product processing industries.
These ICs will not only increase intra-regional value but also help large IPs focus on key products, improving competitiveness. At the same time, the locality needs to focus on forming ecological and high-tech ICs to promote a circular production model with wastewater treatment technology, renewable energy, and green logistics.
Vu Van Hung, Director of the Centre for Industrial Promotion, Trade Promotion and Industrial Cluster Development under the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, said Ninh Binh province has determined that the industrial sector continues to be the main driving force to promote rapid economic development in a modern direction, based on the foundation of advanced science and technology, prioritising clean, sustainable and environmentally friendly industry, with priority given to ecological craft village ICs.
Hung said: "This model will focus on craft villages to create a value chain from production, processing, display, tourism, while applying clean technologies such as water circulation, energy saving, thereby both protecting the environment, preserving culture and creating sustainable livelihoods for local people".
To realize the above orientations, it is necessary to have synchronous participation from institutions to infrastructure and capacity of investors. First of all, the two-level local administrations after the merger need to urgently review and integrate the inter-provincial industrial cluster development planning to ensure effective land use, linked to the national sustainable development strategy and adaptation to climate change.
In addition, priority should be given to attracting capable infrastructure enterprises. At the same time, it is necessary to have policies to support secondary enterprises, which account for a large proportion of industrial clusters in terms of capital and technology, to encourage investment in industries using high technology, clean, low energy consumption and high added value.
Looking to the future, green and smart industrial clusters will be regional linkage centers, ecological buffer zones for large industries and sustainable development drivers for new Ninh Binh province, he added.
