The province held an investment promotion conference on Tuesday to attract investors for seaport, inland port and logistics projects.

Truong Van Tien, director of Khanh Hoa's Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center, said the province's strategic location, nearly 500 km of coastline and access to the East Sea positioned it as an important gateway linking the southeastern, Central Highlands and south-central coast economic regions.

He said improving transport infrastructure and extensive coastal resources would support the province's ambitions to develop maritime industries, international transshipment logistics, high-tech manufacturing, and smart urban areas.

The strategic locations of Van Phong deep-water port and Ca Na general port provide a foundation for developing port services, logistics, shipbuilding, energy and other marine industries, Tien said.

Under the province's revised 2021-2030 development plan, with a vision to 2050, seaports, inland ports and logistics centers are expected to become the backbone of the province's maritime economy, supporting industrial development, energy, trade, shipping services, imports and exports, and regional connectivity.

Khanh Hoa said it aims to attract financially strong investors, global port operators and shipping lines to invest in and operate key port facilities across the province.

Priority projects include the North Van Phong International Transshipment Port, container terminals in South Van Phong, and general and specialized ports in Cam Ranh and Ca Na.

Provincial authorities said investor selection for strategically sensitive areas, particularly port facilities in Cam Ranh Bay, would be subject to strict national defence, security and sovereignty requirements.

The province also encouraged joint ventures between domestic and foreign companies to facilitate the transfer of modern port management technologies and said it would step up investment promotion in countries with advanced maritime industries.

Tien said Khanh Hoa is prioritizing investment in seaport expansion and operation at North Van Phong, South Van Phong, Cam Ranh and Ca Na, including container terminals, transshipment ports, general cargo ports, bulk and liquid cargo terminals, LNG facilities and international cruise terminals.

The province is also seeking investment in logistics centers, inland container depots, bonded warehouses, cold storage facilities, distribution centers, multimodal transport infrastructure, port logistics services, shipbuilding and repair, digital logistics, and green and smart ports.

Khanh Hoa plans to develop four logistics centers located in Van Phong Economic Zone, South Cam Ranh, Ca Na and Ninh Chu. The proposed facilities include a 40-hectare regional logistics center in Van Phong Economic Zone, a 60-hectare logistics center in Ca Na, a 20-30 hectare Class II logistics center in South Cam Ranh, and a 30-hectare logistics center in Ninh Chu.

The province also plans four inland container depots at Van Phong, Cam Ranh, Loi Hai and Ca Na.

Khanh Hoa has designated 20 industrial parks covering a combined 6,122 hectares, including five operational parks and five currently under construction.

Authorities are seeking investors for four industrial parks covering more than 1,300 hectares, while six additional industrial parks with a combined area of 1,705 hectares have been proposed by investors, representing planned investment of more than 20.8 trillion ($798 million).

Provincial officials said the expanding network of industrial parks, energy projects, manufacturing facilities and transport infrastructure would strengthen Khanh Hoa's role as a logistics, transshipment and distribution hub for Vietnam's south-central coast and Central Highlands regions.

The province is focusing on attracting investment for four industrial parks - Nam Cam Ranh (352 ha), Xuan Son (200 ha), Dien Tho (300 ha), and Ca Na phase 2 (449.2 ha) - covering a total area of over 1,301 hectares.

Additionally, six industrial parks are currently being proposed by investors - Ninh Diem 3 (290 ha), Ninh Diem 2 (215 ha), Ninh Tho (370 ha), Ninh An (150 ha), Ninh Son (480 ha), and Van Luong (200 ha) - with a combined area of 1,705 ha and a total registered investment capital exceeding VND20.87 trillion ($795 million).

With its increasingly well-developed system of economic zones, industrial parks, energy and processing industry projects, and inter-regional transport networks, Khanh Hoa is well-positioned to become a key hub for the consolidation, transshipment, and distribution of goods for the south-central coast and Central Highlands regions. The province seeks to partner with investors who possess strategic vision and strong technological capabilities.

The province said investors in Van Phong Economic Zone would benefit from streamlined investment procedures, while strategic investors meeting regulatory requirements would be eligible for investment incentives and preferential project selection mechanisms.

Nguyen Thanh Ha, Vice Chairman of the Khanh Hoa People's Committee, said the province's 2026-2030 seaport development plan envisions North Van Phong becoming an international transshipment port capable of handling container vessels of up to 24,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), cargo ships of up to 250,000 tons, and cruise ships of up to 225,000 gross tonnage (GT).

South Van Phong is planned as a general cargo and container port handling vessels of up to 18,000 TEUs, supported by modern logistics services.

Cam Ranh port will serve the Central Highlands region and accommodate cargo ships of up to 70,000 tons while maintaining facilities for international cruise ships and supporting national defence objectives.

The province also plans to develop Ca Na into a deep-water port complex serving industrial and energy projects, including LNG and petroleum imports, capable of receiving vessels exceeding 100,000 tons.

Nha Trang port will be converted into a tourism-focused port serving international cruise ships, while port facilities in the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago will be upgraded to support economic development alongside defence and security requirements.

Ha said the province also plans to develop green and smart ports by deploying automated cargo handling systems, Internet of Things (IoT)-based digital management, and integrated customs clearance platforms.

He said Khanh Hoa would prioritize public investment to complete shared infrastructure and external transport links while accelerating planning approvals and site clearance for industrial parks surrounding the ports such as Ninh Xuan 1, Ninh Xuan 2, Ninh Son, Xuan Son, Nam Cam Ranh, Dien Tho, and Ca Na - to ensure they are ready for handover to investors for project implementation.

During the conference, the provincial Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center signed memorandums of understanding with Trung Nam Construction Investment Corp and Phuc Gia Import-Export JSC to cooperate on the development of seaport, inland port and logistics projects.

Ninh Thuan and Khanh Hoa provinces were merged last July to form the new Khanh Hoa which borders Dak Lak province, Lam Dong province and the East Sea.