Bac Ninh enjoys significant advantages in transport connectivity, logistics, and foreign investment attraction. (Photo: Huu Thang)

The newly established Bac Ninh is located in the Northern Key Economic Region and forms part of the Hanoi – Hai Phong – Quang Ninh growth triangle. It also serves as the northeastern gateway to the capital along the Lang Son – Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City economic corridor, with direct access to the trans-Asian corridor linking China’s Nanning and Singapore.

This strategic position gives the province significant advantages in transportation connectivity, logistics, and foreign investment attraction. Its network of expressways, national highways, airports, and interregional infrastructure enables Bac Ninh to serve as a vital bridge connecting the country's political and economic centre with seaports and the northern border region.

Following the merger, Bac Ninh is also well positioned to reorganise and optimise its development space. With a total natural area of 4,718.6 square kilometres and a population of approximately 3.6 million, it has become one of Vietnam's most densely populated provinces, while maintaining a relatively young demographic structure. This represents a valuable resource for advancing high-tech industries, modern services, and the digital economy in the decades ahead.

The province's expanded development space allows for more effective planning of functional zones, including concentrated industrial areas, urban centres, and high-tech agricultural regions. These advantages provide an important foundation for building a sustainable development model, while reducing pressure on core urban areas and creating new momentum for long-term growth.

In the first five months of 2026, Bac Ninh's economy maintained strong growth momentum, with a number of key indicators posting impressive results. (Photo: Soha)

Highlights following the merger

Building on these advantages, Bac Ninh's economy maintained strong growth momentum during the first five months of 2026, with numerous standout indicators. The province's industrial production index (IIP) rose by 19.53% year-on-year during the period. Total retail sales of goods were estimated at 48.06 trillion VND, up 15.14% year on year. The services sector continued its recovery and expansion, with most segments recording solid growth. Trade, transportation, accommodation, food services, and tourism activities remained vibrant, effectively meeting the production, business, and consumption needs of both enterprises and residents.

Import-export activities also sustained positive growth momentum, while business operations remained broadly stable. The province has gradually expanded its export markets, contributing to overall economic growth. Total trade turnover in the first five months was estimated at 85.3 billion USD, including exports of 41.8 billion USD, up 29.02% year-on-year, and imports of 43.45 billion USD, up 38.08%.

State budget revenue reached 47.14 trillion VND in the first five months, equivalent to 65.2% of the annual target. Of this amount, domestic revenue accounted for 40.76 trillion VND, fulfilling 69% of the provincial authorities' target.

In terms of investment attraction, Bac Ninh remains a magnet for both domestic and foreign capital. In May alone, the province attracted the equivalent of 1.04 billion USD in investment capital, bringing total investment inflows during the first five months of 2026 to more than 7.18 billion USD. Of the total investment attracted during the first five months of 2026, 98 new domestic investment projects were licensed with registered capital of 138.65 trillion VND, while 38 existing domestic projects received additional registered capital of 6.19 trillion VND. The province also approved 142 new FDI projects with a total registered capital of 466.03 million USD and 114 existing FDI projects with additional capital totalling 992.1 million USD. In terms of FDI attraction, Bac Ninh ranked fifth nationwide, behind Thai Nguyen, Ho Chi Minh City, Nghe An, and Tay Ninh.

According to the provincial master plan for the 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050, as approved and adjusted by the Prime Minister under Decisions No. 219/QD-TTg dated February 17, 2022, No. 1589/QD-TTg dated December 8, 2023, and No. 1279/QD-TTg dated October 28, 2024, as well as Decision No. 637/QD-UBND dated August 19, 2025 issued by the Bac Ninh Provincial People's Committee, the province is planned to have 52 industrial parks covering a total area of 16,138 hectares by 2030.

Delegates perform the groundbreaking ceremony for Gia Binh International Airport in Bac Ninh Province in August 2025. (Photo: VNA)

At present, the province has 43 industrial parks approved for planning, covering approximately 13,089 hectares, including approximately 8,510 hectares designated for industrial production and administrative services. Of these, 39 industrial parks have received investment approval and investor selection decisions, encompassing 58 infrastructure development projects totalling roughly 11,524 hectares. Approximately 8,151 hectares are available for industrial and administrative-service leasing, of which about 4,363 hectares have already been leased, resulting in an occupancy rate of 54%.

A total of 58 industrial park infrastructure projects have received investment policy approval, investor approval, or investment registration certificates, with combined newly registered and adjusted investment capital totalling 4.873 billion USD. This includes six FDI projects with a total newly registered and adjusted capital of 458.32 million USD, and 52 domestic projects with a total newly registered and adjusted capital of 100.27 trillion VND, equivalent to 4.415 billion USD.

Industrial parks across the province currently host 2,286 valid secondary investment projects with a combined registered capital of 45.48 billion USD. These include 1,665 active FDI projects with a total registered capital of 40.97 billion USD and 621 active domestic investment (DDI) projects with a registered capital of 114.08 trillion VND (equivalent to 4.51 billion USD).

Administrative reform efforts and the development of a facilitating, service-oriented administration in the land of Quan Ho folk songs have also gained strong momentum. A testament to this progress is Bac Ninh's recent recognition by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry as one of the Top 5 localities with the best economic governance quality nationwide in 2025. The achievement reaffirms the province's position as a leading destination for fostering a sustainable private-sector development ecosystem.

Bac Ninh continues to demonstrate its strong commitment to administrative reform through the “one-stop-shop” and “interconnected one-stop-shop” mechanisms, placing citizens and businesses at the centre of public service delivery; shortening processing times, improving the efficiency of administrative procedures, and enhancing the investment and business environment in a more open, transparent, and business-friendly manner.

Notably, Bac Ninh has effectively implemented the "24-Hour Green Lane" and "60% Green Lane" mechanisms for administrative procedures, significantly accelerating the implementation of investment projects across the province. These initiatives have created the most favourable conditions possible for businesses and investors undertaking projects in the locality.

Alongside robust economic growth, Bac Ninh's socio-economic development has become increasingly comprehensive and balanced. Trade and services have expanded dynamically in tandem with urbanisation and the enlargement of economic space. Transport, urban, and digital infrastructure continue to be developed in synchrony, creating new opportunities for growth. Agriculture is being transformed toward an ecological, high-tech, and multi-value model. Meanwhile, culture, education, healthcare, and social welfare have received sustained attention, contributing to improved living standards and well-being for local residents and providing a solid social foundation for sustainable development.

Chairman of the Bac Ninh Provincial People's Committee Pham Hoang Son (third from right) attends a ceremony honouring the five provinces and centrally governed cities with the most outstanding economic governance quality in 2025. (Photo: Bacninh.gov.vn)

Realising the goal of becoming a centrally governed city

The First Congress of the Bac Ninh Provincial Party Organisation for the 2025–2030 term has clearly defined the province's development vision: to become a centrally governed city before 2030 and to develop into a green, civilised, and modern urban centre imbued with the cultural identity of Kinh Bac by 2045. The year 2026 has been identified as a pivotal year in this new stage of development. The province aims to achieve GRDP growth of 12.5–13%, laying the foundation for sustaining double-digit growth throughout the period.

To realise its goal of becoming a centrally governed city while ensuring rapid and sustainable growth, Bac Ninh has identified three key breakthroughs that will play a decisive role. The first breakthrough is institutional reform and the development of governance capacity. The province will focus on improving mechanisms and policies; promoting decentralisation and delegation of authority in tandem with stronger inspection and oversight; enhancing administrative discipline and accountability; and building a digital, service-oriented government that measures effectiveness by the satisfaction of citizens and businesses.

The second breakthrough is human resources development. Bac Ninh considers this the most enduring and sustainable breakthrough. The province is committed to building a contingent of officials and civil servants who possess strong ethics, competence, credibility, and a willingness to innovate, take action, and assume responsibility. At the same time, it will prioritise the training and attraction of high-quality talent, particularly in high-tech industries, digital transformation, logistics, healthcare, education, and modern urban management.

The third breakthrough is the development of modern, synchronised infrastructure. The province prioritises investment in inter-regional transport connectivity, industrial park infrastructure, urban infrastructure, and digital infrastructure. It also seeks to expand development space and strengthen linkages with the capital city of Hanoi and other localities within the Capital Region.

Bac Ninh Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Hong Thai and a provincial delegation visit Samsung in Korea and hold a working session. (Photo: Business Forum)

Among these strategic breakthroughs, Bac Ninh considers planning and infrastructure development to be one step ahead. Planning must be closely aligned with regional and national master plans and guided by a long-term vision, while infrastructure must provide the "runway" for development by reducing logistics costs and enhancing production and business efficiency. At the same time, effective institutions and disciplined implementation are regarded as the decisive factors in transforming planning and infrastructure into tangible development capacity.

On this journey, the support and partnership of the business community and investors are indispensable. They are not only a vital source of resources for economic growth but also a driving force in fostering innovation, creativity, and the aspiration for sustainable development in the new era. Bac Ninh aspires to remain a trusted destination - a hub for cooperation, innovation, and long-term growth for businesses and investors, particularly those from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) community.

The province remains committed to a policy of selective investment attraction, prioritising high-tech, environmentally friendly, efficient, and sustainable projects. At the same time, it encourages stronger linkages, knowledge sharing, and mutually beneficial development between businesses and local authorities, as well as between FDI enterprises and domestic firms.

Members of the Bac Ninh Provincial Party Committee for the 2025–2030 term. (Photo: Bacninh.gov.vn)

With regard to the ASEAN market, Bac Ninh aims to further expand investment cooperation with ASEAN member states, including Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, as well as other partners in the region. The province will focus on sectors in which ASEAN has particular strengths, including industrial park infrastructure, logistics, industrial real estate, trade and services, finance, smart cities, the green economy, the digital economy, human resource development, and regional supply chain connectivity.

Bac Ninh also seeks to make effective use of free trade agreements, ASEAN intra-regional cooperation mechanisms, and the strategic partnerships between Vietnam and other ASEAN member states to strengthen investment and trade promotion, enhance the province's visibility, and elevate its position within regional production networks.

Bac Ninh has always regarded the success of businesses and investors as its own success. The province is committed to continuing to build a transparent, stable, safe, and business-friendly investment environment while accompanying the business community throughout the entire process of project research, investment, production, business operations, and sustainable development.

With the aspiration to become a leading hub for high-tech industry, innovation, and modern services in the Capital Region and across the country, Bac Ninh hopes to further expand cooperation with localities, organizations, and businesses across ASEAN and with international partners on the basis of trust, shared development, and prosperity, thereby contributing actively to the building of a dynamic, inclusive, and sustainable ASEAN Community.

Chairman of the Bac Ninh Provincial People's Committee Pham Hoang Son (in blue) introduces lychees to international investors. (Photo: Bao Ha)