The announcement of the adjusted Provincial Master Plan for the 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050, is opening up new development space for Nghe An. Shifting from development based on administrative boundaries towards an interconnected economic spatial development model, Nghe An is gradually affirming its role as a new growth pole for the North Central region and the country as a whole.

Decoding Nghe An’s investment appeal

In the race to attract international investment, Nghe An is distinguishing itself through the proactive implementation of its “Five Readiness” strategy: ready land, ready infrastructure, ready human resources, ready investment environment, and ready administration committed to working alongside businesses. For Nghe An, these are not merely policy orientations on paper but have been translated into tangible resources and measurable results.

In terms of land availability, under Prime Minister’s Decision No. 490/QD-TTg, the Southeast Nghe An Economic Zone has been expanded to 104,269.94 hectares, including 93,319.94 hectares of land and 10,950 hectares of sea area. The economic zone currently has nine industrial parks with a combined area of more than 2,700 hectares and an occupancy rate of over 50%.

Nghe An is accelerating the development of large-scale industrial parks, including VSIP 1, VSIP 2, VSIP 3, WHA Phase II, Hoang Mai I, Hoang Mai II and Tho Loc, creating serviced land ready to meet the stringent requirements of global investors. During 2025–2030, the province plans to establish an additional eight to 10 industrial parks covering approximately 3,000 hectares, positioning itself to accommodate large-scale investment projects.

In terms of infrastructure, Nghe An is developing an integrated multimodal infrastructure system. The Vinh–Thanh Thuy Expressway, which broke ground on April 30, 2026, is opening up an east-west economic corridor with direct connections to Laos, Northeast Thailand and Myanmar. Together with the upgrading of Vinh International Airport, the acceleration of the Cua Lo deep-water port project, and proactive preparations for compensation and land clearance for the North-South high-speed railway, Nghe An is completing a comprehensive connectivity network.

In terms of human resources, the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee has issued Resolution No. 10-NQ/TU on the development of high-quality human resources through 2045. The resolution aims to build a pool of experts, science and technology professionals and comprehensive management personnel, while promoting innovation and digital transformation. This is regarded as the “golden key” and a strategic breakthrough for Nghe An.

In terms of the investment environment, Nghe An is accelerating digital transformation, with more than 80% of administrative procedures digitized and integrated into the National Public Service Portal, helping reduce processing times for businesses by 20–40%. The province has also established specialized task forces to support businesses from the earliest stages of their projects.

Notably, Decision No. 3329/QD-UBND issued by the Chairman of the Nghe An Provincial People’s Committee allows 174 administrative procedures in the fields of culture, sports and tourism to be carried out independently of administrative boundaries, helping businesses save maximum time and costs.

At the same time, Vo Trong Hai, Chairman of the Nghe An Provincial People’s Committee, has directed efforts to decisively resolve bottlenecks related to land clearance and construction materials, while committing to disbursing 100% of public investment capital.

The Nghe An provincial leadership has pledged to continue building a developmental, action-oriented and service-driven administration; accelerate administrative reform; improve the quality of governance; create a transparent, stable and business-friendly investment environment; and accompany businesses throughout the entire lifecycle of their projects.

Nghe An’s economy continued to make a strong breakthrough in the first six months of the year. The industrial and construction sector grew by 14.32%, while the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) rose 23.01%. Notably, FDI reached US$2.32 billion, placing Nghe An third nationwide in FDI attraction. Newly registered and additional investment capital totaled VND74.44 trillion, 4.5 times higher than in the same period of 2025.

Positioning a new development space

The adjusted Nghe An Provincial Master Plan for the 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050, restructures the province’s development space around one key development center, the Southeast Nghe An Economic Zone; two growth poles, comprising the southern area associated with Vinh–Cua Lo and the northern area centered on Hoang Mai–Dong Hoi–Thai Hoa–Nghia Dan; three development zones, including the plains and coastal area, the midlands, and the western mountainous area; and four development pillars, focusing on industry, modern trade and services, high-tech agriculture, and the marine economy.

The plan identifies five economic corridors: the coastal corridor; the Ho Chi Minh Road corridor; the National Highway 7A corridor connecting to Nam Can International Border Gate; the National Highway 48A corridor; and the Vinh–Thanh Thuy Expressway corridor combined with National Highway 46, creating a connectivity network with Laos and Northeast Thailand. In addition, six dynamic urban areas have been identified: Vinh, Hoang Mai, Thai Hoa, Dien Chau, Do Luong and Tra Lan–Con Cuong.

At the conference announcing the adjusted Provincial Master Plan and promoting investment in Nghe An on July 31, Deputy Prime Minister Lê Tiến Châu noted that Nghe An has all the foundations needed to become an important growth pole for the North Central region and the country, thanks to a rare combination of advantages.

These include its vast and diverse natural landscape, encompassing mountainous, midland, delta, urban, border and coastal areas; its location along Vietnam’s north-south axis; and its role as a gateway to the sea for Laos and Northeast Thailand. The province is also home to Vinh, a major center for education, healthcare, trade and services in the North Central region; the Western Nghe An World Biosphere Reserve; the Southeast Nghe An Economic Zone; and a rapidly developing industrial base.

These advantages are being reinforced by growing capital inflows and the expanding presence of major domestic and international corporations and investors. Nghe An continues to strengthen the confidence of major companies such as SK of South Korea, Sun Group and AEON of Japan, alongside leading global industrial park developers. Their presence is providing additional momentum for economic restructuring and the expansion of the province’s growth space.

As a company that has been operating in the locality for more than a decade, Teng Wei Hong, General Director of VSIP Nghe An Co., Ltd., said that after more than 10 years of investment, VSIP has developed three industrial parks and one urban-service area in Nghe An, attracting more than US$3.2 billion in FDI to the Southeast Nghe An Economic Zone. VSIP is committed to continuing to work alongside the province to develop a new generation of green and smart industrial parks and promote investment in Industrial Park No. 9 to attract high-tech investment flows.

Meanwhile, Dispong Pornchanoknart, Country Director of WHA Group, said the Group chose Nghe An because of its confidence in the province’s strategic location and abundant human resources. The decision has proven to be the right one, with the first phase of the WHA Industrial Zone, covering 500 hectares, now more than 60% occupied and having attracted over US$1.5 billion in investment. The Group is currently implementing the second phase, covering 250 hectares, and aims to develop 2,000 hectares of industrial parks in Nghe An.

The tangible results in investment attraction, together with the adjusted Provincial Master Plan, have laid a solid foundation for Nghe An to enter a new phase of development. The province aims for enterprises in its industrial parks and economic zones to contribute 25–30% of total local budget revenues, create jobs for 150,000 workers, and attract US$5–6 billion in new FDI.

Emphasizing the province’s political determination to turn strategic orientations into reality, Mr. Nguyen Khac Than, Secretary of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, affirmed that the planning can only realize its full value when its orientations are translated into concrete projects, works and products that generate jobs, incomes and budget revenues, while continuously improving the material and spiritual well-being of the people.

SecretaryNguyen Khac Than called on businesses and investors to implement their projects on schedule and ensure quality and efficiency, guided by the principle: “Once we say it, we must do it; once we commit, we must deliver; once implementation begins, we must ensure progress, quality and efficiency.”

This is a decisive condition for Nghe An to successfully achieve its target of average GRDP growth of 11–12% per year during 2026–2030