New blueprint for Hà Nội's future fuels innovation, sustainable growth

New blueprint for Hà Nội's future fuels innovation, sustainable growth

The master plan with a 100-year vision reflects the capital's aspiration to strengthen its role as Việt Nam's leading economic centre through clearly defined development targets and a comprehensive implementation programme.

People at a recent exhibition check out the citywide land use development map and technical infrastructure plan. — VNA/VNS Photo

Hà Nội's newly approved Master Plan with a 100-year vision is drawing strong support from the business community and economic experts, who say the ambitious blueprint provides a long-term roadmap for transforming the capital into a regional innovation hub while creating fresh opportunities for investment, technology development and sustainable growth.

The master plan reflects the capital's aspiration to strengthen its role as Việt Nam's leading economic centre through clearly defined development targets and a comprehensive implementation programme.

Among the plan's most closely watched objectives are its ambitious economic growth targets. 

Hà Nội aims to achieve annual Gross Regional Domestic Product growth of 11 per cent during both the 2026-2035 and 2036-2045 periods, before moderating to 5 per cent between 2046 and 2065 and 4.5 per cent from 2066 to 2085.

Beyond 2085, the capital envisions itself as a prosperous, harmonious and globally connected city that preserves its thousand-year cultural heritage while serving as a regional hub for trade, knowledge and innovation. 

The plan also envisages a multi-layered urban structure supported by a spatial economy and seamless connectivity with major economic centres across Asia and the world.

To achieve these objectives, Hà Nội has identified knowledge, science and technology and innovation as the core drivers of future development, in line with the Politburo's Resolution 57.

FPT Corporation Chairman Trương Gia Bình said the city's long-term vision aligns closely with the national strategy of building a knowledge-based economy driven by technological innovation.

"The vision is fully aligned with Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm's call to awaken the nation's aspiration for development in the era of the nation's rise and the Government's direction for Hà Nội to pioneer a modern urban governance model," Bình said.

Drawing comparisons with global metropolitan centres such as Tokyo and Seoul, Bình said cities that have successfully achieved international prominence have combined digital transformation with the preservation of cultural heritage.

"With the goal of becoming an Asia-Pacific innovation centre by 2045, Hà Nội has every opportunity to become a pearl of global knowledge," he said.

FPT also pledged to contribute directly to the city's long-term ambitions through investment in a digital workforce and technology development.

According to Bình, the company plans to work with the city to develop a digital competency framework and expand skilled workforce training programmes to improve digital literacy and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.

"If millions of people master and apply AI and digital technologies in their work and daily lives, Hà Nội will become the birthplace of billion-dollar technology companies," he said.

FPT also proposed developing Tây Tựu area, located in the northwestern part of Hà Nội, about 15–20 km west of Hoàn Kiếm Lake, into a regional 'living laboratory' where education, research and technology testing are integrated into a single innovation ecosystem.

The project would aim to attract leading global researchers, investors and technology specialists in strategic sectors including AI, semiconductors and the Internet of Things, helping establish Tây Tựu as one of the capital's flagship technology hubs.

People at a recent exhibition check out the citywide land use development map and technical infrastructure plan. — VNA/VNS Photo

International investors also welcomed the capital's long-term development strategy.

Na Ki Hong, general director of Samsung Vietnam, described workforce development as one of the master plan's most important priorities, particularly its goal of making Hà Nội the country's leading centre for high-quality talent through stronger cooperation between Government agencies, educational institutions and businesses.

"In the next few years, we will continue working alongside Hà Nội to implement programmes that strengthen innovation capacity and nurture talent in line with the Politburo's Resolution 57 and the city's development strategy," Hong said.

Samsung said it would continue expanding initiatives that promote technology education, innovation and workforce development as part of its long-term partnership with the capital.

While businesses pledged investment and expertise, economists stressed that successful implementation of the master plan will depend on Hà Nội's ability to mobilise sufficient financial resources and maintain an attractive investment environment.

Deputy director of the Vietnam Real Estate Market Research Institute Trần Xuân Lương said the plan would create significant opportunities for urban and economic development, but would require substantial funding to become reality.

"A 100-year vision cannot be realised without adequate capital to develop strategic infrastructure, build new urban areas and implement key projects," he said.

Lương said mobilising resources from the State budget, the private sector and both domestic and international investors would be critical to achieving the plan's objectives.

He also noted that Hà Nội would need to navigate uncertainties arising from global economic and geopolitical developments, including pandemics, conflicts and shifts in the international economy.

"Overall, the opportunities currently outweigh the challenges," Lương said. "Rapid advances in science and technology have created conditions that were previously unavailable, from advanced foundation engineering and underground urban development to smart city management solutions."

He added that Việt Nam remains an attractive destination for foreign investment and that consistent implementation of the master plan could create a new development space while laying the foundation for a higher-quality growth cycle.

To support these ambitions, Hà Nội has stepped up efforts to improve its investment climate through administrative reform, greater transparency and more efficient business procedures aimed at attracting long-term investors. 

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