Hà Nội aims to turn Hòa Lạc into integrated innovation system to attract tech giants, drive growth

Hà Nội aims to turn Hòa Lạc into integrated innovation system to attract tech giants, drive growth

Hòa Lạc's competitive advantage should not rely solely on land availability or infrastructure, but on its ability to create a sustainable environment for research, innovation and technology development.

An aerial view of Hoà Lạc Hi-Tech Park. The park currently hosts 113 investment projects. — VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hùng

Hà Nội plans to transform the Hòa Lạc Hi-Tech Park into an integrated innovation ecosystem combining research, high-tech manufacturing, high-quality human resource and modern infrastructure as it seeks to attract global technology companies and position the park as the leading science and technology hub.

Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee Trần Đức Thắng said Hòa Lạc should be developed as part of the broader growth strategy for western Hà Nội, with stronger links to the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, research institutes, satellite urban areas, transport infrastructure and a planned Hòa Lạc airport.

He asked for a shift from attracting individual investment projects to building a complete technology ecosystem capable of drawing strategic domestic and international investors.

"Hòa Lạc's competitive advantage should not rely solely on land availability or infrastructure, but on its ability to create a sustainable environment for research, innovation and technology development," Thắng said.

Only with a fully integrated innovation ecosystem spanning research, education, testing, manufacturing and technology commercialisation, could Hòa Lạc to compete with regional technology hubs and attract investment in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, digital technology, electronics, biotechnology and other strategic industries, he stressed.

The city will accelerate site clearance, review investment incentives and administrative procedures, strengthen the park's management structure together with developing supporting infrastructure to create an environment attractive to scientists, engineers and technology professionals, Thắng said.

The capital city is determined to reclaim land from delayed or underperforming projects to make room for new investors, he stressed.

New model

An aerial view of Hoà Lạc Hi-Tech Park. The park currently hosts 113 investment projects. — VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hùng

Vice Chairman of the Hà Nội People's Committee Trương Việt Dũng said Hòa Lạc had reached the limits of its traditional development model and should instead place technology enterprises at the centre of its growth strategy with priority on projects with high technological content and greater spillover effects across the capital's innovation ecosystem.

Drawing on international experience, Dũng said a sustainable high-tech park should be built around a '1+1' ecosystem combining advanced technology with a modern urban environment, rather than functioning solely as an industrial park.

"Hòa Lạc should become not only a centre for research and innovation but also a hub that generates economic value and drives innovation for the capital," he said.

A key priority is to develop a comprehensive master plan to transform Hòa Lạc into a science and technology city, he said.

Dũng also urged focus on attracting skilled workers and strategic investors, upgrading transport infrastructure, developing smart urban governance, mobilising investment capital, ensuring clean energy supplies and completing strategic planning while expanding commercial, service and residential facilities.

On infrastructure, Dũng called for faster construction of Metro Line No. 5 linking Hòa Lạc with Vietnam National University, nearby smart urban areas and the Việt Nam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, alongside investments in public transport, digital infrastructure and green energy to meet the needs of high-tech manufacturers.

Võ Nguyên Phong, director of the Hà Nội Department of Industry and Trade, said the city was working closely with EVN Hà Nội to ensure adequate power infrastructure for Hòa Lạc Hi-Tech Park as demand from high-tech industries grows. The city is also coordinating with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to develop green and clean electricity supplies to meet the sustainability requirements of high-tech investors.

Phong also called for a review of the park's master plan to create more integrated industrial space and improve land-use efficiency, while accelerating the development of housing for experts, engineers and workers to help attract skilled talent and support sustainable growth.

Policy incentives

An aerial view of Hoà Lạc Hi-Tech Park. The park currently hosts 113 investment projects. — VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hùng

According to the management board, high-tech parks and industrial parks in the capital city attracted investment worth US$848.5 million in the first half of 2026, up 28.6 per cent from the total recorded in all of 2025 and 16.2 per cent above this year's target.

Enterprises in the parks generated revenue of about $6.7 billion during the period, up 9.3 per cent year-on-year, while exports reached $4.04 billion, accounting for 38 per cent of Hà Nội's total exports. Budget contributions rose 20 per cent to around VNĐ11 trillion ($420 million).

For Hòa Lạc, the park currently hosts 113 investment projects. Among them, a flagship project is a $1.3 billion semiconductor component manufacturing plant developed by Viettel on a 27ha site, which is expected to help establish a domestic semiconductor research, design and manufacturing ecosystem.

The park still faces several bottlenecks as about 87.7ha of land has yet to be cleared, commercial land occupancy stands at only around 42 per cent, together with a lack of synchronous infrastructure connectivity.  

The management board has proposed that the city allocate about VNĐ8.3 trillion by 2030 to complete technical, digital and social infrastructure, while establishing a dedicated task force to attract strategic investors.

The management board plans to seek approval to expand Hòa Lạc Hi-Tech Park in line with the capital's master plan while accelerating the rollout of 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure across its high-tech parks and industrial parks as well as investment in Hòa Lạc's technical infrastructure.

Hà Nội has introduced a series of new policies aimed at improving the investment environment for high-tech industries, including the municipal People’s Council’s Resolution 40 issued in June 15, which provides preferential mechanisms for the management and development of high-tech parks.

The resolution is expected to strengthen investor confidence, accelerate infrastructure development and create ready-to-use land to accommodate large-scale high-tech projects, Lê Thanh Sơn, deputy head of the Hanoi High-Tech and Industrial Parks Management Board, said.

Local authorities said that Hòa Lạc would be at the centre of the city's push to develop digital infrastructure and attract high-tech investment.

Lê Trung Hiếu, deputy director of the Hà Nội Department of Finance, said Hà Nội's investment strategy had shifted from focusing mainly on traditional urban and transport infrastructure to developing digital infrastructure as the foundation for the digital economy and smart-city development.

He said Hà Nội would support investors throughout the project cycle while promoting AI-enabled infrastructure and smart-city technologies to enhance the park's competitiveness.

Priority will be given to semiconductor manufacturing, chip design and other strategic industries, with technology transfer requirements intended to strengthen domestic technological capabilities and build a sustainable innovation ecosystem. 

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