Vietnam shifting focus to building high-quality FDI ecosystem

Vietnam shifting focus to building high-quality FDI ecosystem

Vietnam is shifting its approach from simply attracting foreign direct investment to developing a foreign-invested economic sector and building a high-quality ecosystem for foreign investment, according to Pham Van Hoanh, VIR's editor-in-chief.

Photo: Duc Thanh

Speaking at VIR's seminar titled 'Reaching out to innovative global supply chains' in Hanoi on October 8, Hoanh addressed an audience of government agencies, diplomatic missions, businesses, business associations, and economic experts.

The event takes place as Vietnam enters a new phase of attracting and effectively utilising foreign investment, with a growing focus on quality, efficiency, and stronger linkages with domestic businesses.

On June 8, the Politburo issued Resolution No.10-NQ/TW on the development of the foreign-invested economic sector, marking a strategic shift in the Party’s approach to attracting and utilising international resources after nearly four decades since the economic reforms of the 1980s (doi moi).

Hoanh said, "The resolution represents a transition from attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to developing a foreign-invested economy; from attracting individual projects to building a high-quality FDI ecosystem; and from focusing on the scale and volume of capital to prioritising quality, efficiency and added value for the economy."

At the same time, the new approach seeks to connect international resources with domestic strengths to create new development capabilities for Vietnam’s economy in a new era of growth.

One of the key tasks identified by Resolution No.10 is to develop a strong domestic industrial ecosystem and establish substantive linkages between foreign-invested enterprises and Vietnamese businesses.

This is also among the key tasks and solutions set out in government Resolution No.280/NQ-CP, issued on September 22, on the government’s action plan to implement Resolution No.10.

Pham Van Hoanh, VIR's editor-in-chief. Photo: Duc Thanh

Speaking at the seminar, the editor-in-chief noted that after 40 years of doi moi, Vietnam remains an important destination for international investment.

The latest figures underline this trend. In the first nine months of 2026, total registered foreign investment in Vietnam reached close to $50.4 billion, up 76.4 per cent on-year, while disbursed FDI exceeded $21 billion, up over 12 per cent, and marking the highest nine-month level in five years.

“These figures are highly positive and demonstrate foreign investors’ confidence in Vietnam, particularly as global investment flows continue to slow amid geopolitical uncertainties and the impact of US tariff policies,” he said.

However, the strong inflow of capital also comes with new requirements under Resolution No.10 and Resolution No.280. “The requirement today is not simply to attract more capital, but to improve the quality of investment flows, with a focus on high technology, green technology, modern governance and stronger linkages with domestic enterprises,” he added.

This shift places greater emphasis on the ability of FDI to generate broader spillover effects across the Vietnamese economy, including through technology transfer, workforce development, improved management practices and the expansion of domestic supplier networks.

To achieve these objectives, coordinated efforts from businesses and investors, both domestic and foreign, will be essential, supported by an institutional and policy framework that is consistent, open, attractive, and effective.

Against this backdrop, VIR is organising the dialogue 'Reaching out to innovative global supply chains' to promote the implementation of Resolution No.10 and Resolution No.280, while providing a platform for businesses, policymakers and other stakeholders to share practical perspectives.

The dialogue aims to contribute to turning international resources into domestic capabilities through technology transfer, human resource development and the creation of stronger linkages between foreign-invested and Vietnamese enterprises.

The event will also examine domestic and international experience in connecting domestic and international resources, the role of financial institutions in helping Vietnam integrate more deeply into global supply chains, and the policy drivers needed to strengthen the spillover effects and linkages between the domestic economic sector and the foreign-invested sector.

The discussion is expected to provide further perspectives on how Vietnam can move beyond the traditional model of FDI attraction and develop a more interconnected investment ecosystem, in which international investment serves as a source of capital and a catalyst for strengthening domestic capabilities and enhancing the participation of Vietnamese businesses in global value chains.

VIR