US Investors: Important Partners for Saigon Hi-tech Park

 

Ho Chi Minh City picked SHTP as one of five key programmes to boost municipal social and economic development from 2006 to 2010. This is a concrete action programme for the formation and rapid development of SHTP in the economic integration process, especially in the field of hi-tech development and application.

Acting director of SHTP Mr Nguyen Dinh Mai said, after nearly five years SHTP houses over 24 Vietnamese and foreign tenants with registered investment capital of US$1.366 billion, including 12 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects and 12 domestic companies, which invested VND1,827 billion (US$114.18 million). Tenants in SHTP include many world-leading companies like Intel, Jabil, Sonion and Nidec. Currently, SHTP has 40 potential investors which have registered 132 hectares of land and over US$700 million investment capital. Seven potential investors with a combined investment capital of US$113 million want to rent pre-built factories covering 6.5 hectares, and 14 are applying for hi-tech services. Dell and Accenture are among the world renowned potential investors.

 

At present, several factories have already started operations. They bagged US$27.77 million export revenues in 2006 and hired 2,371 Vietnamese labourers. In couple with attracting FDI for production projects, SHTP also attaches great importance to developing scientific research, human resource training and talent fostering activities. SHTP has already set up a research and implementation centre, a training centre, a hi-tech nursery and hi-tech enterprises. They have researched and manufactured several hi-tech products like liquid nano carbon and waterproof, colour printing ink. SHTP is a cradle for training a hi-tech workforce.

 

US-based Intel Corp’s US$1 billion project in SHTP is the largest semiconductor chip assembly and testing plant in the world. Once in operation, the factory will generate export turnover of US$5 billion and employ 4,000 workers. Following Intel, another US hi-tech firm, Jabil, entered Ho Chi Minh City in early 2007. Jabil is a supplier of electronic product solutions. Jabil provides comprehensive and individualised solutions for electronic circuit designs and product management services for electronics companies. Jabil helps introduce electronics products onto the market more quickly and economically. In addition to production, Jabil also conducts research and development, design and especially human resource training. This lays the groundwork for SHTP to reach comprehensive and sustainable development, to become a model hi-tech park in Vietnam. Several other US-invested projects underway in SHTP are Vietnam Semiconductor Co. Ltd (VSMC) and QSIC Vietnam Co. Ltd.

 

Mr Nguyen Dinh Mai said happily, “We believe that many leading hi-tech investors from the US will come to SHTP. To increase the attractiveness to US investors in particular and international investors in general, and to fill its commercial rental area in 2009 - 2010, SHTP needs to focus on resolving three key factors: site clearance, infrastructure completion and human resource training and development. To emphasise the role of SHTP in Vietnam’s hi-tech industry, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung paid a working visit in April 2007 and demanded the municipality and relevant government agencies to quickly resolve any existing difficulties for the project.”