The Saigon Hi-tech Park has attracted many big projects of world-leading firms over the past five years. This is actually the highlight of the foreign investment promotion activities into Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City.
The park regarded direct foreign investment capital as the prerequisite step to develop high-tech fields. Thus, since the foundation, the SHTP Authority has focused on calling investment capital in three high-tech markets of the US, Japan and the EU. It has sent investment promotion delegations to Japan and other countries. Besides, with the instruction from the government and municipal authorities, the SHTP Authority patiently and creatively negotiated with Intel Group to call its investment into the park.
So far, SHTP licensed 27 domestic and foreign projects with a combined registered capital of US$1.403 billion, including 14 FDI projects valued US$1.287 billion and 13 domestic projects valued US$116 million. Domestic hi-tech investors include VTC and FPT while foreign-led projects are invested by Intel (US), Jabil (US), Sonion (Denmark) and Nidec (Japan). In 2006 alone, SHTP drew US$1.045 billion, accounting for 44 per cent in total investment capital in the city ad three projects worth of US$100 million in the first three months of 2006, or 24 per cent of city’s total FDI capital attraction value. Especially, the investment project of Intel Group made a drive for the FDI capital attraction in the SHTP.
To date, 40 potential investors have registered for 132 ha to invest over US$700 million, seven potential investors needed 6.5 ha with already-built workshops to invest US$113 million, and 14 investors registered to provide high-tech services. Many potential tenants are world-leading names such as Dell and Accenture. The above situation showed that the park has huge potentialities to draw investment capital in both production and service fields. Six operating factories generated export revenue of US$27.77 million and employed 2,371 Vietnamese workers and 26 foreigners in 2006. In 2007, SHTP is estimated to generate export revenue of US$50 million.
Together with investment attraction activities, SHTP also set up a high-tech fostering area to train high-tech engineers for the nation. Several study projects have brought in encouraging results such as producing liquid nano coal and anti-absorption ink.
Ms Le Thi Thanh My, Deputy Director of SHTP Authority, said, in the context of severe competition in attracting high-tech investment and hard work to clear site for new investment projects, the housing of big high-tech projects is the most outstanding achievement of SHTP. Although park has to focus on planning and building infrastructure and attracting investment, the Authority always follows the strategic goals of SHTP, that is, learning, technology transfer and technological renovation, My added.
Danh Binh
Vietnamese
