Phu Tho Proactively Integrates and Firmly Advances Toward Development

International integration is increasingly becoming a gauge measuring every locality’s competitive capacity — from investment climate quality, infrastructure, and human resources to technological innovation capabilities and participation in global value chains. Armed with a expanded development space post-merger, Phu Tho is proactively shifting from “opening doors to attract” to “proactively connecting to develop,” laying a solid foundation for rapid and sustainable growth.

Vinh Phuc Pharmaceutical JSC actively participates in trade fairs and exhibitions, aiming to expand domestic and international markets.

In the first 7 months of 2026, the overall Industrial Production Index (IPI) grew by 24.3% year-on-year, with the processing and manufacturing sector rising by 25.18%. Export turnover reached USD 31.53 billion, up 39.7% and fulfilling 79.8% of the annual plan; import turnover reached USD 41.9 billion, up 65.2%. Total registered Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) exceeded USD 1.9 billion, 2.6 times higher than the same period last year and surpassing the annual target by 18.9%. Across the province, over 3,000 new enterprises were established, while 730 businesses resumed operations.

Underlying these figures is an increasingly distinct shift in the local economy across international production, trade, and investment chains. While integration was previously viewed primarily from the angle of businesses shipping goods abroad, its scope today has widened significantly. For a locality to integrate effectively, it must possess the capacity to attract high-quality capital flows, absorb new technology, develop supporting industries, supply international-standard human resources, organize effective logistics, and foster a competitive business environment. This explains why Phu Tho does not define its integration goals solely through export turnover expansion. In 2025, the province’s export turnover reached approximately USD 36.8 billion; for 2026, the Industry and Trade sector set a target of USD 39.5 billion. By the end of July, the province had achieved USD 31.53 billion, creating crucial leeway to accomplish the full-year objective.

Amid rapid fluctuations in international trade, new demands from major global markets are reshaping competitive approaches. Standards concerning origin traceability, carbon emissions, environmental responsibility, social compliance, occupational safety, and supply chain transparency are increasingly becoming mandatory prerequisites for goods to travel far. Consequently, substantive integration is fundamentally a process of upgrading enterprise production and governance capabilities.

Mr. Tran Quang Tuan, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, noted that international economic integration in the new period is no longer restricted to industrial parks, but is spreading into agriculture, tourism, logistics, e-commerce, and various other sectors. With a broader development space post-merger, Phu Tho enjoys heightened advantages in infrastructure, resources, market scale, and regional connectivity to participate deeper in global economic flows.

Crucially, according to Mr. Tuan, local government must accompany businesses in a more practical manner. Beyond trade promotion, the province needs to support enterprises in elevating competitiveness, developing supporting industries, undergoing digital transformation, and satisfying international market standards.

One notable transformation in Phu Tho’s integration journey is that its investment attraction mindset is shifting strongly from quantity to quality. The expanded development space grants the province a larger market scale, industrial land banks, infrastructure, and a more diverse production ecosystem. However, in today’s global race to attract resources, traditional advantages alone are no longer sufficient. Global corporations pay growing attention to infrastructure quality, component supply capacities, human resources, digital transformation levels, environmental standards, and investment climate stability. Thus, to become a destination for new capital flows, Phu Tho must simultaneously upgrade both the “hardware” and “software” of its economy. From concentrated industrial parks and cluster networks to a gradually perfecting logistics system, the province is establishing necessary prerequisites to bridge local production with domestic and international markets. In particular, prioritizing high-tech, electronics, semiconductor, supporting industry, precision engineering, medical device, advanced material, logistics, and clean energy projects is opening up opportunities to elevate growth quality.

In early August 2026, the Provincial Investment Promotion and Business Support Center welcomed and worked with a delegation of Brazilian businesses exploring investment opportunities in electronics and semiconductors. This activity illustrates that Phu Tho’s investment promotion is increasingly targeting high-tech and high-value-added sectors.

According to Mr. Bui Hong Do, Director of the Provincial Investment Promotion and Business Support Center, Phu Tho’s point of differentiation today lies not merely in land banks or preferential policies, but is built upon a favorable business climate, synchronized connectivity infrastructure, and an increasingly complete industrial ecosystem. These serve as vital factors enabling the province to participate deeper in global value chains.

From a corporate standpoint, integration demands are also being viewed through an increasingly practical lens. Vinh Phuc Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company — a unit whose products are well-received across domestic and international markets — stands as a prime example. To meet increasingly stringent partner requirements, the enterprise invested in automated production lines, digitized quality management processes, and built a real-time product data traceability system.

Mr. Do Van Doanh, Director of the Company, stated that failing to adapt promptly to modern trends will cause businesses to lag behind or even face elimination. This reflects the shared narrative across Phu Tho’s business community. Integration opens up vast markets while triggering a rigorous filtering process. Enterprises that proactively innovate technology, build brands, elevate quality, stringently control raw materials, and satisfy international standards will gain expanded market opportunities. Conversely, production models relying mainly on low-cost advantages and basic processing will face growing competitive hurdles. Therefore, proactive integration must begin with building a highly adaptive economic ecosystem. Authorities will continue reforming administrative procedures, raising management effectiveness, and perfecting transport, industrial park, and logistics infrastructure; enterprises will proactively invest in technology, digital transformation, brand building, and human resource development; while training institutions will innovate curricula aligned with labor market demands and international production chains.

Quang Nam