Saigon Hi-Tech Park - HCMC

Saigon Hi-Tech Park (SHTP) is a project established in 2002, located at the Northeastern gateway of Ho Chi Minh City. It is one of the three high-tech parks in the country. Currently, after more than 17 years of establishment and development, SHTP has become a reliable destination for high-tech investment in Ho Chi Minh City and the whole country.

I. Overview of the Saigon Hi-Tech Park

The Saigon Hi-Tech Park is a prominent project among industrial parks in Ho Chi Minh City. It serves as a magnet for both domestic and foreign investments with the presence of many industry giants worldwide, including Samsung, Intel, with projects worth billions of dollars.

History of the Formation of the Saigon Hi-Tech Park

On October 24, 2002, the Saigon Hi-Tech Park was officially established, situated at the Northeastern gateway of the city. Over the past 20 years of formation and development, SHTP has achieved significant milestones, becoming a reliable destination for technology investment.

Scale of the Saigon Hi-Tech Park

SHTP has a large scale, divided into 7 functional zones, tax-free zones, supporting industrial zones, logistics zones, and backup power plants. The total planned area is 913 hectares.

The goal of SHTP is to attract major investors in the global technology industry, continually expanding its scale and investing in comprehensive technical infrastructure.

Investment Status

As of April 2019, SHTP had issued investment certificates for 156 projects, with a total investment of $7.136 billion. Of these, 73 projects have been operating steadily, contributing 94% of the city’s high-tech product export turnover.

SHTP is also an ideal investment destination for many large projects and corporations worldwide, including Intel (USA), Nidec (Japan), Samsung (South Korea), and Nipro (Japan).

It can be said that SHTP is a scientific space dedicated to research, development, and training. The appearance of this project has had a positive impact on the development of high-tech human resources in Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam.

Scientific and Technological Potential

Currently, SHTP has established 5 laboratories, attracting more than 30 doctors and masters. In addition, SHTP has achieved significant milestones including 40 scientific papers published in ISI international journals, 5 intellectual property products announced, and 8 commercialized products.

SHTP District 9 has 4 main blocks, with an area of about 5000m2 each, housing many potential science and technology zones. The most prominent is the Incubator Building with a budget of $72 billion VND.

With what has been and is being achieved, SHTP has affirmed its strong development. It is believed that in the future, SHTP will achieve even greater achievements in Science and Technology.

II. Location of the Saigon Hi-Tech Park

The Saigon Hi-Tech Park has a strategic location, situated alongside Hanoi Highway, extending to Belt Road 2, Tan Phu Ward, District 9. In Ho Chi Minh City, there are also many large industrial park projects such as Le Minh Xuan III Industrial Park, Dong Nam Industrial Park – Ho Chi Minh City, etc.

The project has outstanding location advantages as it is:

• Approximately 15km from the city center
• 4km from Cat Lai port
• 18km from Tan Son Nhat International Airport

In addition, SHTP also benefits from modern transportation infrastructure planning, making it easy to move and access neighboring districts and towns.

Furthermore, District 9’s high-tech park quickly accesses public amenities such as schools, residential areas, entertainment areas, shopping centers, etc. Thus, workers, experts, and employees working here enjoy the utmost convenience.

III. Infrastructure System of the Saigon Hi-Tech Park

Not only does SHTP have a prime location and strategic focus, but it also pays great attention to infrastructure to meet the stringent requirements of investors.

The Saigon Hi-Tech Park has a complete and stable technical infrastructure system, including:

Transportation System

• Consisting of 2 main roads D1, D2, with a 52-meter wide road to connect internal and external transportation.
• Internal transportation routes with road widths ranging from 19 – 32 meters, sturdy structures. Along with that are scenic landscapes on both sides of the road, lighting systems to ensure safe movement.

Electricity System

• The park’s electricity system has a capacity of 110kVA, connected to 3 different supply stations, ensuring 24/7 operation for factories.

Wastewater Treatment System

• Capacity of 20,000m3/day.

Water Supply System

• Stable water supply from Thu Duc water plant, with a capacity of up to 24,300m3/day.

Social Infrastructure

• Including kindergartens, worker residences, international clinics, expert housing areas, international schools, commercial areas, supermarkets…

IV. Industries Attracting Investment in the Saigon Hi-Tech Park

SHTP operates in various fields but mainly focuses on 4 key areas:

• Electronic wallet – Information technology – Telecommunications
• Precision mechanics, automation
• Biotechnology applied in pharmaceuticals, environment
• New energy, new materials, Nano technology

V. Investment Incentives of the Saigon Hi-Tech Park

It’s no coincidence that the Saigon Hi-Tech Park is considered an ideal investment destination for businesses. Not only does it boast a prime geographical location and modern, comprehensive technical infrastructure, but it also offers attractive and transparent investment incentive policies.

Key investment incentive policies at the Saigon Hi-Tech Park include:

Tax Incentives

Enterprises investing in the high-tech park enjoy corporate income tax incentives for 15 years. (Tax exemption for the first 4 profitable years. For the following 9 years, the tax rate increases by 5%, then 10% for the next 2 years, and after the 15-year period, the tax rate increases by 22%)

Exemption from import tax and value-added tax for imported goods and materials.

Land and Workshop Rental Incentives

Investors in the Saigon Hi-Tech Park are exempt from land rental fees during the construction period (up to 3 years). Subsequently, they are exempt from land rental fees for 15-19 years as stipulated.

Enterprises can also rent ready-built workshops with high quality and complete infrastructure at rates ranging from $3.2 to $5.5 USD/m2/month. This solution helps small and medium-sized enterprises save initial investment costs, enabling them to implement projects more quickly.

In addition to tax and land rental incentives, businesses in the high-tech park also receive support from the government. Favorable policies regarding human resources, infrastructure, and the timely assistance of city leaders and departments have helped resolve difficulties for businesses.

VI. Labor Force and Labor Costs

The abundant and youthful labor force in the Saigon Hi-Tech Park is another outstanding advantage of this project. Its geographical location near the Ho Chi Minh City National University area, coupled with favorable welfare policies, makes it easier for businesses to attract top-quality talent.

With over 55 universities, colleges, and vocational training centers in Ho Chi Minh City, the availability of skilled labor for the high-tech park is not a challenge. On the contrary, industrial training centers in the high-tech park support businesses in on-site manufacturing training, providing necessary skills for the job.

Moreover, the high-tech park is also seen as a channel for attracting Vietnamese experts who have studied and absorbed foreign scientific and technological knowledge to work.

VII. Conclusion

To date, the estimated total value of high-tech production in the high-tech park has reached $120 billion USD, with export value reaching $112.024 billion USD and import value reaching $105 billion USD. The continuous development of the Saigon Hi-Tech Park has contributed to the formation of ecosystems in the fields of electronics, information technology, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, precision mechanics, automation, and new materials technology.

The success of the Saigon Hi-Tech Park in District 9 is the premise for the city to propose the establishment of a second high-tech park. It is hoped that the information in this article from TTTFIC Group has provided customers with the most comprehensive overview of this ideal investment destination.