Green Industry – Services – Urban Development: Linking the Southeast Economic Region

The former Ba Ria – Vung Tau is now a large-scale industrial–service–urban complex playing a strategic role along Ho Chi Minh City’s new Ring Roads 3 and 4, directly connected to the former Bình Dương. This interconnected structure is forming a region-wide supply chain with the capacity and international stature to meet the demands of a modern megacity after the merger.

Phasing Out Polluting Factories, Developing Clean Industry

After years of implementing comprehensive policies, the former Ba Ria – Vung Tau has relocated or converted dozens of pollution-causing production facilities away from residential areas and coastal zones. New industrial parks such as Phu My 3 and My Xuan B1 – Tien Hung have been built to international environmental management standards, meeting criteria for cleaner production and energy efficiency.

According to the former provincial Department of Industry and Trade, between 2021 and 2024, more than 65% of newly registered industrial investment projects in the former Ba Ria – Vung Tau were in high-tech, clean production sectors that are not labor-intensive, affirming the region’s sustainable development direction.

Connecting the Global Value Chain: Logistics – Ports – Industrial Parks

With the Cai Mep – Thi Vai deep-water port cluster—one of the few ports in Asia capable of accommodating container ships over 200,000 DWT—the former Ba Ria – Vung Tau has become Vietnam’s strategic maritime gateway. From here, goods can be shipped directly to Europe and North America without transshipment, reducing shipping times by 7–10 days compared to many other ports in the region.

In addition, the establishment of large-scale logistics centers adjacent to industrial parks and ports—integrating cold storage and value-added services—is creating a complete supply chain, meeting the needs of key export industries such as electronics, textiles, seafood processing, and heavy industrial products.

Phu My and the New Urban Model: Multi-Segment Development

Phu My, a major industrial and logistics hub, is emerging as a “next-generation industrial city” by harmoniously integrating manufacturing, services, and residential life. New urban areas such as Phu My New City and the Cai Mep riverside eco-urban zone are being planned with comprehensive commercial, educational, healthcare, and entertainment facilities to attract not only workers but also experts, engineers, and their families to settle long-term.

The simultaneous development of commercial residential areas and eco-urban zones creates a balance between industrial growth and quality of life. Green spaces, riverside parks, and community sports facilities are interwoven with factories and export-processing zones, clearly embodying the “green industrial city” approach.

This development is turning Phu My into a model for a multi-segment urban area—where residents can work, live, and enjoy leisure activities within the same urban space while helping distribute the population more evenly across the new Ho Chi Minh City megacity.

Planning to 2050: Increasing the Share of Services and Green Industry

Key service sectors include international logistics, finance, insurance, e-commerce, port support services, luxury tourism, and premium healthcare. Additionally, new industrial parks will be planned adjacent to urban areas to shorten commute times, reduce transport emissions, and optimize infrastructure use.
A major highlight is the direction to build a “green industrial–service–urban corridor” along Ring Roads 3 and 4 and inter-regional expressways, creating a sustainable development axis that enables the new Ho Chi Minh City megacity to achieve both economic growth and environmental protection goals.

With its infrastructure advantages, long-term planning vision, and strong integration within the Southeast regional network, the former Ba Ria – Vung Tau holds a strategic position in the new Ho Chi Minh City’s multi-polar structure. Its industrial–service–urban linkage model not only drives economic growth but also helps create a high-quality living environment, strengthening the megacity’s position on the global map.

By Minh Long