HCM City’s greatest competitive advantage currently lies in the Can Gio – Con Dao maritime economic space, supported by a long-established network of seaports, logistics, and oil and gas infrastructure.

Green energy, LNG, offshore wind, maritime logistics, and
high-tech industries are poised to become the new “growth engines”
for Vietnam’s largest metropolis.

This vision was the focal point of the seminar “Ho Chi
Minh City: Resilience from Industry – Energy – High-Tech Services,” held
on May 14 in Hanoi.

During the event, experts argued that energy should no
longer be viewed merely as infrastructure or power supply, but as the
foundational platform for restructuring the city’s growth model in the coming
period.

According to Director of the Institute for Policy Management
and Development Strategy, Ms. Le Nguyen Thien Nga, the southern city must move beyond
traditional mindsets.

“Energy development must be integrated into a holistic
ecosystem encompassing green energy, digital energy, artificial intelligence,
and high-tech industries across the entire Southeast region,” said Ms. Nga.

She emphasized that to go the distance and see Vietnamese
enterprises enter the Fortune Global 500, the government must provide
experimental mechanisms—or “sandboxes”—large enough for leading
domestic firms to take the lead.

Ms. Nga further noted that the primary bottleneck is not
necessarily a lack of policy mechanisms, but rather the absence of a robust
“national governance architecture” capable of connecting, analyzing, and
operating data for policy planning. Without this foundation, efforts toward
digital transformation, smart cities, or integrated industrial-energy
ecosystems will struggle to achieve real effectiveness.

Dr. Du Van Toan, an expert in marine and island
environments, highlighted that HCM City’s greatest competitive advantage
currently lies in the Can Gio – Con Dao maritime economic space, supported by a
long-established network of seaports, logistics, and oil and gas
infrastructure. This provides more than just a gateway for shipping; it offers
the potential to create a regional “hub” for industrial, energy, and
maritime technical services.

Specifically, the offshore wind value chain extends far
beyond power generation, driving growth in marine engineering, foundation
manufacturing, maritime logistics, and environmental data services.

At the seminar, many participants agreed that the city is
entering a critical transition phase as its traditional growth drivers approach
their limits.

Dr. Nguyen Duc Kien, former Vice Chairman of the National
Assembly’s Economic Committee, stated that the city would struggle to maintain
long-term growth if it continues to rely on traditional industrial models based
on low-cost labor and land-intensive industries. The city must pivot toward a
model driven by high-tech industries, clean energy, innovation, and
high-quality technical services.

As Ho Chi Minh City’s development space has been expands since the neighboring provinces of Binh Duong and Ba Ria – Vung Tau were merged into it. As a result,  its structure is evolving from a monocentric urban model into a “regional
megacity.” This new model is built on economic connectivity, integrated
logistics, energy, and technology.

Sharing this perspective, Dr. Tran Quang Thang, Director of
the HCMC Institute of Economics and Management, asserted that the core issues
remain institutional frameworks and development space.

“Only when institutional mechanisms are broad enough to
foster regional linkages can the city truly form a new growth ecosystem for the
entire Southeast region of the country,” said Mr. Thang.

Vneconomy-Dũng Huỳnh