A Vision Where Every Farmer Feels Part of the Global Chain
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One day, even the farmer who grows rice will feel that he is part of a global value chain.
The apprentice in a rural village will realize that he, too, is an essential link in a strategic industry.
At that moment, an industrial cluster will no longer be an abstract concept — it will be a living, breathing organism, pulsing within the heart of every Vietnamese countryside.
From the National Assembly to the Rice Fields
On June 19, 2025, at the National Assembly Hall, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Lê Minh Hoan quickly penned down his thoughts after hearing Minister of Finance Nguyễn Văn Thắng mention the term “industrial cluster” during a questioning session.
He wrote spontaneously, as the idea had long been on his mind — a reflection of his deep concern for how local economies could grow through better connectivity and shared purpose.
Searching for a New Path for Regional Economies
As provinces across Vietnam seek new ways to strengthen regional economies, improve product value, and expand industrial spaces, two familiar terms often arise:
industrial parks and industrial clusters.
Many localities have built large industrial parks at record speed, believing that factories alone could drive growth. Yet, over time, they have had to ask themselves:
“If factories are running, why aren’t value chains stronger? Why aren’t businesses connecting? Why do farmers still feel left behind?”
The missing piece, perhaps, is not infrastructure — but a softer, longer-term mindset.
A vision where every link in the chain has a role, a place, and a connection to the others.
That is the essence of industrial clusters — an invisible but powerful current that, once activated, can awaken the inner strength of an entire region.
Industrial Clusters: Where Those in the Same Trade Stop Working Alone
An industrial cluster is not necessarily a fenced compound with a nameplate or certificate.
It can stretch across a district, a province, or span multiple localities.
Its core is not proximity, but connection — bonds formed through value chains, shared expertise, and genuine collaboration.
Within an industrial cluster, farmers produce raw materials; enterprises process them to add value; universities and research institutes improve seed varieties, techniques, and market insights; banks and logistics firms provide financial and operational support; and local governments coordinate policies and remove barriers.
At the center are associations and cluster coordination boards, helping every stakeholder see, trust, and move forward together.
The real power of an industrial cluster lies in its collaborative mindset — where people work not just for themselves, but for the shared strength of the entire chain.
Then, a mango is no longer just a fruit — it becomes a tourism product, a processed ingredient, a cultural emblem, and a symbol of innovation.
Industrial Parks: Where Production Is Organized by Infrastructure
By contrast, industrial parks represent a more “physical” concept — clearly defined zones equipped with roads, electricity, water, and wastewater systems. Businesses lease land, build factories, and operate within a closed model.
This model has been vital for attracting investment, creating jobs, and developing local industry.
However, many industrial parks still suffer from fragmentation: firms exist side by side, yet remain isolated.
They come for incentives or location advantages, not because they belong to a connected value chain.
Thus, even when located next door, they often operate like “islands” in the same desert — each producing separately, with minimal collaboration.
Different in Nature, But Not in Purpose
Industrial clusters and industrial parks are not contradictory — they are complementary.
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Industrial parks focus on building physical infrastructure.
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Industrial clusters focus on building relationships and coordination.
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Parks create the space for production.
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Clusters create the value chain that sustains production.
One needs hard infrastructure — roads, warehouses, and factories.
The other needs soft infrastructure — data, human capital, trust, and cooperation.
Think of industrial parks as the workshops, and industrial clusters as the ecosystem roof above them.
Without clusters, factories risk falling into low-value subcontracting.
Without infrastructure, even the best ideas cannot take shape.
Learning from Practice
Some provinces are already shifting direction.
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Province A is not only inviting large investors but also developing a rice-industry cluster, where farmers, cooperatives, processors, exporters, researchers, and government agencies collaborate from input to output.
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Province B, instead of merely hosting electronics factories, is connecting vocational schools, supporting industries, and finance organizations to form a smart device cluster.
In these places, not only factories rise — but professional communities grow together.
A Long-Term Belief in Connection
Industrial clusters cannot be built overnight. They require perseverance, coordination, and a vision that transcends local boundaries.
Once they take root, the benefits extend beyond businesses — reaching farmers, workers, and entire communities. Farmers secure guaranteed buyers; workers gain stable jobs; local products enter global markets; and regional identity is preserved within each product.
Like Rivers and Ferry Docks
Industrial parks are places of production, while industrial clusters are places of connection — like ferry docks along a flowing river.
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Industrial parks need capital investment.
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Industrial clusters need trust capital — a shared current that keeps the ecosystem alive.
Sustainable development is not about building more factories — it’s about ensuring that every link in the chain lives, grows, and thrives together.
And one day, when farmers see themselves as part of the global chain, and apprentices feel indispensable in national industries — that will be the day when clusters are no longer theories, but living realities, breathing in every Vietnamese village.