If you’ve only heard of Hai Phong as a shipping port or the gateway to Halong Bay, you’ve barely scratched the surface.

The city once known as Vietnam’s "sleepy industrial cousin" is fast becoming the country’s boldest blueprint for sustainable, private-sector-led development.

In this episode of You Don’t Know Vietnam, we head north to Hai Phong to meet Koen Soenens, General Sales and Marketing Director at DEEP C - a European-managed industrial zone developer that’s been helping shape the economic growth in the region for nearly 30 years.

Key takeaways:

• Why Hai Phong’s growth is no longer just about logistics
• How foreign-led infrastructure is shaping smarter cities
• The role of sustainability in attracting global investment
• What Vietnam can learn from DEEP C’s long game

Building a city, not just a business park

When DEEP C first arrived in Hai Phong in 1997, the goal was straightforward: build an industrial zone close to the new deep-sea port.

But somewhere along the way, the project evolved. It wasn’t just about factories and warehouses anymore. DEEP C started thinking bigger — about roads, power grids, water treatment, and waste management. About community. About creating a place where people actually want to live and work.

Today, DEEP C operates five industrial zones spanning 3,400 hectares across Hai Phong and neighbouring Quang Ninh. But their real legacy might be the infrastructure systems and energy innovations they’ve baked into every square metre.

From Vietnam’s backyard to Vietnam’s gateway

For years, Hanoi hogged the spotlight in northern Vietnam. But that’s changing - and fast.

With a population of over two million and a port that handles more than 30% of the country’s cargo, Hai Phong has quietly become an economic powerhouse. Foreign investment is pouring in, infrastructure is booming, and the local government is all in on turning Hai Phong into a logistics, manufacturing, and innovation hub.

And much of that momentum has come from the private sector.

Green is the long game

DEEP C isn’t chasing quick wins. Their playbook is built on staying power - and sustainability.

They’re producing their own renewable energy. Their roads are made of recycled plastic. They’re piloting wetland-based water treatment systems. And they’ve created Vietnam’s first ISO-certified smart eco-industrial park.

“If we only focused on short-term profits," says Koen, "we wouldn’t do any of this. But we’re building for the next 50 years.”

This future-focused approach is paying off. DEEP C’s clients now include some of the world’s biggest companies in EVs, electronics, and consumer goods - many of whom are looking to diversify away from China and find a sustainable base in Southeast Asia.

So, why don’t more people know this story?

For all of Hai Phong’s transformation, it still flies under the radar — overshadowed by Ho Chi Minh City’s hustle and Hanoi’s political pull.

Koen thinks part of the issue is Vietnam’s tendency to focus on the present: get the investment, build the factory, move on.

But long-term development — the kind that turns industrial zones into thriving urban ecosystems — requires more than capital. It needs vision, patience, and consistent collaboration between business and government.

“Companies really sense that by coming to Vietnam, they have a very solid foundation to become very successful for many decades to come," says Koen. 

What the rest of Vietnam can learn

Hai Phong isn’t just a city anymore. It’s a case study — in how foreign investment can be done right, in how private infrastructure can lead public change, and in how sustainability can be good business.

If you're still thinking of Hai Phong as a shipping town, you’re missing the real story.

This isn’t just Vietnam’s next industrial centre. It’s a model for what’s possible when you invest in more than buildings — when you build ecosystems.