On July 23, Dang Minh Thong, Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and Standing Deputy Head of the Steering Committee for implementing the Politburo's Resolution 57-NQ/TW, led a delegation of city departments to inspect the progress of the FPT Education Complex in Tan Dong Hiep Ward and the Northern Science and Technology Urban Area project in Binh Duong Ward.
At Tan Dong Hiep Ward, representatives of FPT Corporation presented a detailed roadmap for the development of an education ecosystem spanning more than 100 hectares. The current focus is Phase 1 of the Education and Training Complex, covering 8.4 hectares with a total investment of more than VND543 billion (US$20.7 million).
The project has disbursed 59 percent of its investment capital and construction is underway on nine of the 10 planned buildings. The complex is expected to accommodate about 4,150 students annually when it begins operations in November 2026.
FPT representatives also highlighted several long-standing issues affecting construction progress, including land encroachment by a household within the project site, flooding along DT.747A Road, and the need for a separate access road to keep residential traffic apart from school traffic. The company also expressed its desire to promptly launch a 21.8-hectare concentrated digital technology zone.
In response, Deputy Secretary Dang Minh Thong said the city's highest priority is ensuring sufficient classrooms for local children. With the area currently facing a severe shortage of educational facilities, lacking five schools, he instructed relevant agencies to accelerate construction so the project can meet local demand while helping ease classroom shortages in neighboring areas.
The Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee also directed Tan Dong Hiep Ward authorities to work closely with FPT to completely resolve the land encroachment issue and ensure the project is completed and handed over by the end of 2026 as committed. He said technical infrastructure issues, including flooding and the residential access road, must also be addressed in a way that does not disrupt the lives of nearby residents.
The inspection continued with a working session between the delegation and Becamex Corporation on the Northern Science and Technology Urban Area project.
The project is envisioned as the region's technology hub, featuring a 103-hectare Science and Technology Development Center, a 220-hectare high-tech manufacturing and research-and-development zone, and the approximately 100-hectare Saigon Innovation Campus.
Becamex representatives said the project faces multiple obstacles due to an incomplete science and technology ecosystem and the lack of shared infrastructure such as semiconductor laboratories and artificial intelligence facilities. Limited intra-regional and inter-regional transport connections have also reduced the project's appeal to high-quality investors.
Pham Ngoc Thuan, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Becamex Corporation, proposed several major initiatives. For transportation, the company called for an early revision of the financing plans for the Ho Chi Minh City–Thu Dau Mot–Chon Thanh Expressway, Ring Road 4, and the expansion of National Highway 13. It also proposed developing the 153-kilometer Chon Thanh–Bau Bang–An Binh–Cai Mep high-speed railway under a build-transfer (BT) and build-operate-transfer (BOT) model.
In the technology sector, Becamex requested early approval in principle for a 100-hectare concentrated digital technology zone and solar power projects with a combined investment of VND6.8 trillion (US$259.7 million).
During the meeting, Deputy Secretary Dang Minh Thong acknowledged that several projects are behind schedule. He instructed relevant agencies to proactively carry out the next implementation steps while studying and proposing new operational models better suited to current development needs.
He emphasized that Becamex, as a state-owned enterprise, plays a key role in developing the Northern Science and Technology Urban Area. He urged the company to promptly submit proposals for strategic projects, including the Chon Thanh–Bau Bang–An Binh–Cai Mep railway and the concentrated digital technology zone, so the city could review and provide timely direction.
Concluding the meeting, he instructed relevant departments and agencies to work closely to remove obstacles facing the Northern Science and Technology Urban Area project. He also called for the swift completion of legal procedures for projects such as converting the former Binh Duong Administrative Center into a Science and Technology Center, advancing projects related to the digital industrial zone, and finalizing land pricing for new industrial parks so the projects can be put into operation in line with the city's development strategy.
