With a coastline stretching nearly 3,300 km and maritime areas covering more than 1 million sq.km, Vietnam is strategically positioned along major international shipping routes linking East Asia with Europe, Africa and the Americas.

Containers are unloaded at Nghi Son International Port in Nghi Son ward, Thanh Hoa province. (Photo: VNA)

These advantages provide a strong foundation for the development of the marine economy and logistics services. As a result, the marine economy has been identified as a national strategic priority, with the coordinated development of maritime transport, seaports and shipbuilding serving as a key pillar in shaping a sustainable national maritime industrial ecosystem.

A foundation industry

As the marine economy emerges as a new growth space for many countries, the shipbuilding industry plays a particularly important role in strengthening a nation’s maritime capabilities. A robust shipbuilding sector enhances a country’s ability to design, construct and repair vessels, thereby supporting maritime sovereignty, disaster response, search and rescue operations, and maritime security.

According to Pham Hoai Chung, Chairman of the Members’ Council of the Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (SBIC), Conclusion No. 18-KL/TW adopted by the second meeting of the 14th Party Central Committee in 2026 reaffirmed shipbuilding as a “national foundation industry,” highlighting its significance not only for economic development but also for industrialisation, technological self-reliance, logistics and national security.

Global trends toward clean-fuel vessels, smart ships, offshore wind service vessels and floating marine structures are creating substantial opportunities for Vietnam’s shipbuilding industry. With appropriate long-term investment strategies, the sector could become a critical driver in building an independent and self-reliant economy while supporting the country’s ambition of becoming a strong maritime nation

Chung noted that maritime transport accounts for 80-90% of global trade flows, while around 80% of Vietnam’s import-export cargo is transported by sea. Without a strong national fleet and domestic shipbuilding and repair capacity, the country’s logistics chain would remain heavily dependent on foreign shipping services, leading to higher costs and reduced economic resilience.

A new growth driver

As Vietnam targets double-digit economic growth in the coming years, shipbuilding is able to become an important driver of industrial production, exports, employment and technological advancement. Maritime experts note that the industry has a strong multiplier effect, linking dozens of supporting industries and technical services while creating a large number of high-quality jobs.

Prof., Dr. Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Central Theory Council, said the development of the marine economy is increasingly shifting toward value chains, logistics, supporting industries and high technology. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), big data and automation are becoming integral to the development of a green and smart marine economy.

This demonstrates that marine economic development in the new era is no longer solely associated with traditional infrastructure and industries, but also with the establishment of a modern marine technology ecosystem, digital marine data infrastructure, and smart ocean governance models.

Experts recommended that Vietnam formulate a national fleet development strategy linked to domestic shipbuilding orders, and establish a long-term strategy for the shipbuilding industry. They also proposed the development of integrated shipbuilding–logistics–seaport clusters in strategic locations and the introduction of preferential policies on finance, credit, taxation and land use to support the sector’s sustainable growth.

VNA