The Industrial Park Leadership Training Programme, jointly organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Asia-Pacific Finance and Development Institute (AFDI), was held in Shanghai, China, from 29 June to 4 July 2026. The programme brought together policymakers, government officials and experts from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam to promote South–South cooperation and exchange experiences in sustainable industrial park development.

As part of the programme, Viet Nam was invited to present its experience during the session “UNIDO in Action: Examples from the Field,” where representatives from UNIDO country programmes shared practical implementation models and lessons learned. The session featured contributions from UNIDO teams in Viet Nam, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Mongolia and the Philippines.

Representing Viet Nam, Ms. Nguyen Tram Anh, National Project Manager of the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme (GEIPP) Viet Nam, presented the country’s more than ten-year journey in advancing the eco-industrial park approach through collaboration between the Government of Viet Nam, UNIDO and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Her presentation highlighted the development of the national policy framework, the implementation of resource efficiency and cleaner production (RECP), industrial symbiosis initiatives, and the strategic direction for scaling up eco-industrial parks across the country in the coming years.

Joining the Vietnamese delegation, Mr. Nguyen Van Quy, Deputy Head of the Industrial Parks Management Board of Bac Ninh Province, introduced Viet Nam’s strategic priorities for the development of next-generation industrial parks. His presentation outlined three key directions: transforming existing industrial parks into eco-industrial parks; attracting a new generation of foreign direct investment (FDI) with higher technological content and greater added value; and accelerating digital transformation in industrial park management and operations.

In addition to country experience-sharing sessions, the programme covered a range of topics, including the green transition, artificial intelligence applications, financing for industrial park development, industrial symbiosis and policies for economic zone development. Participants also visited industrial parks, innovation centres, technology enterprises and free trade zones in China to gain first-hand insights into advanced industrial development and management models.

The invitation extended to the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme (GEIPP) Viet Nam to share its experience reflects the growing recognition of Viet Nam’s eco-industrial park development as a valuable contribution to the South–South knowledge exchange and cooperation initiatives promoted by UNIDO. At the same time, the programme provided an opportunity for the Vietnamese delegation to learn from international experience, strengthen regional partnerships, and exchange practical solutions for developing greener, smarter and more competitive industrial parks.