Lam Dong sharpens corporate competitiveness by unlocking unique regional advantages

Turning potential into performance

In an era when economic competition is increasingly dictated by productivity, technology, stringent quality standards, and integration, Lam Dong faces a dual mandate: attracting fresh capital while drastically upgrading the capacity of its domestic business community.

Regional data shows that resources alone cannot forge a competitive edge if local enterprises fail to integrate deeply into value chains. Conversely, when domestic firms successfully transition into suppliers or service, technology, and logistics partners for major anchor projects, the economic spillover effects multiply.

Speaking at the 2026 Lam Dong Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) and Business Performance Index (BPI) Conference, public policy experts urged provincial authorities to shift from merely exploiting raw advantages to actively organizing institutional competitiveness for local businesses.

"Many local enterprises and cooperatives boast high-quality products and stable raw material zones, yet they remain bottlenecked by quality standards, traceability, branding, market intelligence, and the capacity to fulfill large-scale orders," said Huynh Ho Dai Nghia, a public policy expert at the Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City.

While Lam Dong holds substantial potential in sectors like coffee, vegetables, flowers, tea, fruits, medicinal herbs, One Commune One Product (OCOP) goods, agritourism, and renewable energy, a majority of local firms remain confined to raw production or primary processing, yielding low added value.

Architecting a competitive ecosystem

Experts emphasize that corporate support programs must shift from theoretical workshops to market-driven outcomes, focusing heavily on commercial contracts, market access, and revenue generation.

A top priority is mapping out value chains for key economic sectors to identify where local firms stand and what specific interventions they require.

• In the coffee sector: Value creation must expand beyond yield to encompass seed genetics, advanced cultivation, deep processing, branding, and experiential tourism.
• For vegetables and flowers: The focus shifts to high-tech applications, cold-chain preservation, logistics, and digital traceability.
• In tourism: Strengthening linkages between tour operators, hospitality providers, traditional craft villages, and OCOP producers will carve out signature travel experiences rooted in local culture and agriculture.

Concurrently, Lam Dong plans to build a comprehensive corporate and supplier database to seamlessly connect local firms with foreign investors, retail distribution networks, and export markets.

Nguyen Huu Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Provincial Business Association, stressed the need for continued administrative reforms tailored toward transparency and ease of implementation. He called for sharper focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)—the province's primary job creators—which still grapple with capital constraints, technological deficits, and human resource shortages.

Vice Chairman of the Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee, Nguyen Ngọc Phuc, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to refining the business environment, pledging to walk side-by-side with enterprises to upgrade corporate governance, adopt new technologies, expand markets, and foster economic alliances.

The province's ultimate goal is to enable local businesses to climb higher up the global value chain—transitioning from raw materials to deep processing, from generic commodities to branded products, and from traditional markets to modern, omnichannel distribution.