REGIONAL LOGISTICS ADVANCES PROCESSING INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT

As competition intensifies and supply chains become more demanding, logistics is no longer just a transportation function but a key factor in economic competitiveness. For Dak Lak, home to the largest agricultural and forestry raw material base in the Central Highlands, developing regional logistics is creating new opportunities to expand deep-processing industries, increase product value, and attract high-quality investment.

Dak Lak is building a modern industrial ecosystem to meet the needs of domestic and international investors

Dak Lak is well positioned to become the processing industry hub of the Central Highlands. Along with its abundant raw material base for coffee, pepper, rubber, fruit, and forest products, the province is benefiting from an expanding regional transportation network with direct links to the South Central Coast and the eastern seaport system.

According to the Dak Lak Department of Industry and Trade, this provides a strong foundation for building integrated value chains that connect raw materials, production, processing, logistics, and exports. As strategic transport routes are developed in a coordinated manner, shipping times will be shortened and logistics costs reduced, improving business competitiveness and increasing the value of the province's key products. This also aligns with the trend in modern industrial development, where businesses focus not only on access to raw materials but also on supply chain connectivity, delivery speed, and market access.

According to industry experts, to fully capitalize on these advantages, Dak Lak should gradually develop a modern logistics ecosystem with large-scale logistics centers, inland container depots (ICDs), cold storage facilities, bonded warehouses, distribution centers, and smart warehousing systems. The province should accelerate digital transformation in supply chain management, develop a digital logistics map, and expand green logistics services. Stronger links with coastal provinces will also help create a seamless logistics corridor connecting the Central Highlands with international seaports, allowing agricultural products and processed goods to reach export markets more quickly.

For the Department of Industry and Trade, this is not only a way to reduce logistics costs but also a foundation for attracting investment in deep processing and gradually shifting from raw material exports to higher value-added products.

Planning industrial parks with integrated digital infrastructure, green energy, smart logistics, and business support services will help create a modern industrial ecosystem that meets the needs of both domestic and international investors. Strengthening collaboration among businesses, universities, and research institutes is seen as an important way to improve workforce quality, advance innovation, and promote technology transfer in the processing industry.

To achieve the goal of making Dak Lak the processing industry center of the Central Highlands, the Department of Industry and Trade will continue to lead industrial and logistics planning, advise on investment attraction policies and mechanisms, and advance administrative reform to create an open and transparent investment environment.

At the same time, the Department will strengthen trade promotion, connect businesses with domestic and international partners, support digital transformation and technology adoption in production and supply chain management, and promote e-commerce, green logistics, and the circular economy. These are key measures to enhance the competitiveness of local businesses as global economic integration continues to deepen.

In the next stage of development, as transportation infrastructure, logistics networks, and industrial parks are developed in a coordinated manner, Dak Lak will not only strengthen its role as the agricultural production center of the Central Highlands but also gradually become a regional hub for processing industries and logistics, contributing to the sustainable economic development of both the region and the country.

Source: VCCI