Fujikin International Incorporated from Japan officially commenced construction of an R&D centre at Da Nang High-Tech Park worth a total of US$35 million, seven months after getting an investment licence.

Fujikin said the Da Nang-based R&D centre is its first in Viet Nam after developing a series of projects in Osaka and Tsukuba in Japan as well as plants in the US, South Korea and Ireland.

It’s also the seventh investment project from Japan at the ‘green’ and hi-tech hub in the city and central Viet Nam, promoting Japanese investment projects to the top of foreign investors in the city with 55 in total worth $680 million.

The Da Nang Hi-tech Park and Industrial Zones Authority (Da Nang HPIZA) said the Fujikin Da Nang factory plans to produce air valves using semi-conductor production lines, medical equipment, robots, drones, nano technology, new energy tech using hydrogen, facilities for the environment and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

It expects to be put into operation and provide products to the market in the second quarter of 2022, marking the 20th year of investment in Viet Nam by Fujikin.

The project inked a human resources training deal with Da Nang College for Science and Technology under the Da Nang University to provide high-quality manpower for the Fujikin Da Nang R&D Centre in the coming years.

The central city said the Fujikin project is an exemplary investment project in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Japan-Viet Nam diplomatic ties in 2023, and friendship co-operation between Viet Nam and Japan as well as Da Nang.

Head of the Da Nang Hi-tech Park and Industrial Zones Authority (Da Nang HPIZA), Pham Truong Son said despite lockdowns and social distancing regulations, the 1,100ha ‘green’ hi-tech park attracted 17 projects, of which four were foreign direct investment (FDI) worth $145.31 million, and VND544.4 billion ($23.7 million) from domestic projects in the first nine months of 2021.

The hi-tech park and six industrial zones of Da Nang have drawn 503 projects including 130 FDI worth $1.8 billion and VND27.56 trillion ($1.2 billion) from domestic investors.

A series of investors including aerospace components manufacturer Universal Alloy Corporation (UAC) of the US; Tokyo Keiki Precision Technology Inc and Niwa Foundry from Japan; and Dentium company from South Korea already operate factories at the hi-tech park.

Earlier this year, Japanese Daiwa Viet Nam company also began building its third factory in the central city’s Hoa Khanh Industrial Zone with an investment of $40 million, bringing its investment in Da Nang to $90 million in 2005-20. — VNS