Bac Ninh

Bac Ninh demonstrates extreme mutualism: the province's economy has evolved into near-complete dependence on a single corporate partner. Samsung has invested $8.3 billion in Bac Ninh, producing 900 million smartphones since 2009 at what became the company's second-largest smartphone factory globally. In 2024, Samsung announced an additional $1.8 billion for OLED manufacturing, cementing the relationship.

This concentration creates remarkable productivity but profound vulnerability. Samsung employs approximately 90,000 workers across its Vietnam operations, with the Bac Ninh complex (Samsung Electronics Vietnam/SEV) spanning 110 hectares in Yen Phong Industrial Park and capable of producing 11 million devices monthly. When Samsung sneezes, Bac Ninh catches pneumonia.

The strategic logic behind Samsung's concentration in Bac Ninh reflects supply chain de-risking from China. US-China trade tensions made Vietnam attractive as an alternative manufacturing base, and Bac Ninh's proximity to Hanoi provided both infrastructure access and government attention. The new OLED facility, processing 10 million 8.6th-generation panels annually from 2026, positions Vietnam as Samsung's key display production hub. This is obligate mutualism in action: Samsung needs Bac Ninh's labor and incentives, while Bac Ninh's economic identity has become inseparable from Samsung's production decisions.