Growing Your Business in Vietnam in 2025 – What Global Experts Say

As we kick off 2025, like me, you’ll be looking at how to best position your business for success. Whether you’re in manufacturing or marketing – we are all, to some degree, subject to the same headwinds and tailwinds.

Last month, we reviewed key trends in the Vietnam market with experts from Ogilvy, Doodle, and some of the most trusted advisories. Today, we’re turning to the global business world to see what global trends mean for us here.

Analyzing reports from Bain, McKinsey, Forrester, and others, we spot five trends that could shape our businesses:

1. Artificial Intelligence

2. Investing in People 

3. Post-Globalization

4. Sustainability 

5. Investments in Vietnam

Let’s dive into each one and see how we could make them to our advantage.

1. Artificial Intelligence: Power and Peril

Integrating AI across industries presents significant opportunities and challenges for businesses in 2025. 

As McKinsey points out, companies are leveraging AI to transform productivity, drive innovation, and enhance customer experiences. And with great results: Forrester data shows that the ROI on AI is at least 112%, with 57% of people enjoying their work more when they can tap tools like Microsoft Copilot. 

However, the weakest link in unlocking AI’s potential is still in getting people to use it. 2024 Randstad research shows that only 35% of employees have received training – and I suspect it’s much lower in Vietnam. As TVL’s Thai van Linh mentioned in last month’s article:

Solving this is key to tapping into the opportunities for using AI, from helping employees make better-informed business decisions to helping you flatten your organization and capture the upside of smaller teams.  

2. Investing in People

Developing your human capital is a critical factor for long-term business success. That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, but paradoxically, the more we embrace AI, the more important the human touch becomes.  

Companies that prioritize skill development and effective management of their workforce gain a significant performance edge, says McKinsey:

“Companies that focus on their people’s performance are 4.2 times more likely to outperform their peers, realizing an average 30 percent higher revenue growth and experiencing attrition five percentage points lower.” 

Reading a report the consultancy issued just a few weeks ago, the challenge for businesses lies in creating comprehensive talent strategies that focus on reskilling, training, and development at scale. 

Besides AI, the best companies are adapting to changing workforce demographics by offering flexible working arrangements, diverse career models, and emphasizing lifelong learning to keep older workers engaged.

3. Post-Globalization Abroad

You’ve undoubtedly noticed the geopolitical shifts of 2024, and the new year won’t be much calmer. 

The newly elected President Trump will reshape global trade with his focus on China tariffs, meaning many companies are reviewing their supply chain. For emerging markets like Vietnam, this presents both challenges and opportunities. 

Vietnam’s stock market has shown resilience, maintaining 12% growth despite foreign investor sell-offs. And initiatives like VPCA, which aims to bring $35 billion of foreign investment into Vietnam, means we’re poised for potential breakthroughs in 2025.

However, Vietnam could also face a cautious outlook overall as businesses navigate these complex dynamics by diversifying supply chains, investing in local capabilities in their home markets, and adapting to evolving trade policies. 

And as the Wall Street Journal highlights, we’re not safe from tariffs either:

“The country became a magnet for Chinese manufacturers looking for a production base from which to ship their goods to the U.S. tariff-free. Now, as the incoming administration girds for new battles over trade, Trump and his team are signaling that they intend to slam this backdoor shut.”

Balancing these competing forces, especially if you supply abroad, will be key to turning any headwinds in your favor. 

4. Sustainability Initiatives

Despite some political slowdowns, company-level progress on sustainability initiatives continues to gain momentum. Businesses face increasing pressure to integrate sustainability into their core operations and long-term strategies. 

As PwC reports, key challenges include meeting more stringent sustainability disclosure requirements, preventing greenwashing, and adopting strategic foresight approaches for long-term sustainability goals. 

And while these sustainability initiatives are mostly initiated outside of Vietnam, they impact us too – often positively. Take the real estate sector, for example, with more companies mandating greener buildings. This includes projects like the LEGO factory in Binh Duong pursuing a LEED Gold certification.

We’ve been working with many of our member companies to help them achieve their ESG goals – and started rethinking our buildings based on WELL principles as early as 2000 when we designed and launched the wellness-focused Dreamplex Ngo Quang Huy, our flexible office and coworking space in District 2.

Making 2025 Your Best Year Yet

As we head into 2025, it’s clear that there are challenges and opportunities abound. I hope you can take advantage of these insights to make the most of this year.

On a personal note, I found that more than anything, a supportive network of fellow business leaders is what helps me as a CEO navigate any headwinds and tailwinds. 

So in 2025, I want to invest even more time and effort to bring together like-minded leaders to propel our businesses forward together. 

I look forward to meeting you (again) as part of this network. 

Zoee.

About Dreamplex

Dreamplex creates “A Better Day at Work” by perfectly meeting the needs of rapidly growing companies that understand their young employees expect more from their workplace.

With professional, flexible workspaces, top-notch hospitality services, and a collaborative community for mutual growth, Dreamplex helps businesses work productively while optimizing operational costs.

Join the community with tech experts and startup founders from TIKI, Zuhlke Vietnam, GFT Group, Vietcetera, at Dreamplex’s flexible office spaces in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

About Dreamplex

Dreamplex creates “A Better Day at Work” by perfectly meeting the needs of rapidly growing companies that understand their young employees expect more from their workplace.

With professional, flexible workspaces, top-notch hospitality services, and a collaborative community for mutual growth, Dreamplex helps businesses work productively while optimizing operational costs.

Join the community with tech experts and startup founders from TIKI, Zuhlke Vietnam, GFT Group, Vietcetera, at Dreamplex’s flexible office spaces in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

Contact

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• Hotline: +84 706 023 545
• Email: sales@dreamplex.co