The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Q1/2011 mainly flowed to processing and manufacturing, high-tech, and even research and development sectors.

Processing and manufacturing sector attracted US 1.55 billion, accounting for 65% of the total registered capital, according to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Last year, the sector ranked second in term of FDI attraction, with US $5 billion out of the total volume of US $18.6. In 2009, the sector ranked third with total registered capital of US $2.2 billion.

High tech sector is also a new investment option of foreign investors, including business giants like Fujitsu, Samsung, and Intel.

Taiwan-based Wintek Group said that it plans to build Việt Nam’s first factory producing induction monitors specifically for iPad products.

Other high tech project include Nokia’s mobile phone factory with investment of US $300 million in Bắc Ninh Province, a factory manufacturing battery of First Solar Technology Group in the South of Việt Nam, and Doosan Vina producing three desalinators (total investment of ver US $547 million) in Dung Quất Industrial Park.

Another emerging trend to attract FDI is research and development. The first signal could be attributed to HP Group’s R&D Center in Quang Trung Software Park in Hồ Chí Minh City.

HP Group’s decision to choose Việt Nam based on the country’s market potential, support of the authorities and supply of skilled human resources, said HP’s Executive Vice President of Emerging Markets Francesco Serafini.