A New Legal Foundation Elevating Da Nang’s Investment Environment

With the connection and support of the Da Nang Center for Innovation and Startup Support, the establishment of the APEC Vietnam International Commercial Arbitration Center – Da Nang Branch is being actively accelerated. The registration procedures are expected to be completed in Q3 2025, with the official launch scheduled for Q4 2025.

This marks a strategic and timely step toward strengthening Da Nang’s legal and institutional infrastructure, serving the city’s ambitious goal of becoming an International Financial Center (IFC) in the near future.

The Da Nang Center for Innovation and Startup Support has facilitated a connection between the APEC Vietnam International Commercial Arbitration Center and the University of Economics – The University of Da Nang.

Meeting the Urgent Needs of an Emerging International Financial Center

As Da Nang moves forward on its path to becoming a regional economic and financial hub, the city has been granted a range of special mechanisms and policies aimed at attracting major financial institutions, economic conglomerates, and investment funds.

However, alongside the influx of capital and international business activities, there is a growing and urgent need for a fast, transparent, and internationally aligned alternative dispute resolution mechanism.

In the past, businesses in Central Vietnam facing commercial disputes had to turn to arbitration centers in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi. Now, the establishment of an arbitration branch right in Da Nang will significantly reduce costs and time, while enhancing convenience and trust for the business community.

This development represents one of the key prerequisites for the Da Nang International Financial Center (IFC) to operate efficiently and attract sustained international capital inflows.

Mission and Operating Principles

The establishment of the Da Nang Branch marks an important expansion of APEC Vietnam’s presence across the country’s three major cities — Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, and Da Nang — enhancing access to mediation and commercial arbitration services for businesses in Central Vietnam.

The Center operates in accordance with the Law on Commercial Arbitration of Vietnam and international best practices, upholding the core principles of objectivity, fairness, and respect for the rule of law. Its approach emphasizes practicality, efficiency, and confidentiality, placing the legitimate interests and long-term sustainability of business relationships at the heart of every proceeding.

Beyond handling commercial disputes, the Center will also implement commercial mediation mechanisms in line with current legal frameworks — providing flexible and suitable options for enterprises before resorting to formal arbitration.

Expertise and Arbitration Team

The APEC Vietnam International Commercial Arbitration Center’s Personnel Team

According to the APEC Vietnam International Commercial Arbitration Center (APEC VN), the defining strength of the Da Nang Branch lies in the professional expertise and extensive experience of its leadership team, arbitrators, and mediators.

The Chairperson and Executive Board possess many years of experience in the fields of judiciary and arbitration management, and have a deep understanding of the needs and challenges faced by businesses. This leadership foundation allows the Center to operate with both legal precision and a strong sense of empathy toward the realities of the business environment.

Most of the arbitrators and mediators are doctors, lecturers, and experts in key sectors such as investment and finance, banking, intellectual property, technology, and international trade. Their diverse expertise ensures that each arbitration case is handled with thorough legal knowledge, practical insight, and integrity.

This strong foundation guarantees that every arbitral decision issued by the Center is not only accurate and fair, but also highly enforceable in practice — a critical factor in building trust and confidence among both domestic and international enterprises.

Strategic Orientation for 2025–2026

In the 2025–2026 period, the Da Nang Branch will pursue multiple strategic directions simultaneously to strengthen its position within the city’s financial and technological ecosystem.

First and foremost, the Center will focus on raising awareness and expanding knowledge of international commercial arbitration and commercial mediation through a series of seminars, workshops, and training programs tailored for businesses, lawyers, and legal advisors.

Alongside education and outreach, service quality remains the Center’s top priority. A pre-arbitration mediation mechanism will be developed to help reduce confrontation, save costs and time, and encourage amicable settlement before disputes escalate. In addition, the APEC VN arbitration clauses will be standardized so that enterprises can easily incorporate them into contracts from the outset.

The Da Nang Branch also places strong emphasis on developing local human resources, focusing on the selection and professional training of arbitrators and mediators in accordance with international standards. The Center aims to build a network of experts in Da Nang’s key industries such as information technology, logistics, high-quality tourism, healthcare, and finance – banking.

These initiatives are designed not only to enhance the credibility and operational efficiency of the Center but also to contribute directly to building a stable and attractive business environment — one that fosters investor confidence and supports the sustainable growth of both domestic and foreign enterprises.

Significance for Da Nang’s Investment and Development Environment

The establishment of the APEC Vietnam International Commercial Arbitration Center – Da Nang Branch not only adds an important legal mechanism but also lays a new foundation for improving the city’s investment and business environment.

The Center goes beyond merely settling disputes in accordance with international standards — it also serves as a policy advisory channel, helping to promptly convey the legal challenges and practical concerns of enterprises to relevant authorities.

With this development, Da Nang is now better positioned to build a stable, transparent, and predictable business environment, thereby gaining a competitive edge in the process of establishing itself as an International Financial Center (IFC) and attracting global investors.

The collaboration between the Da Nang Center for Innovation and Startup Support and APEC VN in bringing the Arbitration Center to Da Nang also reflects a long-term strategic vision: that entrepreneurship and innovation can only achieve sustainable growth when supported by a modern, integrated, and reliable legal framework.

In an era of deepening international integration, the presence of this Arbitration Center stands as a symbol of Da Nang’s strong commitment to accompanying the business community and investors — reaffirming its position as a safe, dynamic, and attractive destination in the region.