In the context of increasing trade and geopolitical instability globally, experts say the world is witnessing the emergence of new-generation economic corridors - not just transport routes, but ecosystems linking physical infrastructure, legal framework, smart finance and digital technology, with Vietnam emerging as an important regional node.

The issue was discussed at the Panel Discussion: “Next-Generation Economic and Transport Corridors: Regional Connectivity for Global Integration” within the framework of FIATA World Congress 2025 held on October 6-10 in Hanoi. 

A new generation economic corridor

At the panel discussion, experts said the world is forming new-generation economic corridors, connecting physical infrastructure, legal framework, smart finance and digital technology.

According to Mr. Turgut Erkeskin, President of FIATA, this is an interactive "economic ecosystem" that helps create a new development space for international trade.

Mr. Erkeskin emphasized that these corridors are only effective when they are synchronized in terms of regulations, technology and multimodal transport models, not competing but complementing each other. From Europe to Asia, new corridor models like the "Middle Corridor" (China - Kazakhstan - Azerbaijan - Georgia - Türkiye - Europe) are examples of viable alternative routes, helping trade to remain smooth in the face of fluctuations.

According to Mr. Erkeskin, for these corridors to operate effectively, countries are focusing heavily on eliminating “bottlenecks” in both hard and soft infrastructure – including transportation, urban planning, trade policy, customs procedures and legal corridors. In parallel, this is the design of synchronous, closely linked networks between transport modes such as roads, railways, aviation, waterways, seaports and smart logistics systems. This integrated approach helps increase flexibility, reduce transit times and expand access to international markets.

Alongside physical infrastructure, digital transformation is becoming a pillar of the modern corridor model.

Ms. Zhanar Bagasharova, Business Development Director of Global DTC (PSA Group), introduced the Digital Trade Corridor platform - a digital trade system across Asia and Europe that integrates port, customs and logistics data into the same platform. Thanks to that, the time for declaring transit goods has been shortened from 8 hours to 30 minutes, helping to track goods in real time in 12 countries.

"Digital transformation not only brings efficiency but also builds trust through transparency and reliability," said Ms. Bagasharova.

Experts agreed that AI, blockchain and interconnected data will be the foundation for making logistics more transparent, efficient and less risky — especially at a time when global trade relies heavily on data accuracy and speed.

However, a representative of the United Nations' Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Mr. Fedor Kormilitsyn, commented that the biggest challenge today is the legal disparity and the level of digitalization between countries. ESCAP is promoting the green corridor and digital corridor models, aiming for a unified legal framework to reduce costs and customs clearance times, he noted.

According to Mr. Francesco Parisi, Chairman of the Francesco Parisi Group, the experience of implementing Europe’s TEN-T (Trans-European Transport Network) network shows that soft infrastructure such as regulations and technology must come before hard infrastructure. “Sometimes two small parallel lines are more efficient than one large line, because redundancy makes the system more flexible,” he said.

Vietnam is the new focal point of the regional network

In Southeast Asia, Vietnam is considered one of the important potential locations for new transit routes, with impressive reform and digital transformation speed. Typically, Da Nang city in central Vietnam is shaping its role as a “strategic transit point” of the country in the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC).

Mr. Tran Chi Cuong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Da Nang City, said that the merger with Quang Nam province in July 2025 expands the city's development space to nearly 12,000 km2, with a population of more than 3 million people, thus creating a foundation for Da Nang to become an international logistics, high-tech industry and financial center of the country's Central region.

The city currently has two international seaports, two airports, and an inter-regional railway and expressway system connecting Laos, Thailand and Myanmar. Lien Chieu Port - expected to receive 100,000 DWT ships - and a 19,000-hectare Free Trade Zone are being accelerated, linked to the development plan of the Da Nang International Financial Center and the "Central Silicon Valley" High-Tech Park.

"Da Nang is ready to become a strategic transit point on the regional logistics map and a reliable partner of global investors," Mr. Cuong affirmed.

However, experts believes that Vietnam still needs time to fully exploit its potential and resolve remaining problems. One international business raised questions about slow customs clearance speeds, which cause goods to take up to two weeks to pass through international ports.

Mr. Nguyen Ba Hung, Chief Country Economist of ADB in Vietnam said that Vietnam is embarking on a large-scale logistics reform program, but needs more time and empirical data to fine-tune policies. He recommended that the Vietnam Logistics Association (VLA) share quantitative information on costs and transportation times to help make more accurate investment planning. “We need to invest not only more, but smarter — based on data and feedback from businesses,” he said.

Regarding finance, he said that infrastructure construction is a necessary condition, but financial and trade policies are sufficient conditions. Vietnam needs to promote public-private partnerships (PPP) and develop supply chain finance so that small businesses can access capital more easily.

At the end of the discussion, experts agreed that the future of next-generation economic corridors lies in the intersection of four pillars: physical infrastructure – legal framework – smart finance – and digital technology.

When these elements are synchronized, the global trade network can move closer to the goal of “deeper, greener and more digital connectivity”, putting Vietnam and the region at the center of a new logistics order – dynamic, sustainable and globalized in a more responsible way.