Lego says no regrets over Vietnam investment as green transition shapes strategy

Jesper Hassellund Mikkelsen, senior vice-president of Asia Operations at Lego Group and general manager of LEGO Manufacturing Vietnam, made the remarks during a working session with deputy chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City administration Nguyen Cong Vinh and Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Nicolai Prytz on Tuesday.

Mikkelsen said the southern metropolis is home to Lego’s sixth factory worldwide, the US$1.3 billion LEGO Manufacturing Vietnam project, which has been operating in the Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park III since April 2025.

The facility currently employs nearly 1,000 workers and continues to ramp up operations.

Products from the plant are exported to markets including Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and others in the region.

Explaining the decision to choose Vietnam as the location for its factory, the Lego representative cited two main reasons.

First, Vietnam is a suitable investment destination that allows the company to move closer to a young consumer market, particularly in Southeast Asia.

Second, Vietnam’s strong commitment to the green transition, especially its pledge at COP26 to achieve net-zero emissions, aligns closely with Lego’s long-term strategy.

Mikkelsen stressed that the company has never regretted its decision to invest in Vietnam.

He added that Lego is targeting 100-percent renewable energy use at the factory, with a rooftop solar system combined with energy storage expected to be operational within the first half of May.

The company hopes to receive support from Ho Chi Minh City authorities to bring the system into full operation and is working with local agencies on regulatory procedures, including customs arrangements for bonded warehouse shipments.

In his remarks, Vinh said Vietnam-Denmark relations have developed strongly over the past 55 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties.

He underscored that the two countries have built important cooperation frameworks over time, including a strategic partnership in climate change, energy, environment, and green growth in 2011, a comprehensive partnership in 2013, and a green strategic partnership in 2023.

He added that the November 2022 visit to Vietnam by then Crown Prince of Denmark, now King Frederik X, marked an important milestone in bilateral relations.

Vinh noted that two-way trade between Ho Chi Minh City and Denmark reached more than $250 million in 2025, while Denmark currently has 89 investment projects in the city, with total registered capital exceeding $1.6 billion.

He highlighted Lego’s factory in the city as a model green investment project, pointing to its use of solar power and its alignment with the city’s sustainable development orientation.

The city’s authorities support Lego’s efforts to expand clean energy use and will continue improving the investment environment while addressing business recommendations in a timely and responsible manner, Vinh said.

Ambassador Prytz said around 140 Danish companies are operating in Vietnam, with about 90 percent present in Ho Chi Minh City, underscoring the city’s role as a major hub for Danish investment.

He praised Lego’s Vietnam project as one of the fastest built and fastest commissioned factories in the group’s global system, highlighting its strong sustainability orientation.

The ambassador also noted that Ho Chi Minh City has proactively assigned focal agencies to support businesses in the energy sector.

He added that Denmark plans to establish a consulate general in the city by the end of this year to strengthen its presence and expand cooperation with Vietnam.

Concluding the working session, Vinh reaffirmed the city’s commitment to further improving the investment climate, listening to and addressing business feedback with a strong sense of responsibility, and facilitating production and business activities, thereby contributing to the deepening of Vietnam-Denmark cooperation.