Challenge: As Greenland Group’s first venture into Southeast Asia, the Johor Bahru industrial park project served as a critical test case for the group’s international industrial park development model. Unlike its domestic projects in China, the Southeast Asian context required a deeper understanding of local market demand, industrial policy, land-use regulations, infrastructure conditions, and cross-border investment dynamics. The core challenge was to develop a roadmap that was commercially viable in Johor Bahru while also serving as a repeatable reference model for Greenland’s future overseas industrial park projects.

• Industrial Clustering Strategy: Without an established internal precedent or overseas playbook to follow, Yun and the project team conducted a comparative advantage study to identify Johor Bahru’s positioning within the regional industrial landscape. The analysis examined local labor availability, logistics connectivity, proximity to Singapore, industrial cost advantages, infrastructure readiness, and potential tenant demand. Using a market-backward planning approach, the team first identified the target tenant segments, including high-tech manufacturing, advanced logistics, light industrial operators, and supporting business services, then translated their operational requirements into land-use planning, facility specifications, infrastructure needs, and phasing strategies.

• Development Roadmap and Land-Use Structuring: The proposed roadmap was designed to move beyond a standard industrial land subdivision model. Instead, it emphasized tenant-driven planning, industrial clustering, and phased development logic. Land use was structured around the needs of different industry groups, including production space, logistics facilities, supporting commercial amenities, worker services, and potential business incubation functions. This helped create a more integrated industrial ecosystem that could improve tenant attraction, operational efficiency, and long-term asset value.

• Government and Partner Liaison: The final delivery required balancing Greenland’s Shanghai headquarters’ ambitious development timeline with local regulatory procedures, planning requirements, and stakeholder expectations in Johor. Yun and the team supported coordination among corporate decision-makers, local authorities in Johor, and project partners to align development objectives, investment positioning, and implementation feasibility. The framework also incorporated SEZ-style investment facilitation elements, helping strengthen the project’s appeal to foreign direct investment and regional industrial tenants.

• Result: The development framework was well received by the client and provided a structured foundation for Greenland’s Southeast Asia industrial park strategy. The advisory scope was subsequently expanded beyond the initial mandate to include additional services, such as valuation and appraisal support. More importantly, the project created a practical reference model for future overseas industrial park developments, combining local market adaptation with Greenland’s broader international expansion ambitions.