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| The Autumn Economic Forum 2026 is held at Thiskyhall Sala Conference and Event Center, 10 Mai Chi Tho, An Khanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. (Source: hamee.vn) |
The Autumn Economic Forum 2026 (AEF 2026) is organized from October 26-29 in Ho Chi Minh City. Under the theme “Convergence of New Global Growth Poles”, the forum aims to promote policy dialogue, connect resources, and expand international cooperation in science, technology, innovation, finance, and sustainable development, amidst the global economic restructuring. The theme “Spirit of Cooperation in a New Era” reflects the shift from reacting to changes to proactively forging partnerships.
The program is directed by Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, chaired by the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, and organized in collaboration with the HCMC Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (HCMC C4IR), the Department of Foreign Affairs, the World Economic Forum (WEF), and various domestic and international partners. It features 16 thematic sessions, 3 high-level sessions, and approximately 300 presentations by experts and speakers.
This year's event is expected to attract around 1,500 domestic and international delegates, representing the public sector, private sector, academia, international organizations, and the innovation ecosystem.
Positioning Ho Chi Minh City as a global growth pole
Geopolitical competition, technological breakthroughs, and the demand for green transition are simultaneously reshaping the global economic order. Amid these changes, value chains are being restructured with a new logic, focusing on diversifying supply sources, strengthening regional linkages, and enhancing resilience to shocks.
New growth poles are emerging in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, while mega-cities increasingly become hubs connecting capital flows, technology, and innovation networks. In a globally volatile environment, the ability to connect and coordinate not only provides strategic advantages but also determines the ability to transform opportunities into tangible outcomes. Meaningful dialogue is thus crucial, helping to bridge the gap between cooperative ideas and investment decisions.
Vietnam enters a new era of development with two major goals: achieving over 10% GDP growth annually and having the digital economy contribute 30% of GDP by 2030. Realizing these goals requires international-level resources, from capital and technology to strategic partnerships. Science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation are identified as strategic levers for growth. With an extensive foreign relations network and established international economic cooperation frameworks, Vietnam is well-positioned to enhance connections with international capital, technology, and management expertise.
For Ho Chi Minh City, the new development space provides opportunities to enhance connectivity among economic sectors, attract FDI, logistics, and financial flows based on scientific and technological innovation, while expanding access to capital, knowledge, and international cooperation networks. As the country's leading economic and innovation center, the city has the foundation to become a convergence point for these resources. It is here that AEF 2026 opens opportunities for dialogue and international-level connections.
AEF 2026 aims to create a policy dialogue space, connecting government leaders, local authorities, international organizations, economic conglomerates, financial institutions, businesses, and experts to discuss issues shaping new growth drivers, promote investment, technology transfer, and mobilize resources for growth.
In its orientation to become a reliable investment destination, a pioneering urban area, and elevate its global city status, through AEF 2026, Ho Chi Minh City seeks to gather new growth resources, create interactive spaces, and strengthen connections with economic and innovation centers worldwide. Thus, the city gradually realizes its positioning as the “Convergence of New Global Growth Poles”.
Promoting new models of multilateral cooperation
At the pre-event press conference (October 20), Mr. Le Truong Duy, Director of HCMC C4IR, affirmed that with its format and program designed to approach international models, AEF is not just an annual event but an international connection platform for science, technology, innovation, finance, investment, and sustainable development.
The forum's outcomes will serve as important references contributing to building reports on Vietnam's prospects and new growth drivers, while providing policy recommendations on innovation, digital transformation, and private economic development.
From there, new orientations, initiatives, and cooperation frameworks will be formed to implement national strategies on science, technology, innovation, digital transformation, investment, and education-training. These are key factors for Vietnam to more proactively participate in shaping new global development trends.
The content of AEF 2026 focuses on issues directly shaping new growth drivers, with four strategic pillars: The Role of Mega-Cities, Disruptive Technology and Innovation Ecosystems, Cooperation Models in the New Era, and the Pioneering Role of the Private Sector in Promoting Growth and Innovation. These pillars reflect the necessity of shifting from reacting to changes to proactively forging partnerships and building trust.
This is an opportunity for Ho Chi Minh City to assert its position as a convergence point for regional and global cooperation initiatives. A highlight of the forum is promoting “new model” multilateral cooperation, enhancing policy dialogue and public-private cooperation. Through connections between government, local authorities, businesses, and international organizations, the forum aims to enhance Vietnam's competitiveness, productivity, and international standing in the global innovation and development ecosystem.
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| A session at the Autumn Economic Forum 2025. (Source: AEF) |
WEF offers Vietnam “An exception”
A distinctive feature of AEF 2026 is the World Economic Forum (WEF) co-branding the program during the two main event days (October 27-28). Updating information, the Organizing Committee's representative, HCMC C4IR Director Le Truong Duy, affirmed that this is the first time WEF has co-branded a program with a locality globally, highlighting Vietnam's and Ho Chi Minh City's prestige on the international stage.
This collaboration lays the foundation for Ho Chi Minh City to connect with global partners while aligning the city's development priorities with the international economic agenda. “Through WEF, we organize the Autumn Economic Forum linked with the annual World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland) in January and the Summer World Economic Forum in Tianjin (China) in June. Autumn is in our city,” Mr. Duy shared.
Thus, the Autumn Economic Forum is gradually being built into Vietnam's annual international connection platform for science, technology, innovation, finance, investment, and sustainable development; contributing to enhancing Vietnam's and Ho Chi Minh City's position as a convergence point for regional and global cooperation initiatives, more actively participating in shaping new development trends.
Dialogue “60 minutes with Prime Minister Le Minh Hung” The Prime Minister will attend a key session titled “60 Minutes with Prime Minister Le Minh Hung”, focusing on the theme “Positioning Vietnam in the Global Future”. This is a high-level direct dialogue forum on stage between the Prime Minister and WEF leaders and experts to extensively discuss the vision and direction for building a new generation growth model for Vietnam. The dialogue session also aims to highlight the message that Vietnam is transitioning from an active participant to a co-creator of new growth opportunities. |
Anticipated events at AEF 2026 On October 26, the CEO 500 - TEA CONNECT program kicks off the event series, focusing on the movement of global FDI, technology, and financial flows, while promoting investment connections. On October 27, thematic sessions will discuss global economic shifts, economic restructuring, institutions, strategic finance, technology, and international cooperation. On October 28, from 8:30 to 10:30, a high-level plenary session with the theme “Convergence of New Global Growth Poles” will take place. Following that, from 10:30 to 11:30, is the program “60 Minutes with Prime Minister Le Minh Hung”, consulting on the theme “Positioning Vietnam in the Global Future”. In the afternoon, in-depth discussions and dialogues between ministerial leaders from various countries will occur. Continuously from October 26-29, connectivity activities and demonstrations of new technology solutions and innovations will take place throughout, including the Rising Star Arena, the annual meeting of the global C4IR Network, and investment and technology promotion workshops with international partners, including China, India, Israel, and Nordic countries. Within the framework of AEF 2026, Ho Chi Minh City plans to announce 12 investment projects by domestic and foreign enterprises, with a total registered capital of over 13 billion USD, focusing on logistics, energy, and infrastructure sectors. |
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| Some notable highlights of the Autumn Economic Forum 2026. (Source: C4IR) |
