Autumn Economic Forum 2025: Affirming Ho Chi Minh City's role in international connectivity for green and digital transformation

Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son speaking at the Forum's closing ceremony on December 31. (Photo: Hoang Hung).

The conference was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn, leaders of central ministries and sectors, as well as leaders of Ho Chi Minh City and representatives from various departments and sectors.

The presence and guidance of government leaders continue to affirm the Autumn Economic Forum's role as a crucial policy dialogue platform, connecting international resources to serve the economic and social development of the city and the nation.

Reporting at the conference, Mr. Le Truong Duy, Director of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Center in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC C4IR), stated that the Autumn Economic Forum 2025 attracted over 1,800 delegates, nearly 100 international delegations from more than 30 countries and territories, with the participation of 12 central ministry leaders, representatives from 10 C4IR centers, and over 75 global science and technology organizations.

A key focus of the Forum was clarifying the role of science, technology, and innovation in promoting urban economic growth.

Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son and Permanent Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Loc Ha witnessed the announcement of a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation between HCMC C4IR and Nam Á Commercial Joint Stock Bank.

According to evaluations at the Forum, science and technology-based economic sectors contributed approximately 1.4 trillion VND to Ho Chi Minh City's GDP in 2025, showcasing the significant potential of a knowledge and technology-based growth model.

Through in-depth discussion sessions, the Forum proposed numerous solutions to promote public-private cooperation, enhance technology absorption capacity, and recommended that Ho Chi Minh City proactively embrace emerging technology trends and engage more deeply in the global value chain by effectively leveraging the C4IR network and international partners.

Another notable outcome was the announcement of 16 memoranda of understanding for cooperation in key areas, including finance, fintech, blockchain, digital financial infrastructure, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, seaports, and low-tech industries.

These agreements contribute to expanding cross-border cooperation networks, laying the foundation for innovation and enhancing the city's economic competitiveness.

Within the Forum's framework, 21 bilateral and multilateral meetings were organized between government and Ho Chi Minh City leaders and international organizations such as the World Economic Forum (WEF), IMF, ADB, UNESCO, UNDP, and many major corporations, focusing on cooperation in science, technology, digital urban development, international financial centers, green economy, and high-quality human resource training.

Mr. Le Truong Duy, Director of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Centre in Ho Chi Minh City, is reporting at the conference.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn assessed that the Autumn Economic Forum 2025, with the theme “Green Transformation in the Digital Era”, was comprehensively successful in terms of scale, content quality, and foreign affairs effectiveness.

The Deputy Prime Minister urged ministries, sectors, and Ho Chi Minh City to proactively prepare for the Autumn Economic Forum 2026 from the beginning of the year, aiming to elevate its international stature and deepen strategic cooperation with the WEF.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that the Forum's theme selection should align with the major orientations of the Party and State, connect with strategic priorities for rapid and sustainable development, and be consistent with global trends.

Through the 2026 Forum, economic and technology diplomacy activities should be strengthened to attract international resources, knowledge, and high-quality investments that directly serve the country's and Ho Chi Minh City's development goals.

The government expects the Autumn Economic Forum in Ho Chi Minh City to continue its elevation, gradually becoming a reputable annual forum in the region and internationally, serving as a hub for connecting and implementing agendas on economics, technology, digital transformation, and green transformation amid increasingly deep international cooperation.

At the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn and Permanent Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Loc Ha witnessed the announcement of a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation between HCMC C4IR and Nam Á Commercial Joint Stock Bank.

Accordingly, the two sides will promote financial programs to mobilise and channel remittance resources into Ho Chi Minh City's science, technology, and innovation sectors.

This aims to effectively leverage the potential of overseas Vietnamese resources for long-term development goals.

Additionally, Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank committed to implementing an off-budget preferential credit program with a total limit of 1,500 billion VND for the 2026-2030 period to support enterprises in promoting smart production transformation, enhancing competitiveness, and integrating into the global value chain.

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