Build to Last 2026:For sustainable urban development

Mr Nguyen Loc Ha, Standing Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, emphasised that the city identifies breakthroughs in transport and logistics infrastructure as a prerequisite for expanding development space and enhancing competitiveness in the global supply chain.

The conference took place at JW Marriott Saigon Suites, attracting thousands of attendees, including business leaders, international experts, developers, investors, and representatives from public agencies.

In his opening remarks, Mr Nguyen Loc Ha, Standing Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, emphasised that the city identifies breakthroughs in transport and logistics infrastructure as a prerequisite for expanding development space and enhancing competitiveness in the global supply chain. Concurrently, Ho Chi Minh City also aims to achieve sustainable, resilient urban development by completing the draft Ho Chi Minh City Urban Law and the master plan.

Mr Adam Koulaksezian, Director of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (CCIFV), delivered the opening speech at the conference.

The conference aims to create a comprehensive dialogue forum for the urban construction and development ecosystem, thereby promoting knowledge sharing, sparking innovation, and expanding strategic partnerships.

With the participation of many high-level speakers and leading enterprises, Build to Last continues to affirm its status as a flagship event in the industry.

Observations at the conference showed that opinions unanimously agreed that sustainable urban development cannot be separated from an interdisciplinary approach.

From planning, infrastructure, materials, to energy and logistics, all need to be integrated into a comprehensive strategy rather than developed in isolation.

Many businesses also shared practical experiences in transitioning to green materials, optimising energy efficiency, and applying digital technology in urban management operations.

At the conference, Olivier Brochet, French Ambassador to Vietnam, stated that sustainable urban development requires the participation of multiple parties, from the Government and local authorities to networks of experts, businesses, and investors.

He noted that Vietnam's construction industry will continue to grow strongly thanks to commitments to promote large-scale infrastructure, while emphasising the shared goal of decarbonising the construction sector between Vietnam and France.

According to him, this commitment has been reaffirmed within the framework of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, through recent high-level visits by General Secretary, President To Lam (in 2024), and President Emmanuel Macron (in 2025).

The conference was attended by many distinguished guests, such as Thibaut Giroux, Chairman of CCIFV, Étienne Ranaivoson, Consul General of France in Ho Chi Minh City, and representatives from local authorities. Besides Build to Last, CCIFV also organises annual events such as the Beaujolais Nouveau and the France-Vietnam Job Fair, thereby strengthening Vietnam-France cooperation and bringing international solutions closer to the Vietnamese market.

Currently, the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam has over 300 members, including multinational corporations such as Airbus and Sanofi, as well as many small and medium-sized enterprises.

This organisation is a member of CCI France International, a network comprising 120 chambers of commerce in 95 countries, with over 33,000 member businesses globally.

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