Meeting space for pioneering initiatives
On November 26, the 2025 Autumn Economic Forum opened in Ho Chi Minh City. The event was directly directed by the Prime Minister, chaired by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, and organized by the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Ho Chi Minh City in coordination with agencies, ministries and the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The forum attracted 70 delegations from Innovation Centers and large corporations, 6 delegations from ministries, international sectors, 8 delegations from international localities, 7 delegations from major international organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), 10 centers of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) globally... In particular, the Forum was attended by WEF CEO Stephan Mergenthaler.
Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Autumn Economic Forum, Ho Chi Minh City Party Secretary Tran Luu Quang emphasized that the world is moving at an unprecedented speed, when the growth model, supply chain and global economic structure are reshaped towards sustainable green - digital - sustainable. At the same time, artificial intelligence, big data, biotechnology and new materials are creating a completely different development space, with science, technology and innovation becoming the decisive driving force in all fields.
In that context, green transformation and digital transformation are no longer a trend but have become the order of the times, the key to ensuring competitiveness, energy security, environment and quality of life of the people.
With the consistent viewpoint of "taking people as the center, goal and driving force for development", Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City in particular identify this as an objective requirement and a strategic priority for rapid and sustainable growth.
The Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee said that after the merger, Ho Chi Minh City will become a convergence of the three most dynamic growth poles in the country, carrying the aspiration to become a modern, dynamic and globally competitive city. The city sets a pioneering goal of green transformation, smart urban development, attracting high-tech investment and building an International Financial Center - a platform to become a leading economic, financial, technological and service center in the region.
To achieve that goal, Ho Chi Minh City has identified three strategic breakthroughs including: perfecting institutions, developing synchronous infrastructure and improving the quality of human resources.
In that spirit, the city persistently builds and elevates the Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum into the Autumn Economic Forum - creating an annual dialogue mechanism, where experts, leaders, and businesses "hearted and visionary" gather, together giving opinions and suggesting solutions for the development of the city and the whole country.
"Ho Chi Minh City is ready to be a pioneer center, a place for strategic pilot discussions, a place to start new ideas, a place to spread successful models to the whole country and the region", said Ho Chi Minh City Party Secretary Tran Luu Quang, expressing his hope and confidence that the 2025 Autumn Economic Forum will open up strong cooperation opportunities, creating more motivation for Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam to make breakthroughs in digital transformation and green growth.
Prioritizing green and digital transformation strategies
Speaking at the Forum, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that this forum is not only an important international event but also a milestone opening a new promising journey in Vietnam's journey of cooperation, development and integration for peace, stability and economic recovery in the region as well as the world.
The Prime Minister affirmed three consistent and consistent viewpoints of Vietnam in the process of green transformation and digital transformation.
First, all development takes people, people and businesses as the center, subject, goal and driving force. "Vietnam does not trade progress, social justice, environment and social security for simple growth".
Second, Vietnam is a good friend, a trustworthy partner, a responsible member of the international community, persistent in its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, and diversification; committed to seriously implementing the goal of net zero emissions by 2050, ready to open the market and create a legal corridor to receive green capital flows and green technology.
Third, resources originate from thinking and vision, motivation originates from innovation, and strength originates from people and businesses; must combine national strength with the strength of the times, domestic strength with the international and state and private strength.
To realize the above viewpoints, the Prime Minister said that Vietnam will focus on implementing solutions in the spirit of "open institutions, smooth infrastructure, smart governance, common approaches and cooperation together".
The State plays a role in creating and leading the way; pioneering enterprises; public investment accompanying; for the country to develop and the people to be happy. Build a legal corridor to encourage green transformation, digital transformation, simplify administrative procedures to reduce compliance costs for people and businesses, turning institutions into competitive advantages.
Next, it is to build a dynamic incentive mechanism, harmoniously combining internal resources (people, nature, cultural traditions) in a decisive and long-term strategy with external resources (capital, technology, governance) in an important and breakthrough manner.
In terms of human resources, Vietnam will promote the development of high-quality human resources. In addition, Vietnam promotes cooperation in science and technology transfer, especially in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and nuclear energy, and is in great need of support from international friends on infrastructure and human resources platforms ready to receive.
Regarding governance, innovation in thinking from management to creation and service, carrying out the revolution of restructuring the administrative apparatus that has been formed for the past 80 years in the direction of streamlining, reducing intermediaries, reducing procedures with the highest political determination.
