Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – Technology and human capital must go hand in hand if Vietnam is to achieve a successful digital transformation and build a smart nation, participants heard at the Vietnam Global Innovation Connect (VGIC) 2026, which opened in Ho Chi Minh City on July 29.
Held under the theme “Future Tech – Vietnam’s Digital Leap,” the two-day forum is organised by France-based AVSE Global, the Ho Chi Minh City Startup and Innovation Hub (SIHUB), the Global On-Chain Economy (GOE) Alliance, and the Startup Vietnam Foundation (SVF). The event brought together around 100 Vietnamese and overseas Vietnamese innovators, including leading scientists, technology executives and researchers working at major global technology companies, research institutes and universities. They shared strategic insights on fostering innovative ecosystems, accelerating digital transformation and applying emerging technologies to drive economic development.
Throughout the forum, discussions centred on four strategic pillars that are to shape Vietnam’s digital future: Smart Data, Smart People, Smart Business Processes and Smart Technology.
The event also serves as a platform for dialogue among policymakers, enterprises, startups, investors and the global Vietnamese expert community to transform knowledge, technology and resources into practical initiatives and projects that contribute to the country's development.
Participants are exploring ways to build a smart nation through a circular innovation ecosystem based on close cooperation among the State, universities, corporations, startups and investment funds.
Professor Nguyen Duc Khuong, Chairman of AVSE Global, stressed that technology alone does not transform a nation; rather, it is people who create change by making effective use of technology. According to him, the key lies in turning technology into a catalyst for growth, with people remaining at the centre of the transformation process.
Speaking at the event, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong said the city is striving to become a regional hub for innovation, finance and technology and reinforce its role as Vietnam’s leading economic centre.
To achieve that goal, the city has identified science and technology, innovation and digital transformation as key growth drivers for the next stage of development. Core technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors and digital technologies are expected to create new growth models, improve labour productivity, enhance business competitiveness and strengthen governance efficiency.
Ho Chi Minh City is also prioritising the development of an integrated innovation ecosystem by promoting closer collaboration among the State, universities, research institutes, enterprises, major corporations and investment funds, thereby improving connections between policy, knowledge, technology, finance and markets.
The city's inclusion among the world's top 100 startup ecosystems is an encouraging milestone, Cuong said, adding that it will continue promoting research and development, technology transfer, innovation support for businesses, international cooperation, and the attraction of investment, advanced technologies and high-quality talent.
The city has also begun establishing venture capital funds to diversify financing channels for promising innovation projects. Ho Chi Minh City is also developing an International Financial Centre, and together with the funds, will connect technological enterprises and capital and investors to create new momentum for sustainable economic growth./.
VNA
