Panellists discuss digital transformation in Vietnam at the Australia-Vietnam Tech Forum that opened in HCM City on April 12. (Photo courtesy of Austrade)
HCM City (VNS/VNA) - More than 70 executives from 42 technologycompanies participated in the Australia-Vietnam Tech Forum that opened in HoChi Minh City on April 12.
The event introduced Australian expertise in fintech, digital transformationand smart cities.
Assoc Prof Nguyen Quang Trung, head of the management faculty at RMIT Vietnam,said the Government views digital transformation as critical to continuedgrowth and prosperity.
On April 4 the National Action Plan on Digital Transformation was announced, hesaid.
Vietnam has a national agenda for utilising “Industry 4.0” technologies toimprove productivity and accelerate economic growth.
“Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing digital economies and a promising marketwith a large population and ambitious goals and commitments from theGovernment.”
According to World Bank data, the country’s digital sector could exceed 200billion USD by 2045, a huge figure compared with its 2021 GDP of 352 billion USD.
Binh Pham, managing director at BCA Partners, said Vietnam’s fintech paymentvalue increased by 2.98 times between 2017 and 2021 mostly to e-commerce.
The COVID-19 outbreak quarantines and safe distancing requirements changedconsumer behaviours, and the number of people buying online has increasedtremendously over the past two years, leading to a boom in both e-commerceactivities and digital payments, he explained.
Phan Thanh Son, chief business development officer at FPT Information System,said 41 out of 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam have plans for smart cities.
Nearly 40 have been developing smart city services, while 17 have startedbuilding or have agreed to build smart city operating centres, he said.
Rebecca Ball, senior trade and investment commissioner at Austrade, said theAustralian Government supports ASEAN in its development of sustainable smartcities, including Vietnam.
“Australia is working with ASEAN to create cities that are smart andsustainable.
“A good example is the 5 million AUD pilot of the Department of Foreign Affairsand Trade’s InnovationXchange programme that aims to support and scale uphigh-growth potential enterprises, focusing on smart urbanisation solutions inODA eligible cities across ASEAN.”/.
Smart cities should be put into consideration from the urban planning stage to ensure synchronous development, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Huy Dung said.
Non-cash payment transactions witnessed a significant surge in the first two months of this year, indicating a notable shift in customers’ behaviour towards modern financial services.
As part of the country’s ongoing effort in digital transformation, telehealth platforms have been increasingly integrated into the operations of hospitals, especially after the health ministry’s call to apply the tool in all public health facilities within 2023.
The prerequisite for Vietnam's digital economy to go further is to optimise modern scientific and technological advancements in accordance with Vietnam's own approach, according to Nguyen Trung Chinh, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive President of CMC Corporation.
A key change in the draft decree is a provision requiring bank transfers for gold transactions valued at 20 million VND (765 USD) and above, to enhance transparency and verify customer identities.
In the first four months of 2025, trade turnover between Vietnam and Cambodia surpassed 3 billion USD, marking a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
On June 19 alone, a total of 2,005 trucks completed customs clearance at Lang Son’s border gates — the highest single-day figure ever recorded in the province. Of these, 634 carried exports and 1,371 imports.
The OECD Economic Surveys: Vietnam 2025 report focuses on analysing the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, the impact of international integration on attracting foreign investment and trade, and the country’s prospects for developing a low-carbon economy.
Antoine Colin, Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain Digital Transformation & Resilience at HP Inc., affirmed HP’s strategic commitment to building a supply chain and ecosystem in Vietnam and the region.
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Trade Promotion Agency Bui Quang Hung emphasised that logistics has evolved from a technical function into a core capability for Vietnamese exporters to maintain their competitive advantage in the US market.
A trade official has suggested companies work closely with shipping lines, airlines, and freight forwarders to monitor routes, transit times, and potential surcharges while exploring broader cargo insurance to cover risks like war and terrorism.
In addition to institutional reform, the agency is also rolling out key solution groups to combat counterfeit goods, imitations, and intellectual property infringements in the digital environment.
The event, co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK and TT Meridian, a local importer of Vietnamese fresh produce, aims to build a national lychee brand and encourage broader recognition of Vietnamese fruits in a competitive, high-end market.
The industry's performance has been powered by bold investments in modern production lines, enabling Vietnamese firms to produce complicated products which were exclusive to advanced economies.
Outcomes of ABAC III will shape ABAC’s final policy recommendations to be submitted to the ABAC-APEC leaders’ dialogue, scheduled to take place in the Republic of Korea this November.
This is the second year the magazine has released the ranking, which is based on total revenue and key financial indicators of enterprises from seven countries in the region: Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Cambodia.
At the summit, publishing, tech, and media sectors will discuss emerging trends, business models, and sustainable solutions for digital publishing development in Vietnam.
This year’s “Vietnam Goods Week” marks a significant milestone as it is being held simultaneously for the first time in four locations across Asia: Japan, Hong Kong (China), Cambodia, and Malaysia, from June 19 - 22.
According to NordCham Vietnam Chairman Thue Quist Thomasen, the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is both a challenge and an opportunity for businesses to contribute to green and sustainable growth.
The analysis from an investment perspective shows that the economy’s growth has been heavily capital‑driven, yet efficiency remains low as reflected by Vietnam’s Incremental Capital-Output Ratio (ICOR) being significantly higher than global and regional averages. This underscores the imperative to enhance capital‑use efficiency.
Panellists discuss digital transformation in Vietnam at the Australia-Vietnam Tech Forum that opened in HCM City on April 12. (Photo courtesy of Austrade) 
