Smart City Asia International Expo and Forum opens in HCM City
The Smart City Asia International Expo and Forum 2023 in Vietnam opened in Ho Chi Minh City on April 13, showcasing leading technologies and solutions for public lighting, smart cities and smart homes, urban planning and public administration, and others.
Delegates visit a booth at the Smart City Asia International Expo and Forum 2023 that is being held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in HCM City from April 13 to 15. (Photo: VNS/VNA)
HCM City (VNS/VNA) - The Smart City Asia International Expo and Forum2023 in Vietnam opened in Ho Chi Minh City on April 13, showcasing leadingtechnologies and solutions for public lighting, smart cities and smart homes,urban planning and public administration, and others.
Smart City Asia has attracted nearly 300 local and foreign exhibitors, 70%international, from the Republic of Korea, Finland, the UAE, Singapore andother countries and territories.
Major Vietnamese telecommunications and technology corporations such as FPT,Viettel and VNPT are taking part.
There will be a Smart City Development Forum and seminars to shareinternational experiences in developing smart cities and discuss smart citydevelopment suitable for Vietnam.
There will also be a business matching programme.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Phan Van Mai, Chairman of the municipal People’sCommittee, said the city is set to integrate globally and have a high profilein Southeast Asia.
To achieve the target, the city has identified science and technology andinnovation as the main driving force, he said.
Smart City Asia would be a place for management agencies, domestic and foreignexperts to meet and discuss strategies, solutions and practical managementtools for smart city development, he added.
Nguyen Minh Hong, Chairman of the Vietnam Digital Communications Association,said the exhibition aims to promote public-private partnerships for buildingsmart cities.
Organised by the Vietnam Digital Communications Association, Exporum Co., Ltd.,Vietnam Institute of Digital Transformation and Innovation, and VietnamAutomation Association, Smart City Asia 2023 at the Saigon Exhibition andConvention Centre will go on until April 15 and expects to receive more than10,000 visitors./.
The northern province of Bac Giang has continued its efforts to accelerate digital government development and smart city building, according to Director of the provincial Department of Information and Communications Tran Minh Chieu.
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.
The governors and mayors of capital cities of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have vowed to promote close partnership and comprehensive cooperation for the development of smart, resilient and sustainable cities in the region, according to the Phnom Penh Declaration.
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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.
Delegates visit a booth at the Smart City Asia International Expo and Forum 2023 that is being held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in HCM City from April 13 to 15. (Photo: VNS/VNA) 
