Ha Noi SMEs urged to harness AI and e-commerce to boost growth

In his opening speech, Cu Ngoc Trang, Director of the Ha Noi Department of Science and Technology, said the capital city is under increasing pressure to create new growth drivers in order to achieve its target of double-digit economic growth in 2026.

Although the city’s economy grew by 8.22% in the first six months of the year, the highest rate recorded in many years, Ha Noi must achieve growth of 13.44% in the second half of the year to meet its annual target.

The city has also set a goal of increasing the digital economy’s contribution to its economic output to 22% in 2026, but the current figure stands at just 16.7%.

Trang described this as a gap that must be bridged through science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation.

He said this requires stronger participation from the business community, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which account for around 98% of all businesses operating in the city.

The business landscape is currently evolving at a rapid pace. Every day, Vietnamese consumers spend around 1.6 trillion VND (60.8 million USD), purchasing more than 12 million products through e-commerce platforms.

At the same time, AI is reshaping production and business models, creating an increasingly significant competitive advantage for companies that successfully embrace the technology.

However, a substantial gap remains in AI adoption, with around 52% of large enterprises having already integrated AI into their operations, compared with only 17.4% of SMEs.

Representing the business community, Mac Quoc Anh, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of HANOISME, said that AI and e-commerce have become two key tools enabling SMEs to accelerate growth.

However, he noted that to achieve the goal of double-digit growth, businesses must simultaneously address four fundamental challenges: gaining effective access to government policies, adopting the right technologies, connecting with the right resources, and expanding into the right markets.

Anh said businesses need to shift from passively benefiting from government support to proactively accessing and making effective use of policy measures. They should also view digital transformation not merely as a trend, but as a practical means of improving productivity.

He added that the resources needed for growth extend far beyond bank credit, encompassing technology, data, skilled human resources, investment funds, partner networks, research institutes, universities, and distribution systems.

The forum therefore aims to help businesses gain a better understanding of Ha Noi’s latest policies and strategic direction on science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and business support.