Ho Chi Minh City urged to lead in developing, testing new technology models: Deputy PM

He made the remarks at Conviction 2026, a national-level forum on Digital Assets and Artificial Intelligence, which opened in Ho Chi Minh City on August 14.

Dung described the city as a major economic, technology, innovation and startup hub with a dynamic business community, large market and strong international connectivity.

With more than 80,000 digital technology enterprises operating nationwide, Viet Nam is gradually establishing the sector as one of its fastest-growing economic industries, he said.

The forum brings together representatives from State management agencies, technology companies, financial institutions, investment funds, experts, research institutes, universities and domestic and international partners, creating opportunities to connect policies, technology, resources and markets, according to the Deputy PM.

Discussions should focus on solving practical problems and creating tangible value, while strengthening links among policy, technology, capital and markets, he said.

The State should build institutions, set development orientations, identify major challenges and promote essential infrastructure, while research institutes and universities should strengthen research, master technologies and train high-quality human resources.

Businesses, he stressed, must remain at the centre by investing in research and development, commissioning technologies, applying them in production and business, and commercialising products. Financial institutions, investment funds and international partners should provide promising technologies and products with resources and access to markets.

Dung called for more substantive cooperation, concrete projects and practical initiatives from the forum, with difficulties arising in practice promptly reported to competent agencies for resolution.

He also underlined that technology development must go hand in hand with risk management, standards, safety and responsibility from the outset.

For AI, development must be people-centred, ensuring transparency, accountability, data safety, cybersecurity and human control appropriate to the risk level of each system.

For digital assets and crypto-asset markets, development must be associated with transparency, legal compliance, investor protection, market safety and prevention of violations. Technology can only be widely adopted and markets develop sustainably when trust is built through standards, transparency, responsibility and appropriate risk-management mechanisms.

Held on August 14-15, Conviction 2026 features discussions on policy, technology and markets, with blockchain, digital assets and AI among its key topics. An exhibition showcases AI and digital-asset projects and allows participants to experience technologies and solutions developed in Viet Nam.

As part of the event, the Electronics Information and Communications Association of Ho Chi Minh City (EIC) and Busan Techno Park of the Republic of Korea signed a memorandum of understanding and held a discussion on a digital corridor between the two cities.

EIC Chairman Nguyen Quy Hoa said Ho Chi Minh City should not only be a place where technologies are applied but also gradually become a hub for creating new technology models.

He said digital assets and AI were among the technology trends capable of bringing major changes to economies in the coming years. A strong ecosystem can emerge only when participants work together, share knowledge and cooperate to turn ideas into value for society, he added.