HCM CITY — Initiatives and strategic partnerships among companies and organisations to develop a next-generation industrial ecosystem were announced at Open Innovation Day 2026 in HCM City on Monday.

The partnerships and initiatives focused on artificial intelligence, digital technology infrastructure, next-generation energy, smart manufacturing and other industries with potential to drive new growth.

These partnerships and initiatives are hoped to turn initial connections into concrete programmes and projects, strengthening Vietnamese businesses’ technological capabilities and competitiveness.

“To realise its growth ambitions and enhance its competitiveness, Việt Nam cannot stop at attracting investment or adopting technology. We need to gradually master technologies, develop our manufacturing capabilities, build a highly skilled workforce and strengthen the position of Vietnamese businesses,” said Bùi Thanh Hằng, director of SoiHub, an open innovation hub.

Held alongside the Autumn Economic Forum 2026, Open Innovation Day 2026 was themed “Power the Next-Gen Industrial City”. It brought together industry, technology, infrastructure and innovation stakeholders to explore ways to build new competitive capabilities for Việt Nam.

The programme featured discussions and networking on strategic sectors and growth drivers, including energy, smart manufacturing, artificial intelligence, investment attraction, workforce development and the innovation ecosystem. Activities included high-level dialogues, business and investment networking, technology demonstrations and technology transfer.

Participants discussed solutions for AI infrastructure, green energy and the low-altitude economy, which they described as foundations for next-generation industries.

Nguyễn Khắc Lịch, director general of the Authority of Digital Technology and Artificial Intelligence under the Ministry of Science and Technology, said Việt Nam should make science, technology, innovation and digital transformation strategic breakthroughs. He called for a focus on mastering technologies and developing domestic industries in high-value-added fields such as semiconductors, AI and unmanned aerial vehicles.

He said policies should be rapidly translated into practice by involving businesses from research through to commercialisation, strengthening semiconductor chip-design capabilities and supporting real-world applications of UAVs. AI and smart manufacturing should also help drive labour productivity, he said.

HCM City has advantages in infrastructure, human resources and its innovation ecosystem that could help it lead implementation, he added.

Completing a framework for regulatory sandboxes would be key to removing institutional barriers and giving businesses more room to test and develop new technology products.

Experts at the event also discussed Việt Nam’s potential to attract investment in AI data centres, citing construction costs and power availability. They said HCM City had secured significant projects and noted growing interest in space-based data centres over the coming decades.

Open Innovation Day is an annual series of discussions and business networking activities led by SoiHub and the Open Innovation and Technopreneur Institute. The 2026 event was co-organised by the National Academy for Advanced Technology and Innovation, Saigon Telecommunication & Technologies Corporation, the Technology Incubation Centre and the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology, with support from the Vietnam Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in HCM City and other domestic and international partners.

The event aims to address practical challenges faced by businesses, industrial parks and localities by connecting research, technology and investment resources to develop solutions, establish partnerships and promote technology commercialisation. — VNS