Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) has announced nine new cooperation agreements with international partners, signaling a significant push into high-tech sectors. These collaborations, unveiled last week at the 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions (AMNC 2026) in Dalian, China, span areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous vehicles, high-tech healthcare, and robotics.

The partnerships encompass a broad spectrum of advanced technologies, including smart agriculture and aquaculture, smart cities, green materials, robotics and automation, digital transformation, and innovative finance.

Among the notable initiatives, Sunwah Group is investing in a pilot public electric bicycle system. 365 Group, in collaboration with a Chinese partner, will test Zelostech autonomous vehicles powered by AI at Quang Trung Software Park (QTSC). Additionally, 365 Group is partnering with Phuong Lan Hach Group from China on a project for a Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) cancer treatment center.

Leading technology firms Sunwah, Exabyte, Inspur Smart Technology, Son Kim Ngung, and TOJOY have also pledged their support to the HCMC Center for the 4th Industrial Revolution (HCMC C4IR). Their commitment focuses on developing smart agriculture and aquaculture, smart cities, green materials, AI and robotics, and fostering the innovation ecosystem.

Parties announce collaborations and exchange letters of intent at the HCMC Investment Cooperation Forum in Dalian, China. Photo: HCMC C4IR

HCMC's participation in AMNC 2026, an event organized by the World Economic Forum (WEF), underscores its ambition to strengthen connections and collaborate with strategic partners. The city aims to achieve double-digit growth and enhance its role, position, and influence within regional and global innovation ecosystems.

During the "HCMC Investment Cooperation Forum", a key event within the AMNC series, Nguyen Loc Ha, Standing Vice Chairman of the HCMC People's Committee, affirmed the city's readiness to co-create new growth drivers and cooperation opportunities with international partners.

Experts offered recommendations for Vietnam's economic engine. Jesse Choi, ASEAN Regional Director for Sunwah Group, emphasized the need to increase links with international technology ecosystems to generate high value-added projects. Hoang Hai Vuong, Deputy General Director of Nam A Bank, identified green finance as a crucial lever for transitioning to a low-emission economy.

Tran Thi Hong Minh, Deputy General Director of Becamex IDC, highlighted that restructuring traditional industrial parks into integrated innovation ecosystems is key to forming globally connected manufacturing and technology hubs.

These developments come as HCMC continues to attract significant foreign direct investment (FDI), securing over USD 6.8 billion in the first half of 2026, a substantial 114.15% increase compared to the same period in 2025. At a joint session between APEC and ASEAN representatives, Nguyen Loc Ha outlined three strategic directions for cooperation: developing smart infrastructure based on trusted data interaction and exchange; promoting specialization to leverage complementary advantages rather than individual national approaches; and effectively implementing the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA).

These initiatives garnered strong consensus, with delegates recognizing them as suitable solutions for supply chain challenges. There was also a clear demand for establishing connection channels to facilitate the practical implementation of these collaborations. According to HCMC C4IR, the interest shown by leading organizations, institutions, and technology corporations in investing in HCMC represents "strategic international recognition for the growth transformation model based on science, technology, data, and global value chain integration that the city is currently implementing".

By Vien Thong