The Hanoi People's Committee has approved plans to hold the Annual Capital Economic Forum 2026, following a proposal from the municipal Department of Finance and the Hanoi Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (Hanoisme).
Under the city's directive, Hanoisme will organise the event, arrange funding, invite speakers and delegates from government agencies and the business community, and oversee logistics to ensure the forum is delivered effectively. Dan Tri newspaper and several other organisations will serve as media partners.
A view of Hanoi (Photo: Tien Tuan).
The association has also been tasked with reviewing the forum's agenda and format to ensure compliance with regulations governing conferences and seminars.
In addition, Hanoisme will collect and categorise recommendations from businesses on issues including finance, credit, taxation, production premises, customs procedures and administrative reform before submitting them to the Department of Finance.
The department will guide and support the organisation of the forum while compiling business concerns and reporting them to the Hanoi People's Committee for consideration and resolution where appropriate.
The Annual Capital Economic Forum is expected to become a key platform for dialogue between city authorities and the business community, helping improve Hanoi's investment climate and support the capital's economic development.
According to Hanoisme, this year's forum will be held under the theme "Hanoi SMEs harness AI and e-commerce to achieve double-digit growth". It is scheduled to begin at 1pm on July 31 at MComplex R1-B1, Royal City Shopping Centre in Hanoi.
The event comes as Hanoi accelerates efforts to reshape its growth model by making science, technology, innovation, digital transformation and the digital economy central drivers of future development.
The forum aims to bring government policies closer to businesses while connecting companies with technology providers, sources of finance, major corporations, distribution networks and new markets.
It will also help small and medium-sized enterprises, cooperatives and household businesses gain access to digital management tools, artificial intelligence, e-commerce platforms, digital payment systems and automation technologies.
The programme aligns with Hanoi's broader digital transformation and digital economy strategies, with a focus on supporting businesses in adopting digital platforms, cashless payments, electronic invoicing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence and automation solutions tailored to their size, industry and level of digital readiness.
Beyond technology adoption, the forum also seeks to foster the growth of science and technology enterprises, digital technology companies and locally developed technology products and services. It will strengthen links between businesses, research institutes, universities, banks, investment funds, major corporations and distribution networks to accelerate product commercialisation, expand market access and deepen participation in global value chains.
