Prime Minister Le Minh Hung delivered the message at the opening session of the 2026 Autumn Economic Forum (AEF 2026), themed “Collaboration in a New Era”, in HCM City on the morning of October 28.
Prime minister's messages
The prime minister thanked the World Economic Forum (WEF) and its partners for working with Vietnam over the years to help establish the Autumn Economic Forum as an open and substantive platform for dialogue among the government, businesses and the scientific community.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung delivers the message at the opening session of the 2026 Autumn Economic Forum (AEF 2026) on October 28. (Photo: Organising committee).
Networking activities, policy exchanges, experience-sharing and engagement with technology businesses over the preceding two days of AEF 2026 reflected international partners' interest in, confidence in and willingness to cooperate with Vietnam, its innovation centres and major growth hubs, particularly HCM City. These activities also opened up opportunities for new connections and growth drivers.
“The forum's theme, “Collaboration in a New Era”, raises a question of historic significance: amid rapid and far-reaching global changes, how can we cooperate not only to adapt to change and overcome challenges, but also to proactively create new drivers of development together for a better future?” the prime minister said.
Addressing domestic and international delegates, Hung said Vietnam's economy had continued to grow strongly in the first nine months of the year, alongside macroeconomic stability, controlled inflation and balanced major economic indicators. GDP grew by 9.01 per cent over the period, the highest rate since 2011. Total import and export turnover had exceeded USD 987 billion, up more than 30 per cent year on year, and was projected to surpass USD 1.1 trillion for the full year.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and Stephan Mergenthaler, WEF managing director (Photo: Organising committee).
In October alone, Vietnam recorded a trade surplus of more than USD 5.7 billion, while registered foreign direct investment reached USD 50.36 billion, up 76.4 per cent. Vietnam ranked 43rd among 139 economies in this year's Global Innovation Index and led the world in the shares of high-tech exports and creative goods exports in total merchandise trade. The country also officially entered the upper-middle-income group in July 2026.
Vietnam has identified 2026-2030 as a pivotal period, targeting average annual GDP growth of at least 10 per cent while maintaining macroeconomic stability, controlling inflation, safeguarding major economic balances, improving growth quality and promoting sustainable development. Achieving these goals will require a major overhaul of the development model and stronger economic capacity, quality and competitiveness.
“Vietnam aspires not only to become an attractive destination for investment and new technologies, but also to be an increasingly trusted partner, an important link in global supply and value chains, a hub connecting innovation, and a place where we work with partners to create new development models and growth drivers,” the prime minister said.
He reiterated that Vietnam was ready to be a friend, a trusted partner and an active, responsible member of the international community. The country was also prepared to listen, learn, share experience and work alongside partners to address common challenges and shape new development opportunities.
At the forum, Hung proposed establishing co-creation partnerships between international corporations and Vietnamese localities and businesses. With its geographic position, natural resources and workforce, Vietnam should become more than a manufacturing base and develop into a research and development hub, particularly in strategic technology sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and advanced materials.
He called on the WEF and its partners to work with Vietnam on programmes to develop and train digital talent and specialists in key science and technology fields, helping Vietnamese businesses and workers improve their capacity to adopt, apply and master technologies.
He also proposed developing regulatory sandboxes for strategic technologies. Vietnam was ready to work with technology corporations to establish controlled testing environments, allowing frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence and new energy solutions to be deployed more widely, quickly and safely.
The prime minister also called for stronger cooperation to mobilise medium- and long-term development capital. International financial centres in HCM City and Danang, he said, should become effective channels connecting global medium- and long-term funding with Vietnam's needs in infrastructure, energy, green transition and innovation.
HCM City seeks to connect growth hubs
In his opening remarks, HCM City People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Van Duoc said this year's Autumn Economic Forum posed a broader question: as new growth hubs emerge, how can they connect, complement one another and jointly open up new spaces for development? The theme “Cooperation in the new era” points to an approach centred on convergence, he said.
Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Van Duoc speaks at the event (Photo: Organising committee).
Duoc said convergence was not merely a global economic trend but an increasingly important requirement for the city's future development. HCM City was strengthening links among urban areas, industry, seaports, logistics, trade, services, finance, science and technology, and innovation. It was also expanding connections with the southeastern region, the rest of Vietnam, Southeast Asia and the global economy.
Resolution 09-NQ/TW of the Politburo has given HCM City a new vision, development space and role. The city aims not only to become a growth hub but also a meeting point connecting different growth centres, domestic and international resources, capital and technology, knowledge and talent, and markets and production capacity.
To fulfil this role, HCM City is developing new foundations for growth, including an international financial centre, a free trade zone, a science and technology and innovation ecosystem, digital transformation and strategic infrastructure.
“HCM City wants to continue working with the WEF, countries, cities, economic, financial and technology hubs, and the international business community to expand these connections,” Duoc said.
WEF managing director Stephan Mergenthaler said that amid geopolitical volatility, supply chain restructuring and rapid technological advances, increasingly complex economic challenges could not be resolved by any single government or business acting alone. Multilateral cooperation and a shared commitment to action were needed to turn dialogue into tangible results.
Mergenthaler identified three drivers that needed to advance together to shape a sustainable economy.
Stephan Mergenthaler, WEF managing director speaks at the event (Photo: Organising committee).
The first was the integration of intelligent systems and advanced technologies, which are transforming business operations and public administration. The challenge lies not only in accessing technology but also in converting technological capabilities into higher productivity and competitiveness, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises, which form the backbone of the economy.
The second was building resilient and sustainable business models. The shift towards greener production and more efficient resource use can help businesses adapt to volatility while creating new growth opportunities. This is particularly important for economies such as Vietnam's, which rely heavily on dynamic manufacturing.
The third was connecting knowledge, talent and markets. Major economic centres such as HCM City play an important role in bringing together innovative ideas, connecting investors and translating development policies into practice.
Mergenthaler stressed that these three drivers did not operate independently but could reinforce one another, helping shape the future economy.
“The WEF remains committed to working alongside partners, connecting resources and building trust to advance lasting and sustainable progress for society,” he said.
