Autumn economic forum opens in Ho Chi Minh City

The Autumn Economic Forum 2026 (AEF 2026) officially opened in Ho Chi Minh City on October 26, drawing more than 2,700 registered delegates and 214 speakers from 27 countries and territories.

Running through October 29, AEF 2026 is themed “Cooperation Spirit in a New Era” and positioned as “The Convergence of New Global Growth Poles.”

The forum is being held under the direction of the Prime Minister, chaired by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, and organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (HCMC C4IR) in coordination with government agencies and domestic and international partners. Programs on October 27 and 28 are co-branded with the World Economic Forum (WEF).

According to Director Le Truong Duy of HCMC C4IR, organizers have recorded registrations from 27 high-level international delegations, 10 delegations representing international organizations, seven centers from the WEF's Global Fourth Industrial Revolution Network, and 160 delegations from science, technology, and innovation centers. More than 600 foreign businesses have also registered to attend, creating opportunities for investment, trade, and technology transfer.

International guests confirmed to attend include Stephan Mergenthaler, Managing Director of the WEF; Arsenio M. Balisacan, Secretary of the Philippines Department of Economy, Planning and Development; Saeed Bin Mubarak Al Hajeri, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates; and representatives from United Nations agencies, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Union.

The forum focuses on four pillars: the role of megacities in connecting growth poles; breakthrough technologies and innovation ecosystems; cooperation models in a new era; and the pioneering role of the private sector. Discussions cover institutions, finance, technology, and business, with the goal of forming cooperation mechanisms and projects that can be implemented in practice.

The highlight of the opening day is the CEO500 program, themed “The Convergence of FDI, Technology and Global Financial Flows,” bringing together more than 500 domestic and international business leaders along with representatives from Ho Chi Minh City authorities, ministries, and international organizations.

The program focuses on four sectors: infrastructure and new development spaces; finance; energy; and the digital economy and technology. Through direct dialogue among authorities, businesses, and investors, CEO500 aims to identify cooperation opportunities, investment needs, and conditions for project implementation.

Also on October 26, the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) opened the fourth Ho Chi Minh City Green Growth Products and Services Exhibition 2026 (GRECO 2026) on Nguyen Hue Street in Saigon Ward. Running through October 29, the exhibition showcases products, services, and technology solutions for green growth, digital transformation, and sustainable development.

Activities on industrial dual transformation, Open Innovation Day 2026, and the Vietnam-India Future Technology Forum are also expected to expand opportunities for research cooperation, technology applications, and green industrial development.

According to organizers, the forum offers an opportunity to connect Ho Chi Minh City with international economic, financial, and technology centers while highlighting the city's potential in industry, logistics, infrastructure, and high-value-added services. High-level dialogues, business networking events, and investment promotion activities are expected to turn cooperation opportunities into concrete projects, creating new growth momentum for the city and the country.