As part of the 2025 Autumn Economic Forum, the meeting aims to debate collaboration on the development of the digital government model.
Mr. Manuel Kilian noted that the Global Government Technology Center, founded by the World Economic Forum (WEF), is a leading institution in research and support for countries transitioning to technology-driven governance.
He praised Ho Chi Minh City’s commitment to reform in building a smart city and digital transformation.
On the side of Ho Chi Minh City, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Cong Vinh indicated that with its expanded regional integration, Ho Chi Minh City now has an economy equivalent to one-third of the national GDP. The city is prioritizing digital transformation, the development of digital data, and administrative reform, aiming to build a world-class “super city” for the digital era.
Currently, over 40 percent of enterprises in the city operate in the technology sector. The Saigon High-Tech Park (SHTP) hosts more than 200 projects and an ecosystem of training and research involving over 2,000 students, creating favourable conditions for deep cooperation in AI, IoT, data and digital public services.
The Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City also proposed three key areas of collaboration. These include developing a technology startup ecosystem, including training programs for businesses to enhance their capacity to apply technology in production and management; applying IoT in urban management, particularly in traffic monitoring, data collection, and real-time supervision of business activities to support smart city development; training civil servants and fostering research collaboration between the Global Government Technology Center and universities and research institutes in Ho Chi Minh City to pilot digital government and AI models in governance.
Mr. Manuel Kilian praised Ho Chi Minh City’s proposals as practical, specific and aligned with modern governance trends. He pledged to connect the city with Berlin’s international expert network and innovation ecosystem to support the cooperation and agreed that the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology will serve as the coordination hub.
It is expected that he will return to Ho Chi Minh City in December 2025 to work with the city on finalizing specific projects, ensuring rapid implementation and clear effectiveness.
The meeting is part of a series of activities promoting international cooperation at the 2025 Autumn Economic Forum, aiming to build a digital government, develop the digital and green economy, and foster a sustainable innovation ecosystem in Ho Chi Minh City.
