Lê Anh Hoàng, deputy director of ITPC makes a speech at the conferencetitled "Decoding the Future of Global Export with AI Agent" in HCM City on Thursday. — Photo courtesy of Alibaba.com

HCM CITY — The HCM City’s trade promotion landscape is evolving towards digitalisation, utilising technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to provide enhanced support for businesses.

At a conference titled "Decoding the Future of Global Export with AI Agent" jointly organised by the Investment and Trade Promotion Centre of HCM City (ITPC) in collaboration with Alibaba.com Vietnam Limited Company on Thursday in HCM City, Lê Anh Hoàng, deputy director of ITPC, emphasised that alongside traditional trade promotion activities like participating in international trade fairs and exhibitions, conducting market surveys, and engaging in international trade programs, ITPC is gradually shifting towards digitalisation in its trade promotion methods, leveraging technology and artificial intelligence.

ITPC aims to offer fresh perspectives and insights on AI trends in cross-border e-commerce to the business community, he highlighted. 

This transformation is an essential trend considering the ongoing global shift, where AI, big data, and digital platforms are revolutionising the way businesses operate, produce, and access international markets. 

Furthermore, Resolution No 57-NQ/TW related to breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation has been widely implemented nationwide since its issuance at the end of 2024.

Previously, businesses mainly competed based on scale or costs, but now, the ability to harness technology and data is crucial for competitiveness and participation in the global value chain. 

As the country's largest economic hub, HCM City has long recognised the business community as a key driver of economic growth. However, many enterprises, especially small and medium-sized ones, face various challenges in transitioning digitally and expanding into international markets, such as limited human resources, research capabilities, language barriers, customer access costs, and technology implementation abilities.

“AI is no longer a vision of the future but a practical tool to help businesses boost productivity, streamline costs, automate processes, analyse customer data, and enhance the efficiency of export operations on e-commerce platforms,” Hoàng said.

ITPC is currently building a digital trade promotion and investment ecosystem of HCM City project to establish a synchronised digital platform centred on data to improve trade promotion effectiveness and aid businesses in international expansion. 

This platform will serve as both an electronic information hub and a shared digital infrastructure, linking data on businesses, products, markets, and trade promotion activities on a unified platform.

Over time, ITPC has partnered with various domestic and international entities, including Alibaba.com Vietnam, to conduct training programmes, workshops, and seminars on digital transformation, e-commerce, and AI application in trade promotion activities, focusing on streamlining investment procedures to construct a digital trade promotion ecosystem. 

Moving forward, ITPC will continue its co-operation with cross-border e-commerce platforms to organise specialised seminars and training courses on e-commerce, aiding city businesses in developing efficient online export channels.

Cross-border e-commerce remains a key driver for export growth, demonstrated by the People's Committee of HCM City's issuance of a comprehensive plan for e-commerce development in the city for the 2026–30 period on July 31, 2026. The plan aims to robustly promote cross-border e-commerce, nurture the digital trade promotion ecosystem, adopt new technologies like AI, and enhance digital capabilities through training for the business community, all aimed at boosting competitiveness and expanding export markets. — VNS