InnoEx 2026 creates opportunities for innovative businesses to forge global partnerships and expand international cooperation. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The International Innovation Forum and Exhibition 2026 (InnoEx 2026) opened in HCM City on Wednesday, bringing together more than 4,000 business leaders, startups, investors and technology experts.

The two-day event focuses on AI, digital transformation, green transition and other global trends reshaping business and the economy.

Held under the theme “The Inflection Point – Where Global Shifts Fuel Business Reinvention” the two-day event focuses on transformative trends including artificial intelligence (AI), data, automation, green transformation, international trade and new business models.

Co-organised by the International Innovation Alliance InnoEx, the Young Business Association of HCM City (YBA HCM) and Investment and Business Partners JSC (IBP), the annual event serves as a platform for businesses to connect with technology providers, investors and innovation ecosystems while accessing practical solutions to enhance competitiveness.

More than 4,000 CEOs, founders and senior executives, over 70 international investment funds, and hundreds of experts are expected to attend this year's forum.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Trương Lý Hoàng Phi, head of the Organising Committee, said InnoEx should go beyond showcasing new technologies by helping businesses rethink their strategies, restructure operations and build sustainable digital assets.

Addressing the event, Đặng Minh Thông, deputy secretary of the HCM City Party Committee, stressed that innovation has become increasingly critical as the city enters a new stage of development.

He noted that the city has set ambitious targets of achieving annual GRDP growth of at least 10 per cent during the 2026–2030 period, with the digital economy accounting for around 40 per cent of GRDP by 2030. By 2045, the city aims to become a leading science, technology and innovation hub in Asia.

According to Thông, these goals cannot be achieved through traditional growth models alone.

Instead, the city's future development must be driven by science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, green transition, productivity improvements and high-quality human resources.

With strengths in finance, manufacturing, high technology, trade, logistics, seaports, education and research, HCM City should position itself not merely as a market for imported technologies but as a destination where technologies are researched, tested and commercialised, he said.

He described InnoEx as a practical platform that translates global trends into strategic opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises by connecting market demand with technology solutions, innovative ideas with investment capital, and domestic businesses with international knowledge networks.

Thông called on this year's forum to prioritise sectors expected to shape competitiveness over the next five to 10 years, including AI, data, semiconductors, biotechnology, green technology, clean energy, smart logistics, digital finance and the circular economy.

New-generation robots are showcased at InnoEx 2026. — VNA/VNS Photo

He emphasised that technology adoption should be driven by real business and market needs, and should answer three key questions: what problem it solves, how it improves productivity, and what value it creates for businesses, people and society.

The city leader also urged stakeholders to move beyond networking towards co-creation, with businesses taking centre stage while universities, research institutes, investment funds and financial institutions work together to accelerate innovation and commercialisation.

He stressed that commitments made at the forum should translate into measurable outcomes, including more technologies being tested, transferred and commercialised, greater access to investment for promising projects, and improved productivity, lower emissions and expanded markets for enterprises.

To support these objectives, HCM City will continue to develop digital and research infrastructure, expand data accessibility, promote technology procurement and pilot programmes, strengthen support for innovative startups, and attract global technology corporations, research and development centres, investment funds and high-quality talent.

The forum is expected to reinforce the city's role as a regional innovation hub while helping Vietnamese businesses navigate global economic shifts through technology adoption, collaboration and sustainable growth. — VNS