HCM CITY — More than 700 delegates from the information and technology and communication (ITC) sector across the country are expected to participate in the 22nd Việt Nam ICT Development conference to be held in the Mekong Delta province of Vĩnh Long by the end of this month. 

With the theme “Industrial Revolution 4.0 - Opportunities for the Mekong Delta”, the conference will focus on the building of e-Government under guidelines and the orientation of the Party and State. 

Speaking at a press conference held on Wednesday, Lữ Quang Ngời, vice chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the conference would act as a forum for policymakers, managers and experts to share experiences and create opportunities for cooperation in the field of ICT. 

The event will discuss opportunities and challenges and propose IT solutions for socio-economic development, especially in tourism, agriculture and climate change response, in the province and the region.

So far, 55 businesses have registered to participate in the conference and 24 businesses will be sponsoring the event.

In the past few years, IT development and application in the province has received attention from the Party and State, and has been identified as the major task of the entire political system, Ngời said.

“Developing countries like Việt Nam cannot rely solely on natural resources and manual labour, but they need to expand investment in innovation and improve competitiveness, as well as participate in the world production chain,” he told the media.

“We need to actively renew the growth model to improve the level of economic development, of which development should be based on innovation, advanced technology, and high productivity,” he noted.  

In order to take advantage of and overcome challenges brought about by the digital revolution, besides guidance from the State, the ICT community will play a major role, he added.  

The vice chairman of the provincial People’s Committee said the province also hopes to attract more tourists to the province, an attractive destination for investors and tourists in the country.

On the sidelines of the conference, there will also be an ICT exhibition with the participation of some 24 leading ICT companies.

The three-day workshop and exhibition will open on August 28.

Other activities will include incense offering to the late chairman of the Council of Ministers Phạm Hùng, and donation of IT equipment to several units in the province, as well as visits to historical-cultural tourist sites in Vĩnh Long. — VNS