Building on the success of five previous editions, Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum (HEF) in 2025, under the guidance of the Prime Minister of Vietnam, marks a new breakthrough. This year, the forum introduces a special autumn session with the theme: Autumn Economic Forum 2025 “Green Transition in Digital Era”.

For the first time, Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum (HEF) will be held in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF), a leading global organization that convenes political, business, and academic leaders to shape international agendas.

As Ho Chi Minh City has grown into a megacity of over 13 million people, contributing nearly a quarter of the nation's GDP, it faces the critical task of streamlining its governance and restructuring its economy to adapt to a volatile global landscape.

Consequently, HEF 2025 will focus on the intelligent economy, where knowledge, technology, and innovation become the driving forces for economic breakthroughs in Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City. The forum will concentrate on discussions across four key pillars: smart government, smart manufacturing, smart logistics, and smart services. The objective is to cultivate a smart, autonomous, and sustainable urban ecosystem, ultimately finding solutions to build a smart city that will spearhead economic growth for the entire country.

Embodying the national ambition for a new era of growth, this year's theme is a direct implementation of the vision set forth by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the World Economic Forum in Davos 2024. As the Prime Minister declared, "The smart era must become a new growth engine for the economy." This forum serves as a catalyst, demonstrating Vietnam's leadership and unwavering commitment to turning this vision into a reality, thereby charting our nation's bold ascent in the international arena.