As part of the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, an MoU to establish a Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Ho Chi Minh City (C4IR Viet Nam) was signed by a representative from the WEF and the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Phan Van Mai, and witnessed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chairman of the WEF Klaus Schwab.

C4IR Viet Nam is scheduled to begin operations in June and will focus on collaborative research, policy recommendations, transferring and applying technology, and mobilizing resources in sectors of interest to the city and Vietnam, like green growth, smart cities, and AI.

The Centre will be located inside the Saigon Hi-Tech Park, one of Vietnam’s two national hi-tech parks and considered one of Ho Chi Minh City’s five focal economic projects serving as a driving force for the city’s development. C4IR Viet Nam is an important economic project for Ho Chi Minh City and will provide major impetus for development in the future.

Mr. Mai said the establishment of the C4IR Viet Nam in Ho Chi Minh City holds great significance not only for the city’s major development goals but also for national priorities.

“Ho Chi Minh City can also participate in the WEF’s global initiatives, thereby establishing a comprehensive ecosystem to promote new growth drivers, attract investment, and enhance economic competitiveness,” he added. “The Centre will be a reliable and effective platform to boost cooperation between Vietnamese experts, researchers, and businesses with international partners.”

The Centre is the second to be established in Southeast Asia, following the launch of C4IR Malaysia in 2023, and aims to become a hub of expertise to co-design and pilot future-focused policy frameworks that enable the development and deployment of technology regionally and globally.

“The establishment of a C4IR is a significant milestone in the partnership between the WEF and Vietnam, and geared to help advance Vietnam’s ambitious innovation and growth agenda through international, multi-stakeholder collaboration,” said Mr. Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director of the WEF.

Globally, the C4IR network of centers is a platform for collaboration between multiple stakeholders, connecting private and public sectors to maximize technological benefits for society while minimizing risk and improving and accelerating the application of new technologies. The first C4IR was established in 2017 at the WEF meeting in San Francisco.