Research from Innosight in 2023 found that the average lifespan of companies on the S&P 500 had plunged from 61 years in 1958 to just 18, and is expected to fall below 15 by 2030. In today’s data-and-AI era, speed has become the ultimate competitive edge. But for Vietnamese businesses, innovation is seen as the “only ticket” to a new cycle of growth.
A McKinsey report in 2024 estimated that companies embracing AI at scale could boost efficiency by up to 40 per cent and cut costs by around 30 per cent within three years.
Innovation as survival
At InnoEx 2025’s Business Innovation Forum, technology leaders and traditional enterprises came together to reframe the challenge: innovation is not just about survival, it’s about generating real profits.
Mr. Sudeepto Roy, Vice President of Engineering at Qualcomm Inc., highlighted the power of Edge AI in processing data instantly, enabling businesses to harness “real time” as a new source of competitive advantage.
Meanwhile, with more than 20 years of advising nearly 40 financial institutions and major corporations across ten countries and territories, Mr. Il-Dong Kwon, Managing Director & Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) underscored that data is no longer the “new oil” in a figurative sense; it has become a strategic asset on par with land and brand value.
In practice, many executives demonstrated a “dual front”: safeguarding core industries while expanding through technology. And in this race, AI is no luxury, it is the “competitive weapon” that can determine a company’s survival.
The world is undergoing unprecedented change: AI has become the backbone of operations, data has emerged as a new strategic asset, and brands once thought untouchable can disappear within a decade. That is why InnoEx 2025 put forward a direct question: How can Vietnamese enterprises not only survive but thrive in the era of data and AI - by moving innovation beyond slogans into real strategy?
According to organizers, while its Business Innovation Forums focused on strategic positioning, the series of Innovation Sector Forums served as a proving ground where theory met practice. Vietnam’s economic pillars, from retail and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) to logistics and energy, were re-examined through the lens of innovation. The consistent message: innovation is not just about transforming products but about reshaping how businesses operate and serve customers.
For decades, retail and FMCG thrived on the power of brand equity alone. Those days are over. Bizplanr’s 2024 report shows that 87 per cent of global retailers have already deployed AI in at least one business function, and more than 80 per cent of executives expect to achieve full automation by the end of this year. In other words, innovation is no longer a competitive advantage, it is a condition for survival.
Speaking at InnoEx 2025, Ms. Tran Phuong Nga, CEO of the Thien Long Group, reflected on the journey of a company once celebrated as a “Golden Brand”. But for Thien Long, legacy is only a foundation. To win over the younger generation, the company must innovate across both products and distribution models.
Similarly, KIDO CEO Tran Le Nguyen emphasized that in FMCG, research and development (R&D) data and market analytics have become the “nervous system” that keeps companies agile in the face of disruption.
The dairy and nutrition sector is also undergoing major transformation. Nutifood has invested heavily in consumer data, analyzing the dietary habits of different groups and optimizing its raw material supply chain. In today’s context, nutrition products are judged not just by their nutritional value but by their ability to be personalized, designed through data and health science.
These stories make one thing clear: past accolades are no guarantee of future success. Innovation is the only ticket for Vietnamese brands to continue leading the market in the era of data and AI.
Fuel for transformation
According to experts, few sectors illustrate the urgency of innovation as clearly as logistics. Valued at $45-50 billion, accounting for nearly 5 per cent of GDP and growing at 14-16 per cent annually, Vietnam currently ranks 43rd out of 155 countries and territories on the Logistics Performance Index (LPI), placing it among the Top 5 in ASEAN, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2024. Yet these numbers alone are not enough to secure an edge in global competition.
Mr. Le Duy Hiep, CEO of the Transimex Corporation, emphasized that the future of logistics lies not in expanding warehouses but in automation, green logistics, and data. Evidence already shows that applying AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), and 5G can reduce cargo losses by 90 per cent and cut transport costs by more than 15 per cent. This makes clear that green logistics is no longer an ethical choice but a mandatory competitive infrastructure for Vietnam to sustain trade growth.
At the same time, smart energy is taking shape, with AI serving as the foundation for efficiency and sustainability. If logistics are the lifeblood of an economy, then energy is the “blood supply” that sustains it. Ho Chi Minh City alone consumes more than 16 per cent of Vietnam’s electricity, making energy security an increasingly urgent issue in the context of climate change.
Mr. Pham Quoc Bao, Chairman of the Board of Members at the Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation (EVN HCHC), pointed to data underscoring this shift. By deploying the SCADA/DMS smart operations system, installing electronic meters, and building a big-data analytics platform, EVN HCMC has cut its electricity loss rate to below 3.5 per cent; one of the lowest levels in the region.
Beyond this, stories from Base.vn, Nutifood, Taipy from Singapore, and Home Credit International further illustrated how AI is not just changing products but redesigning entire operations. From SaaS (Software-as-a-service) platforms streamlining internal processes to AI that personalizes consumer finance services and smart agri-tech from RYNAN Technology, the common denominator is clear: data is the fuel of innovation.
Unlike many events that stop at experience sharing, InnoEx 2025 built an ecosystem where large corporations, startups, research institutes, investors, and regulators could all take part in the innovation process. It became a place where ideas were tested, technologies were connected, and new business models were born.
“Innovation cannot be a solo effort,” said Ms. Truong Ly Hoang Phi, Vice President of the Young Business Association of Ho Chi Minh City (YBA) and founder of InnoEx. “We need an ecosystem where every business, from established corporations to tech startups, can find opportunities to collaborate. InnoEx 2025 was designed as a catalyst for that synergy, so that every step forward for a company is also a step forward for the economy.”
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