Speakers at the workshop on transforming Vietnam’s digital economy in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in Ho Chi Minh City on September 20. (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) – A workshop on transformingVietnam’s digital economy in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) took placein Ho Chi Minh City on September 20, discussing ways to support small- andmedium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in applying advanced technologies.
The event was held by the Association of VietnameseScientists and Experts (AVSE Global) in partnership with the Ho Chi Minh CityInstitute for Development Studies and Quang Trung Software City (QTSC).
In today’s world, SMEs are said to be the engine ofgrowth and innovation as they account for 97 percent of businesses and employmore than 50 percent of workers in Asia-Pacific, said QTSC Director Lam NguyenHai Long.
In Vietnam, SMEs contribute some 40 percent of thecountry’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employ 51 percent of the workforce, he noted.However, the contribution is still relatively small due to their limited use oftechnologies as most SMEs in Vietnam pay very little attention to Industry 4.0or find it irrelevant.
If SMEs paid more attention to Industry 4.0, they willmove quickly, creating a new generation of enterprises that will lead theeconomy and help Vietnam take off, said AVSE Global CEO Vu Ngoc Anh.
The AVSE Global and QTSC also took the occasion toannounce that the Vietnam Digital Economy Forum (VDEF) will be organised forthe first time in Vietnam to provide a platform for leading IT experts,policymakers, and enterprises interested in the topic all over the world.
It aims to share strategic visions and experiences of thesector’s pioneers as well as the trends of indispensable movements in the digitaleconomy. It will also evaluate the current situation, challenges, and opportunitiesin the digital economy.
The VDEF 2018 is scheduled to convene in November andexpected to attract 500 delegates, including top international speakersalongside government and business representatives.
The event will discuss the four main topics of Vietnam’s FourthIndustrial Revolution path, the impact of digital technology on SME businessstrategies, applying digital technology to improve the competitiveness of SMEs,and digitalised services supporting SMEs.–VNA
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