On 9 December 2025, Mr. Tran Luu Quang, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) Party Committee, met with the city’s science, technology, and startup community as HCMC advances its ambition to become an internationally competitive digital economy and innovation hub.
From the business perspective, Mr. Nguyen Trung Chinh, Chairman of CMC Technology Group, proposed an AI-driven governance model known as the “AI-X Ward”, with the vision of positioning HCMC as Vietnam’s first AI City. Under this model, administrative procedures, urban order management, security camera operations, and citizen interaction and feedback would be managed, analysed, and forecast using real-time data. AI would function as an analytical assistant by recommending solutions and automating repetitive processes, thereby reducing administrative burdens, shortening response times, and improving the quality of public services. The AI-X Ward would serve as a regulatory sandbox for AI technologies and business models, enabling enterprises to pilot innovations within a flexible legal framework and enhancing the city’s regional competitiveness.
From the academic perspective, Dr. Dang Duc Thanh, Chairman of Green+ Group, underscored universities as the most critical input for innovation and called for the development of “third-generation universities” that integrate education, research, and entrepreneurship. Professor Mai Thanh Phong, President of HCMC University of Technology, Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM), emphasized the need for a coherent research and development strategy supported by robust mechanisms to attract experts, incentivize corporate investment, and promote applied research, rather than relying on fragmented research centers. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, Vice President of VNU-HCM, noted that VNU-HCM has established an Innovation Center as a coordinating nucleus for its member institutions and proposed the organization of regular science and technology forums to signal demand, set development priorities, and strengthen collaboration among universities, enterprises, and government.
* * * * *
References: 1. Bnews, 11 December 2025
2. VN Economy, 10 November 2025
