Ms. Kiva Allgood, Head of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains, Executive Committee of the World Economic Forum (WEF), said that digital transformation and sustainable development are always closely related. (Photo: Nguyen Binh)

Ms. Kiva Allgood, Head of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains, Executive Committee of the World Economic Forum (WEF) highly appreciated Ho Chi Minh City as the organizer, bringing a very meaningful event, conveying the mission of developing the world economy and inaugurating the Center for the Industrial Revolution 4.0. The theme of this year's Forum is industrial transformation, which is the key to economic growth.

"We also need to consider the role of digital transformation, improving workers' skills in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous robots. Digital transformation and sustainable development are always closely linked," the WEF delegate emphasized.

Commenting on the important factors that help promote industrial transformation in Ho Chi Minh City, Ms. Kiva Allgood said that the first is the human factor, they need to learn and acquire new skills and knowledge about AI and industrial production, and young people should be encouraged to play a more active role in this aspect. Industrial transformation includes 3 stages and requires the participation of both the community and people, in which the industry plays a key role.

One of the main tasks of the WEF Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chain Center is to coordinate and share practical experiences with partners in different regions. "We are leading the Global Lighthouse Network, a community of 190 industrial partners. Every month, we go on site, visit factories and visit areas around Ho Chi Minh City to support the digital transformation process," said Ms. Kiva Allgood.

Unlock a new future

Mr. Stefano Lo Russo, Mayor of Torino (Italy) affirmed that Ho Chi Minh City and Torino both have strongly developed industries. (Photo: Nguyen Binh)

Torino is a very important industrial city in northwestern Italy, said Stefano Lo Russo, Mayor of Torino. Torino is going through a difficult period of adapting to the digital transformation. However, the city is trying to overcome these difficulties by strengthening the connection between industry, universities, research and technology transfer.

“With a strong history of industrial development, Turin is now facing new challenges brought about by changes in the world and markets. Connecting engineering groups, universities and businesses is key to bringing a new future to industry and this is probably the solution that should be applied worldwide,” emphasized Mr. Stefano Lo Russo.

Ho Chi Minh City and Turin both have strong industrial sectors and need to become greener in the future. The two localities can cooperate and share practical experiences to create stronger connections between Italy and Vietnam, providing more solutions for people to respond to the challenges of sustainable development, combating climate change and developing industry.

“Focus on artificial intelligence, the automotive industry, aerospace. For this, the connection between universities will be very important. Therefore, the presence of Turin at this year's Economic Forum is essential to strengthen the cooperation between the two countries in the present and the future,” affirmed the Mayor of Turin.

On track

Ms. Trang Van Nguyen, Head of Southeast Asia at Climateworks Center, said that Ho Chi Minh City always plays an important role in attracting international talent. (Photo: Nguyen Binh)

Ms. Trang Van Nguyen, Head of Southeast Asia at the Climateworks Center, emphasized that the Climateworks Center at Monash University (Australia) works with many government agencies in Southeast Asia, aiming to achieve net zero emissions and help increase competitiveness within the framework of green economic development worldwide.

Regarding industrial development, the Climateworks Center has four main orientations, including creating jobs for workers in the green economy; mobilizing capital for the green economy; developing infrastructure to increase the attractiveness of countries like Vietnam to foreign investors; and strengthening diplomatic activities to enhance development cooperation between countries.

Affirming that Ho Chi Minh City's industrial transformation policy is on the right track, Ms. Trang Van Nguyen said: "Many reports in Southeast Asia indicate that two countries, Indonesia and Vietnam, are becoming bright spots in enhancing green economic capacity. By 2050, 50% of the workforce in the green economy will be concentrated in Indonesia or Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City always plays an important role in attracting international talent, in order to enhance Vietnam's attractiveness in the eyes of foreign investors."

The world is currently witnessing a trend of businesses such as Apple and Microsoft joining the Greenable Energy 100 group, in which the parties commit to converting 100% of their supply chains to green supply by 2030.