The importance of the "guiding unit"

Vietnam's first C4IR has come into operation at Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park (SHTP), considered an important milestone in promoting digital transformation, application and development of new technologies. This is also the result of cooperation between the Vietnamese Government and the World Economic Forum (WEF) for the period 2023-2026, becoming the second center in Southeast Asia after Malaysia and the 19th in the world.

C4IR, a member of the WEF network, will be the venue for international events and research on priority areas of Ho Chi Minh City. The center, with 10 founding members including big names such as Ho Chi Minh City National University, Viettel, Sovico, HDBank, etc., will contribute to promoting research cooperation, policy proposals, resource mobilization and technology transfer for the country, towards a modern, creative and green economy.

“To make it easier to visualize, for example, the development of 5G in Ho Chi Minh City, C4IR members will contribute ideas and provide solutions and recommendations to the city on how to apply 5G most effectively. Then, the network operators will work with the city to deploy 5G. The solutions and recommendations that C4IR offers are suitable for the long-term development of Ho Chi Minh City,” said Mr. Pham Phu Truong, Deputy Director of External Affairs of C4IR.

According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Tuan, founding member of C4IR, C4IR's action program focuses on four core technologies: artificial intelligence, 5G network, IoT, enterprise management systems (MES, MOM, ERP) serving applications in enterprises, aiming at industrial transformation. To measure how technology application helps enterprises grow and develop sustainably, C4IR experts will build a set of SIRI indexes (smart industry readiness indexes) through cooperation with prestigious digital transformation organizations in the world. C4IR will coordinate to calculate the SIRI index in Ho Chi Minh City, then propose to the industry to measure nationwide.

C4IR Vietnam not only “finds the way” for the right application of technology but also participates in financial support. HDBank, a founding member of C4IR Vietnam, has committed to increasing funding sources and financial solutions for high-tech enterprises, high-tech conversion and application projects, and providing special support for small and medium-sized enterprises in technology application and conversion, and start-ups.

Prioritizing AI Strategy

One of the important activities of C4IR is to participate in international events. At the WEF 2025 Annual Conference held in January 2025 in Davos (Switzerland), members of C4IR Vietnam had their first international activities, clearly demonstrating the role of this organization. Here, CMC Technology Group, a member of C4IR Vietnam, organized the Technology Forum "AI Transformation (AI-X) for the Smart Era - Ho Chi Minh City: AI City", introducing international partners to C4IR Vietnam as well as cooperation opportunities with Ho Chi Minh City in the fields of AI, smart manufacturing, development of the International Finance Center, etc.

At the event, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Vo Van Hoan affirmed: "Ho Chi Minh City is not only the largest economic center in Vietnam but also the origin of many innovative initiatives. We believe that with more than 10 years of AI research and development, along with the solid technological capacity of the C.OpenAI Ecosystem, CMC is a strategic partner to help Ho Chi Minh City realize its ambition of becoming a global AI city."

CMC Technology Group has taken on strategic tasks at C4IR Vietnam in developing a project to apply AI in city management, initially for healthcare and education, establishing an AI Center of Excellence, training 500 high-quality engineers in the fields of AI and semiconductors, and sending 5 international and domestic experts to participate in research and consulting on the implementation of AI projects.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Chinh, Chairman of CMC Technology Group said: "With the AI-X strategy, CMC is committed to bringing AI into all fields, from urban management, public services to production, business and life, accompanying Ho Chi Minh City in the goal of becoming the first AI city in the world".

As for Viettel, the group has signed a cooperation agreement with NVIDIA Corporation (providing solutions for AI) as well as established a specialized unit on AI to promote research, transfer and application of AI technology. Viettel is committed to sharing these activities with Vietnam C4IR and accompanying the promotion of AI applications in the field of smart manufacturing in Ho Chi Minh City. And currently, many other members of Vietnam C4IR have had specific activities.

In 2025, C4IR Vietnam will carry out many activities, such as coordinating with stakeholders, advising on policies and operating models of the International Finance Center; Upgrading the Southeast region's technology exchange; Coordinating with the City Digital Transformation Center and HUTECH to build a digital data warehouse on AI; Supporting Viettel in building a 5G strategy for Ho Chi Minh City, piloting the application of 5G and IOT solutions in the High-Tech Park, Can Gio district and Quang Trung Software Park... These activities will help the city create important strategies in technology development and application.

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/dan-duong-ung-dung-cong-nghe-post792986.html