The forum aims to create a prestigious space for dialogue and cooperation, gathering government and city leaders alongside representatives from various nations, localities, international organizations, businesses, experts, and policymakers. Together, they will discuss development trends and new growth engines, share international experiences, and propose initiatives, solutions, and policy recommendations. Furthermore, the event seeks to foster collaborative connections, promote the city's investment environment and developmental potential, and mobilize domestic and international resources for Ho Chi Minh City's socio-economic development. This effort is part of a broader strategy to establish the Autumn Economic Forum as a reputable, annual national-level economic summit with regional and international standing.
The outcomes of the forum will serve as a crucial reference point, contributing to outlook reports on Vietnam's new growth engines and development trends. They will also inform policy recommendations on innovation, digital transformation, green transition, private economic development, and the enhancement of national competitiveness, ultimately supporting research and policy-making.
Additionally, the forum will help shape new orientations, initiatives, and collaborative frameworks to implement national strategies in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, investment, education, training, and institutional refinement. These efforts will spur the creation of novel economic and growth models, making a practical contribution to Vietnam's goal of achieving double-digit growth in the coming period.
By connecting governments, localities, businesses, academic institutions, experts, international organizations, and the global innovation network, the forum aims to drive economic, investment, financial, and technological cooperation. It seeks to strengthen policy dialogue, public-private partnerships, and "new-style" multilateral collaboration models. Ultimately, this will elevate the competitiveness, productivity, and international standing of Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City within the global innovation and development ecosystem.
The Autumn Economic Forum is progressively being built into Vietnam's annual international networking platform for science, technology, innovation, finance, investment, and sustainable development. It will elevate the position of Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City as a convergence point for regional and global collaborative initiatives, enabling a more proactive role in shaping new development trends.
Regarding its content agenda, with the core positioning of "The Convergence of New Global Growth Engines," the Autumn Economic Forum aims to be a nexus connecting nations, localities, metropolitan areas, businesses, and international organizations to exchange initiatives, mobilize resources, and promote new collaborative models. Built on this long-term positioning, the theme for each forum iteration is carefully selected to align with the international context and Vietnam's development priorities.
On this basis, the theme for 2026 has been determined as "Collaboration in a New Era." This theme reflects the imperative to shift from merely responding to volatility toward proactively forging partnerships, building trust, and co-developing solutions for new economic, technological, and sustainable growth engines that are inherently cross-disciplinary and cross-border.
The forum's discussions will unfold across four main pillars: the role of megacities; breakthrough technologies and innovation ecosystems; new-era collaboration models; and the pioneering role of the private sector in driving growth and innovation.
The format and program of the Autumn Economic Forum 2026 are designed to align closely with international standards. The main in-person forum is scheduled for October 27 and 28, 2026, complemented by sideline activities with international partners, exhibitions, industrial tours, and cultural-historical experiences.
The Autumn Economic Forum 2026 is expected to attract approximately 1,500 domestic and international delegates. This ensures broad and balanced representation across the public sector, private sector, academia, and international organizations.
Source: Minh Thu / HCMC Government Portal