The Autumn Economic Forum 2026 (AEF 2026) will bring together more than 1,500 delegates for discussions and business networking related to investment, technology, finance and innovation, as well as international cooperation to shape new growth drivers.
The forum will take place in Ho Chi Minh City from October 26 to 29. Its programme includes 21 sessions and 16 side activities.
At a press conference on October 20, organisers said the main activities on October 27 and 28 would be held at the Thiskyhall Sala Convention Centre in An Khanh ward. The forum is being organised in cooperation with the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The event will provide a platform for dialogue among government agencies, businesses, investors and experts on emerging global growth centres and opportunities for international cooperation.
Le Truong Duy, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, said the four-day forum would focus on factors shaping new growth drivers. They include technological breakthroughs, digitalisation, green transformation, innovation, finance, value chains and new cooperation models.
He said cooperation with the WEF would link the global agenda with Vietnam’s development priorities, expand policy exchanges and turn agreements into practical cooperation.
As of October 20, organisers had received confirmations from 22 representatives of high-level international delegations. They include Secretary of the Philippine Department of Economy, Planning and Development Arsenio M. Balisacan, Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed, UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Indo-Pacific at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Baroness Winterton, and Indian Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology S. Krishnan.
Representatives of international organisations, diplomatic missions, businesses and innovation networks are also expected to attend.
The programme is expected to include around 300 presentations and speeches by domestic and international experts, as well as about 20 meetings on the sidelines.
On October 26, the CEO 500 programme is expected to attract more than 500 business leaders. The same day, the 2026 Green Economy Forum and Exhibition (GRECO 2026) will take place in the city centre, presenting green growth products and services and creating opportunities for business connections.
On October 27, 16 thematic sessions will cover growth models, institutions, finance, strategic technologies and scientific cooperation. The agenda will include the circular economy, artificial intelligence in megacity governance, international financial centres, quantum technology, green logistics and advanced manufacturing.
The Rising Star Arena will bring together around 30 organisations presenting technologies, products and solutions across four rotating stages. The platform is intended to help research institutions and companies find partners, investment and opportunities for commercialisation.
On October 28, the main programme will include a high-level plenary on the convergence of new global growth drivers and a dialogue with the Prime Minister of Vietnam.
On October 29, business networking activities will focus on Vietnam–UK, Vietnam–China, Nordic–Vietnam and Vietnam–Israel cooperation in trade, investment, manufacturing, logistics, science and technology. Participants will also visit industrial parks, examine the city’s investment environment and experience local culture.
Organisers expect the forum to help turn cooperation opportunities into development resources and give businesses access to technology, capital and international partner networks.
Sources: VietnamPlus / Vietnam News Agency
