How to make HCM City’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution effective, experts tell forum

The HCM City Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution was opened on September 25. - Photo nld.com.vn

HCM CITY – HCM City needs to collaborate with international partners and train its workforce to gainfully utilise its new Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), experts have said.

The centre was opened at the Sài Gòn Hi-Tech Park in Thủ Đức City on September 25 during the 5th HCM City Economic Forum, where they were discussing how it needs to operate.

Its remit includes suggesting solutions and policies for industrial transformation, foster investment in tech parks and assist the Government and businesses with adopting new technologies.

Set up under an agreement between Việt Nam and the World Economic Forum(WEF), it is one of 19 C4IRs globally and the second in Southeast Asia.

It operates as a public-private partnership between major companies and the HCM City government.

Elina Roslan, senior director of the Malaysia C4IR, which has been helping draft policies for AI ethics and management, said it showcases how the centres could benefit their respective countries.

Hers has been working with government agencies and key academic institutions to promote the adoption of fourth industrial revolution technologies, which helps align the country with global best practices.

HCM City should strengthen its co-operation with other localities in Việt Nam and with countries around the world, and be willing to demonstrate its leadership thinking in the areas of energy transformation, sustainable development and digital transformation, she suggested.

Training the workforce to quickly adapt to new technologies is important, she said.

With the centre’s opening comes new co-operation between Việt Nam and Malaysia, who have the same goals of applying 4.0 technologies and sustainable development, she added.

Kyriakos Triantafyllidis, head of growth and strategy for the WEF’s Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains, said the HCM City C4IR needs to focus on forecasting and understanding global trends that affect production activities, which would help in the development of policies.

Nguyễn Hữu Tuấn, deputy director of Viettel Solutions, one of the founders, said the centre has developed a detailed action plan for until 2027.

It focuses on research into and application of modern technologies in manufacturing and building development policies.

The government authority needs to clearly orient the centre’s goals and visions, making sure they are in line with the country’s general development strategy, especially regarding the application of 4.0 tech, he said.

It also needs to issue favourable tax policies, provide financial assistance, develop manpower, and improve digital infrastructure, he added.

The HCM City Economic Forum’s agenda was focused on the city’s industrial transformation, and was attended by Việt Nam's top officials and economists from around the world. - VNS