A document to this effect was signed by Phan Van Mai, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and Jeremy Jurgens, managing director and head of the World Economic Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, in Davos, Switzerland, on January 16, on the sidelines of the 54th annual meeting of the WEF.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Mai underscored the importance of setting up the C4IR as part of efforts to accelerate economic development in Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City in particular.

By developing such a centre, Ho Chi Minh City can get involved in the WEF's global initiatives, thereby establishing a comprehensive ecosystem aimed at promoting new growth drivers, attracting greater foreign investment, and improving national competitiveness, he added.

Jurgens for his part described the establishment of C4IR as an important milestone in the partnership between WEF and Vietnam, helping the country to achieve its goals of sustainable development, innovation, and growth through enhanced international cooperation and connectivity with many stakeholders.

The HCM City centre will be the second of its kind in Southeast Asia following the first set up in Malaysia in 2023.

Located in the Saigon Hi-Tech Park, the centre will focus on research cooperation activities, as well as the application and transfer of advanced technologies.

In particular, the centre is anticipated to provide an ideal venue for putting forth policy suggestions and mobilising resources in fields such as green growth, smart cities, and artificial intelligence.

Source: VOV