The World Economic Forum on ASEAN (WEF ASEAN) 2018 will take place in Hanoi from September 11-13 under the theme “ASEAN 4.0: Entrepreneurship and the Fourth Industrial Revolution”.
Ahead of the event, diplomats shared their viewpoints on the organisation of the WEF ASEAN as well as the opportunities and challenges for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) amid Industry 4.0.
Malaysian Ambassador to Vietnam Zamruni Khalid expressed his support for Vietnam hosting the forum, as the country has experience in organising successfully the APEC Year 2017. Vietnam will be successful in organising the WEF ASEAN, he believed.
While evaluating opportunities and challenges offered by Industry 4.0, he said ASEAN countries could learn from each other to promote the movement and run trans-national business activities.
He suggested businesses from the bloc discuss how to develop amid the impacts of Industry 4.0.
Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Ibnu Hadi said that his country is mobilising different resources from enterprises, scholars and policy makers to catch up with the movement.
Meanwhile, Charge d'Affaires of the Singaporean Embassy in Vietnam Tan Wei Ming said Singapore chose the theme of its ASEAN Chairmanship 2018 as “Resilient, Innovative ASEAN” with the hope of promoting cooperation and renovation activities to cope with profound changes in the region and the world.
The theme of this year’s forum is practical and meets the common concerns of countries in ASEAN and beyond, he said.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Doan Xuan Hung said Vietnam’s hosting of the WEF ASEAN this year has drawn a great deal of global attention.
This is an excellent opportunity for the country to show its development potential to the international community, he said.
The forum will not only promote an ASEAN Community of dynamic development but also a Vietnamese nation with a strong will, a facilitating Government and a solid business community, he added.
Through this event, Vietnam will prove itself as a crucial member in promoting cooperation and connectivity in the bloc, Hung said.
The WEF was established in 1971 as a non-profit foundation and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
Founded in 1967, the ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Rather than expanding logistics infrastructure indiscriminately, the MoIT plans to establish a tiered network comprising national, regional and local logistics centres, specialised logistics hubs and cargo consolidation points.
Vietnam has entered the world's top 30 most competitive economies for the first time, ranking 27th out of 70 economies in the 2026 World Competitiveness Ranking published by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).
The new circular will help credit institutions have more room to provide capital to businesses and investment projects to support high economic growth in the next few years, while increasing flexibility in the SBV’s monetary policy management.
The study found that 85% of Vietnamese enterprises reported positive business sentiment, a sharp increase from 48% in 2025, when business confidence was weighed down by uncertainties surrounding US tariff policies and related trade developments.
Resolution 10-NQ/TW marks a significant reset of Vietnam’s foreign investment strategy, introducing broad reforms to create a more unified and effective framework for attracting foreign capital.
Vinh Long farmers are scaling up specialised growing zones and tightening production standards, aiming to lock in sustainable growth for pomelo cultivation and more prosperity across the Mekong Delta province.
According to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Van Thinh, the province aims to maintain stable and sustainable growth, improve the competitiveness of both the economy and local businesses, and make better use of free trade agreements (FTAs) to expand and diversify export markets.
As offenders adopt increasingly sophisticated tactics, customs authorities are tightening controls at border gates, stepping up the use of technologies and refining enforcement measures to intercept illicit goods at the import and transit stages.
As Vietnam pursues rapid and sustainable economic growth, improving growth quality, advancing the green transition, promoting the circular economy, and adopting environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards are becoming increasingly urgent.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) highlighted the city's dominance in green-certified building floor space in Vietnam, reflecting the rapid expansion of the green building market with 780 completed green buildings encompassing over 18.69 million sq.m by 2025, predominantly certified by EDGE and LEED.
The United Kingdom officially announced two new climate cooperation initiatives to support Vietnam in its energy transition and green growth journey. These programs focus on offshore wind power development and the creation of a sustainable green financial ecosystem.
The GTTCI expert noted that alongside logistics and integrated warehousing, e-commerce is expected to be a particularly high-growth sector in the coming years. He described it as a multi-billion-dollar market with significant untapped opportunities for cooperation between Vietnam and India.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam’s exports reached 215.66 billion USD in the first five months of 2026, up 19.5% year-on-year. Twenty-six export items generated more than 1 billion USD in revenue each, including seven with turnover exceeding 10 billion USD.
By combining centuries-old craftsmanship with contemporary design, Hanoi’s traditional craft villages are finding new ways to keep their cultural heritage relevant and competitive in modern life.
A significant number of Swedish enterprises are set to expand their operations in Vietnam, reflecting a deep-seated confidence in the country’s long-term economic prospects.
Since the start of the summer harvest season, China's two major border gates with Vietnam, Youyi Guan in Pingxiang and Beilun 2 Bridge in Dongxing, have entered their peak period for handling imports of fresh agricultural and seafood products from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
UOB noted that while Vietnam has maintained relatively strong growth momentum, recent economic indicators suggest a mixed short-term outlook, with positive developments tempered by mounting challenges. In particular, higher energy costs are beginning to weigh on manufacturing activity and macroeconomic stability.
According to the Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLA), the logistics sector will require around 2.2 million workers by 2030, including 1.6 million employees for logistics service providers and nearly 600,000 personnel supporting logistics operations in manufacturing and trading enterprises.
To date, over 100 fisheries unions, solidarity groups and teams protecting national sovereignty and security at sea in Da Nang have signed commitments not to engage in IUU fishing.
The development strategy for VIFC-HCMC envisions a comprehensive financial ecosystem encompassing green finance, carbon credits, financial technology (fintech), blockchain technology, digital assets, digital banking and other innovative business models. These highly internationalised sectors involve complex cross-border transactions and sophisticated legal structures.