Center for Industrial Revolution 4.0 established in Ho Chi Minh City

The Center for Industrial Revolution 4.0 (C4IR) is a unit that advises and pilots new technologies, proposing the implementation of national industrial policies. This information was shared by Mr. Nguyen Anh Thi, Head of the Management Board of Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park at a conference titled “Industrial Revolution 4.0 Center is a new driving force for sustainable development” held on April 25th. The 4.0 Industrial Revolution Center is part of a cooperation agreement signed between Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Chairman Phan Van Mai and leaders of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland on January 16th.

According to the agreement, Ho Chi Minh City and WEF will work together to establish C4IR in Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park. This will be the second center of its kind in Southeast Asia after Malaysia in 2023, and the 19th in the world. Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan highlighted that C4IR, in collaboration with leading technology enterprises in Vietnam, will benefit from the knowledge and experience of the global C4IR network to support and propose solutions and policies in line with national and international technology trends.

Mr. Hoan emphasized the importance of clarifying C4IR’s organizational structure, operating methods, personnel, and conditions. This model has the potential to be replicated nationwide, utilizing Vietnam’s strengths and leveraging support from organizations, experts, and economists worldwide to boost business and country development. Ho Chi Minh City’s leaders stressed that C4IR’s location in Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park is strategic due to the established technology ecosystems aligned with the fourth industrial revolution trends.

C4IR will connect to the global network of Industrial Revolution 4.0 Centers, leveraging advancements from this revolution to drive innovation and create new industries in Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam. The unit operates under an autonomous mechanism similar to a business, with three main pillars: leadership, operations, and support blocks. The leadership team consists of representatives from the government, businesses, and schools, with large businesses playing a key role in implementing innovation initiatives.

The operations division engages stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem to pilot new technology products and proposes policies for their adoption. C4IR aims to identify priority areas, generate specific initiatives, and establish labs for implementation. The support sector focuses on building the community, sharing knowledge, and fostering connections while providing support in areas such as finance, human resources, communications, and international cooperation.

The operating model project for C4IR is being finalized, detailing the development roadmap, organizational structure, and more. The project is expected to be submitted to the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City by the end of May, with a launch planned for September during the Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum event.