The seminar is part of a series of activities organized by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Ho Chi Minh City Branch (VCCI-HCM) to accelerate the digital transformation process and participate in the global economic value chain with advanced technology applications for the Vietnamese business community nationwide.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Liem, Director of VCCI-HCM, delivered a speech at the seminar.

The event was jointly organized by VCCI-HCM, the Provincial Industrial Parks Management Board of Dong Nai Province, Western Digital Vietnam Company, the Provincial Business Association, and the Dong Nai Province Import-Export Association. It was aimed at CEOs, IT Directors, and representatives of manufacturing enterprises within Dong Nai Province.

The seminar attracted a large number of businesses in the area, with insights shared by reputable speakers in the fields of information technology and digital transformation, including Mr. Truong Ba Toan, CEO of Western Digital Vietnam; Dr. Nguyen Quoc Huy, CIO of SaigonTech and Head of the Software Engineering Department at the University of Saigon; Dr. Bui Quoc Anh, Director of the National University's Data Center in Ho Chi Minh City; and the coordination and leadership of Mr. Bung Tran, a Master Trainer at AI Education and Chairman of Friends of Ireland.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Tran Ngoc Liem, Director of VCCI-HCM, mentioned that Artificial Intelligence (AI) represents both an opportunity and a challenge for businesses in the era of the Internet of Things (IoT). The global economic difficulties and recession are becoming increasingly prevalent, posing significant challenges, but also opportunities for businesses to leverage and accelerate digital transformation, restructure their operations, and optimize management processes for better adaptation to the future. Integrating AI into business operations and factories not only keeps pace with inevitable future trends but also helps businesses optimize costs. However, the analysis of artificial intelligence and big data has not received adequate attention and exploitation from businesses, which is a bottleneck that needs to be addressed. This is why VCCI-HCM, in collaboration with the Provincial Industrial Parks Management Board of Dong Nai Province and other organizers, conducted this seminar.

Mr. Liem expressed his hope that through the seminar, the "bottlenecks" in adopting artificial intelligence applications in business operations would be addressed. Experts would provide solutions and roadmaps for the development of "smart factories," drawing not only from global experiences but also practical insights from numerous Vietnamese businesses. Of particular interest to the business community are five elements of digital transformation and artificial intelligence adoption: Business Intelligence (BI), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Manufacturing Execution System (MES), Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT), and PLC and SCADA systems for data control and collection from factories.

"The organizers hope that the valuable knowledge and information shared by the speakers will help CEOs and IT Directors of manufacturing enterprises in Dong Nai Province gain a clear understanding of artificial intelligence and maximize its potential. This will enable them to create unique advantages for rapid and sustainable development," said Mr. Tran Ngoc Liem, Director of VCCI-HCM.

Mr. Nguyen Tri Phuong, Head of the Provincial Industrial Parks Management Board of Dong Nai Province, also expressed his desire for positive outcomes through the collaboration with VCCI-HCM. He hoped the seminar would provide substantial support for businesses in applying digital transformation, information technology, and artificial intelligence in their production and business operations, ultimately delivering greater and more practical value for these enterprises.

Mr. Nguyen Tri Phuong, Head of the Provincial Industrial Parks Management Board of Dong Nai, made a statement.

According to Mr. Phuong, as of now, Dong Nai province has 33 industrial parks (IPs) established, covering a total land area of 10,514 hectares. These include 31 IPs that are operational, 01 IP in the land reclamation and infrastructure investment phase, attracting investment (High-Tech Industrial Park Long Thanh), and 01 IP newly established in July 2023 (Long Duc 3 IP). Out of the 33 IPs, 32 have leased 6,007 hectares, achieving 85.41% of the leased land area (7,033 hectares), excluding Long Duc 3 IP, which is currently in the process of planning zoning at a 1/2000 ratio to determine the industrial land targets for leasing. As of the current moment, 33 IPs in Dong Nai have attracted investors from 43 countries and territories, with a total of 2,083 projects. Among them, there are 1,430 foreign-invested projects with a total investment capital of over 29.2 billion USD, of which 22.7 billion USD has been implemented, and 653 domestic projects with a total investment capital of 79 trillion VND. The total labor force working in these 32 IPs in Dong Nai is 582,247 workers, including 7,073 foreign workers.

At present, Dong Nai province has 39 IPs approved in the government's planning (excluding Bien Hoa I IP), with a total planned area of 18,508 hectares. The remaining area according to the Prime Minister's planning, which has not been established and expanded in phase 2, is 8,380 hectares. Specifically, there are 7 IPs not yet established, including Cam My, Phuoc Binh, Gia Kiem, Bau Can - Tan Hiep, Xuan Que - Song Nhan, Phuoc An, Phuoc Binh 2, and 5 IPs not yet established in phase 2: Dinh Quan, Long Duc IP - phase 2, Amata, Tan Phu, Xuan Loc.

Therefore, the industrial sector continues to be the driving force and foundation for rapid and sustainable economic and social development in Dong Nai province. This is also the challenge faced by the Industrial Parks Management Board in attracting strategic investors for green industrial projects that use advanced, modern, and environmentally friendly technologies to preserve the ecological environment, create high-value-added products, contribute significantly to the budget, and generate employment opportunities for the workforce, ultimately fostering more significant economic growth in the province.

"In the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution bringing about numerous changes and future predictions, as Industry 4.0 is expected to continue to grow stronger, businesses need to be ready to continuously adapt and update themselves to stay in line with upcoming modern trends.

In recent years, the investment in developing information technology applications and digital transformation in Dong Nai province has always been a focal point directed by the provincial authorities. Over the past 3-4 years, businesses have placed significant emphasis on digital transformation. They have begun incorporating automated machinery into production to reduce labor, increase productivity, and improve product quality," stated Mr. Phuong, emphasizing that this event is in alignment with businesses in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the application of digital transformation in production and business activities, supported by VCCI-HCM and the Industrial Parks Management Board.

Mr. Truong Ba Toan, Chief Executive Officer of Western Digital Company in Vietnam, from a business perspective, observes that Vietnam's data infrastructure and computing capabilities are still in their infancy. Vietnamese businesses, whether overly concerned or complacent, must now make changes to embrace artificial intelligence (AI). Therefore, the answers and insights provided by speakers like Dr. Nguyen Quoc Huy, CIO of SaigonTech and Head of the Software Engineering Department at the University of Saigon, along with experts in the field, create opportunities to address the challenges and opportunities that AI brings to businesses and factories. "Finding the bottlenecks and keys is essential. To develop AI, Vietnam must take appropriate steps in training a workforce with both breadth and depth. When we learn how to harness AI in operations, we will realize its benefits, such as predictive maintenance and prevention, defect detection, and effective productivity measurement," he added.

Dr. Nguyen Quoc Huy, CIO of SaigonTech and Head of the Software Engineering Department at the University of Saigon, shared insights about AI and its application in the smart factory model.

Western Digital is known for being a pioneering company in applying artificial intelligence in storage and data processing solutions. Simultaneously, they continuously research and provide breakthrough products and services that enable customers to harness the full potential of artificial intelligence. Western Digital's latest storage solutions are currently creating an ecosystem that offers more flexibility and choices for simplifying the deployment of NVMe and NVMe-oF for customers. Western Digital is also a key member of open standard organizations such as NVM Express, Inc., SNIA, Ethernet Alliance, and the Open Compute Project, contributing to the development and implementation of NVMe-oF. Furthermore, the company collaborates with many prominent brands in Vietnam to establish data operation centers, such as Samsung. With this position, the Director of Western Digital in Vietnam stated, "We feel the need to work alongside Vietnamese businesses to contribute to the realization of the national AI strategy."

Speakers, experts at the conference

The Vietnamese government recently issued a National AI Strategy for 2030, with the goal of gradually transforming Vietnam into a center for innovation and creativity, ranking among the top 4 in the ASEAN region and the top 50 in the world in the field of AI. Artificial intelligence is a rapidly developing field with significant potential to change the way we work and live. It has been and continues to drive technological advancements, creating new opportunities and challenges for businesses. In 2023, according to Finbold's calculations, the artificial intelligence market is estimated to reach $207.9 billion, and market value is predicted to increase sevenfold to reach $1.87 trillion by 2030. Thus, this market is expected to surpass $1 trillion for the first time in 2028.

Businesses in Dong Nai province are very interested in and exploring digital transformation and the application of artificial intelligence in factory/enterprise operations.

According to Le My (Business Forum Magazine).