Presenting the opening keynote will be a prominent international economist, who will assess Vietnam’s competitive advantages, as well as the challenges it will face in its quest to become a new tiger economy in the post-COVID era. The keynote will prompt businesses leaders to re-focus their strategic development plans to benefit from the nation’s competitive edge.

Inflation is currently the subject of heated debate among the business people, who still remember the economic havoc it caused in the past. Yet research has suggested that inflationary risks in Vietnam in 2022 are much lower than in 2008 and 2011. A leading economic researcher will preview Vietnam’s macro-economic outlook for the second half of 2022 and first half of 2021, focusing particularly on inflationary risk.

The past has taught us that large scale crises such as pandemics, climate-related catastrophes and wars can lead to fundamental transformation, behavioural changes and radical restructuring in many industries. COVID-19 has disrupted countless concepts, business models, markets and consumer habits. Businesses that recover the fastest are those which vigorously apply technological and digital transformation.

Our earth’s resources are scarce, which has forced businesses pursuing sustainable growth to balance economic benefits with environmental and social imperatives. At the end of 2021, in COP26, the Vietnam government committed to a zero carbon economy by 2050. Vietnam needs to accelerate its efforts towards this ambitious goal by nurturing pioneers in the circular economy. This keynote will address this nascent circular economy and discuss how businesses can take the lead in this existential journey.

The United Nations Environment Program states if the world continues with its conventional linear economy, by 2030 the world will need tripled resources to meet humankind’s demand, while the resultant waste generated from all this consumption will make it impossible to endure. But while the journey towards sustainability is still in its early days, it is picking up speed, and is already entering into mainstream discourse.

This panel discussion will feature business leaders who are guiding their businesses, empowered by a sustainable vision based on internal and public awareness, and fuelled by a slew of new-generation trade agreements. A broader and better understanding will help local businesses catch up with requirements when entering important markets such as the EU and US.