The National Forum on Developing Vietnam Technology Companies will be held for the first time in Hanoi on May 9, said Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Phan Tam.

At a press conference on May 6, Deputy Minister Phan Tam described the forum as an important event to bolster the development of the ecosystem for technology firms so as to make Vietnam a modern industrialised country.

Last year, the information technology sector gained some US$98.9 billion in revenue, US$94 billion of which came from export activities, and enjoyed a trade surplus of some US$26 billion.

Besides contributing nearly VND50 trillion (US$2.16 billion) to the state budget, the sector also created more than 1 million jobs for local labourers, he said.

He stressed that in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, building a community of 100,000 technology enterprises is a breakthrough solution for the Vietnamese economy, helping the nation move towards high-income status by 2045.

The National Forum on Developing Vietnam Technology Companies, a leading event for innovative and IT businesses, is expected to attract some 1,000 delegates who are leaders of the Government, ministries, sectors, and localities, as well as domestic and foreign technology experts and enterprises.

Various issues will be brought to the table, including how IT firms can help Vietnam escape the middle-income trap, policies and solutions to develop Vietnamese technology firms, and measures to connect technology firms. 

A display of Vietnamese IT products which bring high economic efficiency will be organised on the sidelines of the forum.