The ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ASEAN ABIS) 2020, the much-anticipated event for ASEAN business community with theme “Digital ASEAN: Sustainability and Inclusiveness”, is scheduled to take place in Hanoi on November 13 – 14, 2020.

Overview of the press conference. Photo: Ngoc Thuy.

The event is set to attract senior leaders from 10 ASEAN member states as well as those from eight Dialogue Partners including Japan, China, the US, South Korea, India, and Australia.

“This year is full of challenges for the global business community, including those in ASEAN and Vietnam. During the Covid-19 pandemic, enterprises’ priorities should be inclusive and towards sustainable development, which could be achieved via globalization and digitalization for greater competitiveness, linkage and integration,” said Vu Tien Loc, chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and ASEAN ABIS 2020, at a press conference on July 22.

By taking advantage of the Industry 4.0, ASEAN ABIS 2020 targets to contribute to the sustainable development of ASEAN and help the region overcome difficulties of the current Covid-19 crisis.

For this year, ASEAN ABIS 2020 would focus on six topics, including ASEAN’s economic outlook; Technologies and Future Jobs in ASEAN; Innovative Agriculture; Green growth through Good Governance; Logistics and Smart City; and Innovative ASEAN and digital startups.

Notably, the event would be held after the conclusion of the Vietnam Business Summit (VBS) 2020 on July 12, Vietnam’s largest annual trade and investment promotion event with theme “Digitalized Vietnam: Adaptability towards Sustainable development”.

According to Loc, as both ASEAN BIS 2020 and VBS 2020 focus on sustainable development and digital transformation, these events would serve as an important platform for enterprises to look for business opportunities and grasp new development trends.

ASEAN Business Award

In addition to the ASEAN BIS 2020, Vietnam is set to be the stage of the ASEAN Business Award (ABA) 2020, designed to honor ASEAN businesses with outstanding contributions to the region’s prosperity.

Chairman of BRG Group and ABA 2020 Nguyen Thi Nga said while enterprises are suffering tremendously from the Covid-19 pain, this is also the opportunity for them to show their characters in overcoming hardship.

ABA 2020 would take place at a unique time to honor the best enterprises of the region, Nga said.

ASEAN network of digital startups - Digital STARS 2020

Legacy projects are for ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC) to realize priorities of the regional business community.

Following a focus on the Industry 4.0 organized by ASEAN BAC Thailand in 2019, ASEAN BAC 2020, themed “Digital ASEAN for sustainable development” would focus on the importance of digital economy for socio development.

To realize this project, VCCI in cooperation with Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group (VNPT) initiates a legacy project titled “ASEAN network of digital startups – Digital STARS 2020”, aiming to form a network of digital startups among ASEAN countries and promote digitalization, especially in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the main driving force in ASEAN.

Pham Dinh Doan, chairman of Phu Thai group and ASEAN Digital STARTS Legacy Project, said the Covid-19 pandemic is pushing enterprises, especially MSMEs, to accelerate the digitalization process to survive and adapt to the post-Covid-19 period.

“Supporting MSMEs during this process would help bring equality for vulnerable groups, including women, the poor or for young businesses, among others,” Doan added.