Opening Ceremony of Da Nang Economic, Finance and Technology Week 2026: Shaping New Growth Drivers

On the morning of July 7, the Da Nang Economic, Finance and Technology Week 2026 officially opened at the Furama International Convention Palace in Da Nang City. The opening ceremony was attended by senior leaders of the Party and the State, representatives of central ministries and agencies, international organizations, experts, scientists, investors, and members of the domestic and international business community.

Overview

A key highlight of the week is the High-Level Policy Dialogue, themed "New Growth Model – Innovation – Global City." The conference brings together more than 40 speakers from 12 countries to discuss strategic directions for shaping a new growth model for Vietnam, while reaffirming Da Nang's pioneering role in the country's next phase of development.

Strategic Forum on a New Growth Model

Đồng chí Nguyễn Văn Thắng - Ủy viên Trung ương Đảng, Phó Thủ tướng Chính phủ phát biểu tại sự kiện

Speaking at the event, H.E. Nguyen Van Thang, Member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, highly commended Da Nang's initiative in organizing the Da Nang Economic, Finance and Technology Week. He emphasized that the event is not merely an investment promotion activity or a platform to showcase the city's potential, but also a strategic forum connecting policymaking, finance, technology, businesses, and global expertise.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that Vietnam is entering a new stage of development that requires the creation of new growth drivers based on science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, green transformation, modern finance, and a highly skilled workforce. In this context, establishing new development spaces, pioneering regulatory sandbox mechanisms, and new growth poles is of particular importance.

He further affirmed that Da Nang possesses the necessary strengths to play a pioneering role in implementing new development models, particularly through its vision of developing an International Financial Center (IFC), a Free Trade Zone (FTZ), and advancing logistics, high-tech industries, digital finance, green finance, and innovation.

The Deputy Prime Minister also called on central ministries and government agencies to continue working closely with Da Nang in improving the institutional framework, addressing regulatory and policy bottlenecks, and creating favorable conditions for the effective implementation of these new development models.

Da Nang Poised to Become a New Growth Pole

H.E. Thai Thanh Quy, Member of the Party Central Committee and Standing Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Policies and Strategies, delivers remarks at the event.

Delivering a keynote address at the conference, H.E. Thai Thanh Quy, Member of the Party Central Committee and Standing Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Policies and Strategies, emphasized the urgent need for Vietnam to transform its growth model toward one driven by knowledge, technology, and innovation in order to enhance productivity, strengthen national competitiveness, and improve people's quality of life.

He highlighted five major shifts in policy thinking that are essential to this transformation:

- from a government-centered management approach to a development-oriented government that places businesses and citizens at the center of public service;

- from a "ask-and-grant" institutional model to a modern, transparent, stable, and implementation-friendly institutional framework;

- from developing standalone infrastructure to building integrated strategic infrastructure systems;

- from relying on short-term capital to mobilizing long-term financing accompanied by effective risk-sharing mechanisms; and

- from broad-based investment attraction to selective investment that promotes technology transfer and upgrades value chains.

According to Mr. Quy, the Party Central Committee expects Da Nang to become a pioneering locality for piloting new development models, including an International Financial Center (IFC), a Free Trade Zone (FTZ), digital finance, green finance, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and the data economy. These initiatives are expected to create new growth momentum not only for Central Vietnam but also for the country as a whole.

Building a Finance, Technology and Innovation Ecosystem

H.E. Le Ngoc Quang, Member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Da Nang Party Committee, delivers the opening remarks at the ceremony.

Phát biểu khai mạc, Ủy viên Trung ương Đảng, Bí thư Thành ủy Đà Nẵng Lê Ngọc Quang khẳng định Đà Nẵng đang bước vào giai đoạn phát triển mới với quyết tâm đổi mới tư duy phát triển, lấy chất lượng thể chế, tốc độ thực thi, nguồn nhân lực và năng lực phục vụ người dân, doanh nghiệp làm lợi thế cạnh tranh.

Theo Bí thư Thành ủy, mục tiêu của Đà Nẵng không chỉ là trở thành một thành phố có năng lực cạnh tranh toàn cầu mà còn phải tiếp tục giữ vững giá trị cốt lõi của một đô thị đáng sống, hiện đại nhưng giàu bản sắc, tăng trưởng nhanh nhưng phát triển bền vững, lấy con người làm trung tâm.

H.E. Nguyen Manh Hung, Deputy Secretary of the Da Nang Party Committee and Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee, presents the keynote report

As part of the opening session, H.E. Nguyen Manh Hung, Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee, presented the keynote report entitled "Da Nang Towards a Globally Innovative and Livable City." The report outlined the city's vision and strategic directions for positioning Da Nang as a new growth pole for Central Vietnam and the nation.

The report highlighted four strategic priorities:

- Positioning Da Nang as a new growth pole and a gateway for the Central and Central Highlands regions;

- Developing the International Financial Center (IFC) and the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) as two key institutional platforms for piloting new growth models;

- Shifting from attracting investment based on quantity to attracting high-quality capital and strategic investors; and

- Recognizing quality of life as a strategic competitive advantage that underpins the city's long-term development.

Attracting High-Quality Capital, Talent and Technology

Held over July 7–8, the High-Level Policy Dialogue features nine thematic sessions and dialogue forums covering a wide range of topics, including new growth models, the development of urban growth poles, green finance, long-term capital mobilization, the establishment of Vietnam's International Financial Center (IFC) in Da Nang, innovation, high-quality human resource development, connectivity infrastructure, and the creation of the "Da Nang Silicon Beach" ecosystem.

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Signing Ceremony

The conference also featured a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Exchange Ceremony and the launch of the IFC Policy Lab (Think Tank)  dedicated platform for long-term policy research and advisory services that connects Vietnamese and international experts. The initiative aims to develop a long-term policy agenda for Vietnam's International Financial Center (IFC) in Da Nang while strengthening the city's position as an innovative, livable, and globally competitive destination.

Turning Development Aspirations into Concrete Actions

With the participation of leading economists, international financial institutions, policymakers, investors, and representatives of the business community from around the world, the Da Nang Economic, Finance and Technology Week 2026 is expected to generate valuable insights, international experience, and practical solutions that will foster cooperation, strengthen investment connectivity, and promote sustainable development.

Through its in-depth policy dialogues and thematic discussions, Da Nang aims to draw on international best practices to further improve its institutional framework, accelerate the development of the International Financial Center (IFC) and the Free Trade Zone (FTZ), strengthen its innovation ecosystem, and cultivate new growth drivers. These efforts will help position Da Nang as a regional hub for finance, technology, and innovation, while contributing to the realization of Vietnam's new growth model in the country's next stage of development.