Co-hosted by FPT Corporation, MEDEF International and Business France, the forum focused on sovereign AI and AI-driven business operating models.
In the opening session, Vietnam’s Ambassador to France Trinh Duc Hai said that Vietnam-France relations continue to develop positively, especially since the two countries upgraded their relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024.
According to Ambassador Trinh Duc Hai, recent discussions with leaders of major French industrial groups such as EDF, SNCF, Alstom, Airbus, Thales, Sanofi and Artelia have opened up concrete opportunities for cooperation in various strategic areas.
He also called on French companies to support early ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), stressing that this is an important signal to promote bilateral investment flows.
Vietnam’s high-tech development and AI push is creating wide opportunities for cooperation with French companies, especially as many French companies maintain a long-term presence in the Vietnamese market.
According to Benoît Closuret, Chairman of MEDEF International, the global support arm of the French Entrepreneurial Movement (MEDEF), and Executive Chairman of Arteria Group, sovereignty is a common principle in the development strategies of both France and Vietnam, not only at the policy level but also in business cooperation.
He said Arteria has been operating in Vietnam for more than 20 years and has more than 800 employees and more than 1,500 projects, of which 99% of Vietnamese employees are locals.
One of the main factors attracting strong interest from French investors is Vietnam’s economic growth rate of over 8% in 2025.
Business France representatives said Vietnam’s growth is sustainable and built on solid foundations, driven by structural reforms across multiple sectors, including infrastructure modernization, healthcare improvements, education reforms and international financial ambitions.
According to Business France, Vietnam’s greatest strength lies in its human capital – a young, well-trained workforce that is dynamic, entrepreneurial and highly responsive to innovation and technology.
Dao Quoc Cuong, Finance Counselor at the Embassy of Vietnam in France, said France currently ranks 16th among countries and regions investing in Vietnam, with a cumulative investment of more than USD 4 billion in 745 projects in 29 provinces and cities.
He continued that Vietnam has entered a new stage of national development and aims to achieve average annual growth of more than 10% from 2026 to 2030.
To achieve this goal, Vietnam is accelerating institutional reforms, streamlining administrative procedures, and developing new models such as free trade zones and international financial centers in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang.
Pham Minh Tuan, deputy chief executive officer of FPT Corporation, said that from a technology sector perspective, 93% of business leaders now consider AI sovereignty as a core issue in technology governance.
However, around half of AI initiatives in Europe and France continue to face implementation challenges due to barriers related to legacy system integration and data fragmentation.
According to Tuan, AI sovereignty can only yield meaningful results when backed by strong execution capabilities.
With its technology foundation, delivery capabilities, and global experience, FPT is well-positioned to help companies transform their AI strategies into practical, large-scale results.
The 2026 Vietnam-France Business Forum served as a platform for exchanging insights and opened a new chapter towards broader strategic cooperation in high tech and AI.
The combination of France’s strengths in research and science and Vietnam’s execution capabilities and technical talent is expected to create new competitive advantages for both countries in the global digital economy.
