Smart Manufacturing Forum 2025

The morning keynote, delivered by VGEA's Chairperson, framed the answer in three layers. First, foundational digitisation — every factory needs a real-time view of its own operations before it can apply AI. Second, modular automation — Vietnamese factories should adopt automation in phases tied to specific bottlenecks, not rip-and-replace. Third, talent — without continuous reskilling, even the best equipment underperforms.

Eight breakout tracks ran in parallel through the afternoon. Highlights included a session on AI-assisted quality control led by a Korean automotive supplier already operating in Bình Dương; a robotics integration clinic where Vietnamese factory owners could bring real production data and receive on-the-spot recommendations from FBT Vietnam and three visiting Chinese robot makers; and a financing roundtable on green-loan instruments available to small manufacturers undertaking automation upgrades.

A standout moment came during the closing panel, when three Vietnamese manufacturers — from textiles, food processing and electronics — shared their twelve-month automation journeys. Their candid lessons on integration delays, change management and supplier selection were widely cited by attendees as the most useful content of the day.

By the close of the forum, more than 90 commercial introductions had been recorded by VGEA's matchmaking team, and four working groups were established to advance specific topics through 2025: a Vietnam–China robotics standardisation group, a Vietnam–US smart-factory data-exchange pilot, a financing instruments task force, and a workforce reskilling consortium chaired by VGEA's Technology Board.