The announcement was unveiled at the SGX Group-Gprnt Climate Action Forum, officiated by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations. The Forum convenes leading voices from corporates, capital markets, solution providers and the public sector, to foster awareness and capability-building across the SGX-listed community.

Powering the next phase of sustainability reporting for Singapore's listed companies

ESGenome will leverage Gprnt's digital infrastructure and automated reporting capabilities to reduce reporting burdens:

• The portal will feature CRD modules developed in consultation with relevant government agencies, to foster greater clarity for companies seeking to meet their mandatory reporting obligations. These modules incorporate guided workflows and plain-language prompts to support companies embarking on climate reporting for the first time.
• The portal has been wholly migrated onto the Gprnt platform, allowing users to automate their Scope 1 and 2 emissions calculations using trusted government data.
• These upgrades pave the way for the phased introduction of AI-powered capabilities to support disclosure preparation, climate risk and opportunity assessments, and the development of climate targets and transition plans.

Partnering the Council for a Competitive Climate Transition (C3T)

Gprnt, SGX Group and the C3T share a common objective of supporting companies to generate high-quality sustainability disclosures, develop robust corporate transition plans, and mobilise their supply chains to strengthen their long-term resilience and competitiveness. To this effect:

• The C3T will engage Gprnt and SGX Group to provide SGX-listed companies with relevant information and resources relating to climate risks, transition pathways, and sectoral benchmarks; and to continually identify information gaps and additional resources needed to support transition planning.
• The C3T encourages SGX-listed companies to participate in the Green 100 national movement as Enterprise "Queen Bees", and mobilise their suppliers, customers, and business partners to embark on basic sustainability reporting and capability building. By doing so, companies enhance the environmental competitiveness and resilience of their supply chains, improve their access to decision-useful data for Scope 3 emissions reporting, and unlock future opportunities for greener procurement and sustainable supply chain financing.

Chan Kum Kong, Head of Capital Market Development, SGX Group, said: "Companies are increasingly integrating climate-related risks and opportunities into strategy and risk management; and investors want confidence that these issues are being actively monitored and addressed. We recognise that readiness varies across companies, which is why large public companies can play an important role in supporting C3T's efforts and lifting capability across their value chains. Done well, this is not just climate action – it is part of value unlock; strengthening resilience, competitiveness and long-term enterprise value."

Kok Ping Soon, Co-Chair of the C3T, said, "Climate action is no longer just about compliance, it is about competitiveness. In SBF's National Business Survey, half of Singapore businesses expect climate risks to affect them and see decarbonisation as a way to lower costs. Yet many SMEs remain at the starting line, with 56% yet to begin and 92% lacking dedicated sustainability manpower. Listed companies can change this by leading from the front and bringing their suppliers along. Through C3T, we look forward to working with SGX, SGX-listed companies, and their value chains to turn reporting into action, and action into competitive advantage."

Lionel Wong, Chief Executive Officer, Gprnt, said, "What began as an effort to simplify sustainability reporting has now evolved into a common infrastructure for nationwide disclosures. Through ESGenome and the Green 100, we are creating a shared foundation for ESG reporting, trusted data, transition planning, value-chain engagement, and sustainable finance, reducing fragmentation and making it easier for companies of all sizes to participate meaningfully in Singapore's green transition."

For more information on Gprnt, please visit www.gprnt.ai.

Dnotitia contributed STAR-KV, selected as an ICML 2026 Spotlight Paper, achieving up to 20x KV cache compression and faster inference through low-rank compression and GPU optimization

In the experiments reported in the paper, low-rank compression alone reduced the KV cache by up to 75%. Combined with the mixed-precision quantization method proposed in the paper, STAR-KV compressed the full KV cache by up to 20x. The technology also improves computation speed through custom GPU kernels, increasing attention computation speed by up to 6.9x and overall generation throughput by up to 3.1x. STAR-KV also showed higher accuracy than major existing KV cache compression methods.

KV cache compression has become a key technical challenge in AI infrastructure. As research into reducing the memory bottleneck of long-context AI gains momentum, including the attention around Google's TurboQuant at ICLR 2026, STAR-KV presents a new approach that combines low-rank compression with quantization and GPU execution optimization.

The KV cache is temporary memory stored on the GPU so that a large language model (LLM) does not have to recompute context it has already processed. As AI evolves into agentic systems that use multiple documents, conversation history, code, search results, and outputs from external tools, the amount of context a model must process is growing rapidly. In this environment, the KV cache has emerged as a key bottleneck affecting both GPU memory usage and inference cost.

According to the STAR-KV paper, when a LLaMA-3.1-8B model processes a 128K-token context at a batch size of 4, the KV cache accounts for about 81% of total GPU memory. As long-context AI becomes more widely used, KV cache compression is increasingly viewed as a core AI infrastructure technology for processing long context at lower cost.

ICML, where the STAR-KV paper was accepted, is widely regarded as one of the top international conferences in AI and machine learning, alongside NeurIPS and ICLR. ICML 2026 will be held from July 6 to 11 at COEX in Seoul. This year, 23,918 papers entered review, 6,352 were accepted, and 536 were selected as Spotlight papers. Spotlight papers account for about 2.2% of all reviewed submissions and about 8.4% of accepted papers.

Going forward, Dnotitia plans to further advance STAR-KV for use in real-world AI service environments and explore its application to open-source LLM inference frameworks such as vLLM.

"Technologies that help AI process longer context faster and at lower cost are advancing rapidly" said MK Chung, CEO of Dnotitia. "STAR-KV addresses the core bottlenecks in KV cache capacity and attention processing speed, and Dnotitia aims to contribute to the AI inference ecosystem through open sourcing."

This partnership fully underscores Ribo's and Madrigal's joint commitment to advancing cutting-edge RNA therapeutics for liver diseases, with a primary focus on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a field with tremendous unmet medical need. The collaboration covers multiple preclinical assets and further broadens the potential liver-directed therapeutic landscape for MASH.

"We are delighted to achieve the first key milestone in our joint MASH program with Madrigal in just a few months. Madrigal has established a market leading presence and profound clinical expertise in the MASH field, while Ribo possesses world-class capabilities in siRNA drug discovery and delivery technology. Our complementary strengths have driven the rapid progress of this project. Both parties are dedicated to accelerating the development of our novel siRNA candidate for MASH. We look forward to advancing this collaborative program together and bringing promising new therapeutic options to patients worldwide living with MASH," said Li-Ming Gan, co-CEO & Global R&D President of Ribo.

For more information, please visit www.ribolia.com and www.ribocure.com.

Vinamilk’s representatives received 5 awards at the 2026 World Dairy Innovation Awards in Barcelona, Spain

The recognition places Vinamilk among the world's leading dairy innovators and highlights the company's ability to anticipate and respond to rapidly evolving consumer needs. Vinamilk was also the only dairy brand from Southeast Asia to receive recognition at this year's awards, alongside major global dairy companies from Europe, North America and Oceania.

The World Dairy Innovation Awards celebrate organizations and products that are shaping the future of dairy through innovation, consumer relevance and industry leadership. This year, Vinamilk had 17 nominations shortlisted across 11 categories, reflecting the breadth of its innovation capabilities across nutrition, product development, production technology and consumer experience. The following products were honored with awards: Optimum A2 Pro+ won the Best Children's Dairy Product award; Sure Prevent Gold won the Best Life-stage Innovation award; Vinamilk Gelato Matcha Gotcha Ice Cream won the Best Ice Cream award; Vinamilk Fresh Milk 100% Flavored won the Best Flavored Dairy Drink award; Vinamilk Gelato Ice Cream won the Best Packaging Design award.

Richard Hall, Chairman of the Global Dairy Congress and the World Dairy Innovation Awards, noted that in more than 20 years of organizing the awards, he had never seen a company win 5 awards in a single edition. "That is really an incredible achievement. Vietnam is a large and dynamic market with significant consumer needs, but what stands out is how Vinamilk is innovating in ways that place it ahead of many companies and markets around the world."

The award comes at a time when the global dairy industry is undergoing significant transformation. Consumers are increasingly seeking nutrition solutions tailored to their lifestyles, health goals and individual needs, while also placing greater emphasis on convenience, transparency, and sustainability.

"Each stage of societal development creates new expectations for nutrition," said Nguyen Quang Tri, Marketing Executive Director of Vinamilk. "This recognition reflects our long-term commitment to innovation and our efforts to develop products and solutions that deliver meaningful value to consumers."

Beyond the award itself, Vinamilk's strong presence across multiple categories demonstrates its broader approach to innovation. The company's shortlisted products covered children's nutrition, specialized nutrition, liquid milk, yogurt, ice cream, packaging innovation and production technology, reflecting a strategy that extends beyond product formulation to encompass the entire consumer experience.

Ananda Roy, Senior Vice President – Thought Leadership Europe for Circana, a leading global market research and data analytics firm from the US and a member of the 2026 awards judging panel, stated, "Vinamilk is well positioned in the global market. To be a key player, all it needs to do is to continue investing in good products, packaging, the proposition and consumer communication, but beyond that, I am very confident about the success of this company."

For nearly 50 years, Vinamilk has evolved alongside changing consumer needs, from improving access to quality nutrition to developing increasingly specialized and personalized nutrition solutions. Today, the company continues to invest in research, innovation, and sustainable development to meet the demands of modern consumers and strengthen its position in international markets.

Those awards not only recognize Vinamilk's achievements today but also reinforce the company's ambition to contribute to the future development of the global dairy industry through continuous innovation and consumer-focused growth.

For more information, please visit www.vinamilk.com.vn/en.

Lumipodlin is a potentially first-in-class oral small molecule PD-L1 inhibitor with unique properties beyond its route of administration. Currently, third-generation EGFR-TKIs represented by osimertinib have become the front-line standard of care for EGFR-mutated NSCLC. However, patients with EGFR-mutant and high PD-L1 expression derive less benefit from EGFR-TKIs than those with low or negative PD-L1 expression^[1],^[2]. There is a long-standing unmet medical need for patients with EGFR mutated, PD-L1 positive NSCLC.

[1] Brown H, Vansteenkiste J, Nakagawa K, et al. Programmed cell death ligand 1 expression in untreated EGFR mutated advanced NSCLC and response to osimertinib versus comparator in FLAURA. J Thorac Oncol. 2020;15(1):138–143.

[2] Niu J, Jing X, Xu Q, et al. Strong PD-L1 affect clinical outcomes in advanced NSCLC treated with third-generation EGFR-TKIs. Future Oncol. 2024;20(32):2481-2490.

Please visit www.abbisko.com for more information.

OCI N.V. recommends the unsolicited all-cash Offer from NNS at EUR 4.10 per share. The Court-appointed Directors consent to the convocation of an extraordinary general meeting to submit the OCI-Orascom transaction to a shareholder vote.

The court-appointed independent non-executive directors (the "Court-appointed Directors") of OCI announce that, having completed their assessment of the transaction between OCI and Orascom in conjunction with the NNS Offer, they have decided to consent to the convocation of an extraordinary general meeting of the Company to approve the OCI-Orascom transaction. The resolution to approve the OCI-Orascom transaction will be subject to the condition that NNS will have made the Offer, will have declared the Offer unconditional and will have completed settlement thereof. The reasons for the decision of the Court-appointed Directors are further explained in paragraph 5 below. Any reference to the Board in the remainder of this announcement, does not include the Court-appointed Directors, unless explicitly indicated otherwise.

1 THE OFFER

After NNS submitted a first proposal for a cash offer on 11 May 2026, the Board (excluding Nassef Sawiris and Nadia Sawiris) and NNS have been in discussions regarding a potential cash offer in connection with the Orascom Combination. The Board has carefully assessed and evaluated NNS' proposals for a voluntary all-cash offer, supported by its independent financial and legal advisers, and have considered it against alternative scenarios including a solvent wind-down.

On 24 June 2026, NNS announced its intention to launch a voluntary all-cash public offer for all issued and outstanding Shares at an offer price of EUR 4.10 cum dividend per share. On 29 June 2026, NNS announced that it has submitted a draft offer memorandum to the AFM in connection with its intention to launch a voluntary all-cash public offer for all Shares at an offer price of EUR 4.10 (cum dividend) per Share. NNS also announced that it has sufficient funds readily available to finance the Offer, and the payment of fees and expenses related to the Offer, through available cash resources.

NNS furthermore announced that the obligation of NNS to declare the Offer unconditional (het bod gestand doen) will be subject to a limited number of customary offer conditions, including (i) any required competition clearances having been obtained; (ii) no AFM notification under section 5:80 Wft preventing investment firms from cooperating with settlement; (iii) no governmental order or measure prohibiting completion of the Offer; and (iv) no permanent suspension or ending of trading in the Shares on Euronext Amsterdam. NNS stated that the Offer is not subject to a minimum acceptance threshold.

For further information regarding the Offer, including the offer conditions, reference is made to the announcement from NNS dated 29 June 2026, as published on the website of OCI. OCI and NNS have not entered into a merger agreement with respect to the Offer. Further announcements will be made if a merger agreement would be concluded.

OCI will hold an EGM prior to the closing of the acceptance period of the Offer and will publish its position statement at least ten business days prior to the closing of the acceptance period of the Offer in accordance with Section 18a Paragraph 1 of the Dutch Public Takeover Decree (Besluit openbare biedingen), to inform the shareholders about the Offer.

2 REASONS FOR RECOMMENDING THE OFFER

2.1 Introduction

This section sets out the Board's reasons for recommending the Offer. References to the Board in this section in the context of the Offer or the Orascom Combination should be read as references to the board of directors of OCI, excluding Nassef Sawiris and Nadia Sawiris, who have not participated in any of the discussions, deliberations, or decision-making relating to the Offer or the Orascom Combination. Any reference to the Board in the remainder of this announcement, does not include the Court-appointed Directors, unless explicitly indicated otherwise.

Further information on the status of the Orascom Combination is included in paragraph 2.6.

The Board continues to recommend the Orascom Combination. Should shareholders be offered the opportunity to elect between tendering their Shares in the Offer or participating in the Orascom Combination, the Board encourages each shareholder to make its own assessment, having due regard to its individual circumstances and investment objectives.

2.2 Comparison against alternative scenarios

In recommending the Offer, the Board has considered the alternatives available to shareholders. Since the initiation of the strategic review in 2023, the Board has identified no attractive strategic alternative to a solvent wind-down of OCI's currently remaining business, other than the Orascom Combination on its current terms.

In order to be prepared for the scenario in which the Orascom Combination cannot be consummated, and having regard to the initial findings of the Enterprise Chamber^[1] that the Board had potentially not devoted sufficient time to analysing a solvent wind-down as an alternative to the Orascom Combination, the Board engaged Alvarez & Marsal ("A&M"), an advisory firm with an internationally recognised reputation in managing complex wind-down processes, to prepare an in-depth assessment of a solvent wind-down scenario. A&M has provided the Board with a comprehensive assessment of, and planning for, a potential solvent wind-down.

In selecting A&M, the Board considered A&M's best in class expertise in managing complex wind-down processes, and full independence from OCI. The Board is satisfied that the A&M advice was provided by experts with the requisite experience and qualifications to be relied upon. A&M has significant experience in managing solvent wind down processes, including the orderly realisation of assets, settlement of liabilities, stakeholder management, and the distribution of surplus value to shareholders. Further details on A&M's credentials are set out in Annex I.

2.3 Analysis of a wind-down scenario

Based on its analysis of OCI's balance sheet, anticipated asset realisations, costs of a wind-down, and the settlement of all outstanding liabilities, A&M assessed two solvent wind-down scenarios: an Accelerated Exit Case, involving the early settlement, transfer, or insurance of outstanding exposures; and a Run-off Case, involving the managed resolution of liabilities over an extended period, with distributions made on a deferred basis.

Under these scenarios, the illustrative discounted value available for distribution to shareholders ranges from €3.21 per Share in the Accelerated Exit Case to €3.73 per Share in the Run-off Case, in each case excluding the impact of 15% Dutch dividend withholding tax ("DWT"), or €2.73 to €3.17 per Share, net of DWT. A more detailed discussion of A&M's findings is set out in paragraph 3 below.

The Board has been advised by legal counsel that, given the absence of meaningful fiscally recognized share capital, distributions in a wind-down scenario would be substantially fully subject to DWT. The Board has further been advised that proceeds received by shareholders who tender their Shares in the Offer will not be subject to DWT. The Board notes that, based on the findings of A&M, the Offer is financially superior to a solvent wind-down even for shareholders who may be eligible for a full or partial exemption from DWT on dividend distributions. A&M's findings have been a factor in the Board's decision to recommend the Offer.

2.4 Rothschild & Co fairness opinion

Upon receipt of the first non-binding proposal from NNS, the Board engaged N.M. Rothschild & Sons Limited ("Rothschild & Co") as its independent financial advisor to opine on the fairness, from a financial point of view, of a potential offer. In selecting Rothschild & Co, the Board had regard to its established knowledge of OCI gained in connection with the fairness opinion issued by it regarding the Orascom Combination.^[2] The Board therefore determined that Rothschild & Co was best placed to discharge this mandate, including by virtue of its ability to deliver its analysis within the timeline that the Board considered appropriate in fulfilling its responsibilities to shareholders.

Rothschild & Co has opined that the Offer is fair, from a financial point of view to shareholders. The text of the fairness opinion and a summary of the supporting materials are attached as Annex II to this press release.

2.5 Other considerations that have informed the Board's recommendation of the Offer

The Board has reviewed the terms of the Offer and notes that NNS has publicly stated that EUR 4.10 represents its "final" offer price. The Board further notes that NNS has confirmed its willingness to sell its entire shareholding in OCI to any third party willing to make an offer that delivers greater value to all shareholders.

The Board also compared the Offer price to recent OCI share price performance. The closing price on June 24 was €3.76 per Share (undisturbed share price) and the 30-day volume-weighted average price was €3.71 per Share. The Board observes that the Offer price represents a premium of 9% and 11%, respectively, to those reference prices.

2.6 Status of the Orascom Combination

On December 9, 2025, the Board recommended the Orascom Combination to shareholders. The Board continues to recommend the Orascom Combination. The Board notes that, based on the closing price of Orascom shares on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) on June 30, the implied value of the Orascom Combination for OCI Shareholders is currently approximately €6.08 per Share (€5.16 per Share, net of DWT).

The Board believes that a combination of the Offer and the Orascom Combination would be in the best interest of OCI and its stakeholders.

NNS has expressed its preference for a combined outcome in which the Offer and the Orascom Combination are both consummated. In addition, NNS has expressed an intention to offer OCI to acquire, at the market price at the time of such distribution, the Orascom shares that OCI would be required to sell in order to satisfy DWT obligations arising in connection with the distribution of Orascom shares to OCI shareholders upon consummation of the Orascom Combination. This would support market liquidity for shareholders who elect to participate in the Orascom Combination and who subsequently wish to sell their Orascom shares. The Board also notes that, during the period in which the Offer has been announced and the Orascom Combination has been approved, both the Offer and the Orascom Combination may support the OCI share price, to the benefit of shareholders who wish to sell their Shares prior to the consummation of either transaction, and may also enhance the liquidity of the Share during this period.

Following an extension by OCI, the transaction agreement between OCI and Orascom for the Orascom Combination is subject to a long-stop date of 31 December 2026. The Board further notes that NNS is no longer contractually bound to support the Orascom Combination.

3 REPORT OF ALVAREZ & MARSAL

A full summary of A&M's report, which summary has been made by A&M, is attached to this press release as Annex I. Consistent with typical solvent wind-down practice, the value impacts reflected in A&M's analysis includes not only estimated costs, but also reserves and holdbacks that may exceed liabilities or provisions currently recognised under IFRS and may be required until outstanding contractual obligations, warranties, indemnities and contingent matters are settled, transferred, insured, expired, or otherwise resolved.

4 REPORT OF ROTHSCHILD & CO

On June 30, 2026, Rothschild & Co rendered its opinion to the Board to the effect that, as of June 30, 2026, the €4.10 in cash per Share to be received by the holders of Shares in the Offer was fair, from a financial point of view to such shareholders.

The following is a summary of the material valuation analyses performed in connection with the preparation of Rothschild & Co's opinion dated June 30, 2026.

Rothschild & Co, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting for OCI and no one else in relation to the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than OCI for providing the protections afforded to its clients nor for providing advice in relation to the Offer.

The principal valuation methodology used was a net present value calculation of dividends from a solvent wind down which combines the adjusted cash position as of May 22, 2026, and future cash flows from anticipated HoldCo costs, anticipated indemnity/liability settlements, attributable operational cash flows from OCI Nitrogen (OCIN) and proceeds from the sale of OCIN to Agrofert. The cash position, HoldCo costs and indemnity/liability settlements were discounted at 5.6% and the cash flows related to OCIN at 9.1%.

The dividends in the solvent wind down analysis are based on projected annually distributable cash flows after retaining minimum cash balances required to provide for liquidity to continue operations (both for OCIN and OCI HoldCo), remaining liabilities and exposures. The current adjusted cash position was based on management data and includes all proceeds and final settlements from the sale of OCI Clean Ammonia, OCI Ammonia Holding, and the Methanex Corporation shares as well as all other adjustments to reflect May 22, 2026, balances. An independent accounting firm reviewed the schedules.

The HoldCo costs were based on management projections reviewed by the independent accounting firm; the Fertiglobe indemnity/escrow settlements were based on probability weighted ranges, in the Base Case aligned with the audited FY2025 financial statements; and the OCIN attributable operational cash flows and sale proceeds were based on management projections. In Rothschild & Co's Base Case complete liquidation in 2031 is assumed, and in the Downside Case in 2032. The Downside Case further assumes higher HoldCo costs as a result of later liquidation, higher Fertiglobe indemnity settlements and lower OCIN attributable operational cash flows and sale proceeds. This results in higher cash reserves to be retained during the wind-down in the Downside Case which further delay dividend distributions.

This analysis resulted in a Base Case value before DWT of €4.00 to €4.12 and a Downside Case value before DWT of €3.43 to €3.53.

Additional points of reference were analysts' average target prices, which ranged from €3.75 to €3.79 based on the most recently published reports from Berenberg, Citi, Degroof Petercam, HSBC, ING Bank, JP Morgan and Kepler Cheuvreux. Rothschild & Co has also considered the twelve month and three month volume weighted average prices in the stock market which ranged from €3.63 to €3.64; the 12 month high and low prices in the stock market which were €2.65 to €5.04; the 3 month high and low prices in the stock market which were €3.32 and €4.03; and, the current value of the proposed Orascom transaction which was €6.07 before DWT and €5.16 net of DWT.

The Rothschild & Co and A&M analyses are based on broadly similar distributable cash and dividend discount frameworks. The valuation differences are driven primarily by different assumptions regarding the timing and discount rate of cash available for distribution, rather than by fundamentally different standalone asset values.

In considering Rothschild & Co's analysis, shareholders should note that the valuation references used in connection with the original Orascom Combination and the current Offer are not directly comparable. Rothschild & Co's December 2025 fairness opinion was provided in the context of a share-for-share combination with Orascom Construction and assessed the fairness, from a financial point of view, of the consideration to be received by OCI under that transaction. The agreed exchange ratio reflected a relative valuation exercise for OCI and Orascom Construction and was intended to determine the relative contributions of each company to the Orascom Combination.

5 STATEMENT BY THE COURT-APPOINTED DIRECTORS

The Court-appointed Directors announce that, having completed their assessment of the transaction between OCI and Orascom in conjunction with the NNS Offer, they have decided to consent to the convocation of an extraordinary general meeting of the Company to approve the OCI-Orascom transaction. The resolution to approve the OCI-Orascom transaction will be subject to the condition that NNS will have made the Offer, will have declared the Offer unconditional and will have completed settlement thereof.

The Court-appointed Directors note that certain minority shareholders have indicated a preference for participating in the OCI-Orascom transaction, while others have expressed a preference for a cash exit. In reaching their decision, the Court-appointed Directors have taken both perspectives into account.

5.1 Mandate of the Court-appointed Directors

The Court-appointed Directors have been appointed by the Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal ("Enterprise Chamber") on 22 January 2026 as independent non-executive directors of OCI with a special mandate. That mandate requires them to independently assess the preparation of the transaction with Orascom Construction, or any other transaction with Orascom Construction requiring shareholder approval, and to ensure that the Board fulfils its obligations towards OCI and all its stakeholders, including, and in particular, its minority shareholders.

In carrying out their mandate, the Court-appointed Directors operate fully independently from the Company's controlling shareholder. This independence has been, and remains, pivotal to their role.

Since their appointment, the Court-appointed Directors have engaged extensively with a broad range of stakeholders. They have reviewed a considerable amount of documentation and have asked detailed questions about the background, preparation and terms of the OCI-Orascom transaction and the broader strategic context. The Court-appointed Directors have also appointed their own independent legal advisor, as well as AXECO Corporate Finance ("AXECO") as their own independent financial advisor.

Based on the analysis of all available information, the Court-appointed Directors have formed a considered view in respect of the OCI-Orascom transaction.

5.2 OCI-Orascom transaction

The Court-appointed Directors are of the view that, in the period up to the Enterprise Chamber's decision, the interests of OCI's minority shareholders were not sufficiently reflected in the process, structure and the Board's decision-making in respect of the OCI-Orascom transaction.

In reaching this view, the Court-appointed Directors have considered that (i) the transaction structure was atypical for Dutch listed companies, (ii) the controlling shareholder was effectively in a position to approve the OCI-Orascom transaction at OCI's extraordinary general meeting, without the support of any other OCI shareholder, (iii) the structure required all OCI shareholders to exchange their investment in a Dutch listed company for an investment in a company listed on a stock exchange outside the EEA, without an upfront cash exit alternative being offered, (iv) not all OCI shareholders would be able to receive their Orascom Construction shares through their existing securities accounts, (v) the transaction structure was such that the controlling shareholder would ultimately not incur Dutch dividend withholding tax, whereas a significant proportion of other OCI shareholders would, and (vi) OCI requested its financial advisor to issue a fairness opinion in respect of the OCI-Orascom exchange ratio, without the additional request to also consider the value ultimately received by OCI's shareholders.

5.3 NNS Offer

On 24 June 2026, NNS announced its intention to launch an all-cash offer, at an offer price of EUR 4.10 (cum dividend) per Share.

On 25 June 2026, the Court-appointed Directors announced that they welcomed the Offer, as it represented a potentially meaningful step towards resolving the impasse surrounding the OCI-Orascom transaction, and that they were continuing to consider the proposal. In that context, the Court-appointed Directors announced that the adequacy of the Offer would be a relevant consideration in their ongoing assessment of the OCI-Orascom transaction.

On 26 June 2026, NNS announced its confirmation that the offer price of EUR 4.10 (cum dividend) per Share represents its final offer. On 29 June 2026, NNS announced that it had submitted a draft offer memorandum to the AFM in connection with the Offer, with limited conditionality.

At the request of the Court-appointed Directors, AXECO conducted a value assessment of a solvent winddown scenario. In that respect, AXECO has assessed the known assets and liabilities of the Company in a liquidation scenario. Particular attention was given to the Fertiglobe indemnities. The Court-appointed Directors, together with their independent legal advisor and AXECO, examined in detail the probability of a release of the Fertiglobe-related escrow to OCI, and discussed their views with the Company and the Company's advisors. On that basis and given the significant uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the underlying Fertiglobe indemnity matters, the Court-appointed Directors have concluded that at this point in time no value can be attributed to a release of the escrow amount for the purposes of this assessment.

AXECO has issued a fairness opinion in respect of the Offer. AXECO has concluded that the offer price of EUR 4.10 (cum dividend) per Share is fair, from a financial point of view, to the OCI shareholders (other than NNS and any of its affiliates). The AXECO fairness opinion is attached as Annex III to this press release.

Based on the independent valuation analyses performed by AXECO, the Court-appointed Directors have reached the conclusion that the offer price is not unreasonable from a financial point of view. However, they conclude that the offer price is not sufficiently convincing for them to recommend to the OCI shareholders to tender their Shares pursuant to the Offer. Nevertheless, as the Offer in itself provides cash optionality for OCI shareholders, the Court-appointed Directors do support the Offer, be it with a neutral opinion in respect of the offer price.

5.4 Conclusion

The Court-appointed Directors are of the view that the Offer is a relevant and meaningful addition to the OCI-Orascom transaction. They consider that the combination of the OCI-Orascom transaction and the Offer gives adequate and reasonable weight to the interests of OCI's minority shareholders.

In reaching this conclusion, the Court-appointed Directors have also taken into account the appreciation in the share price of Orascom Construction, which has provided more clarity as to the value proposition embedded in the OCI-Orascom share exchange ratio. A number of OCI's minority shareholders have recently indicated that, for that reason, they are in favour of the OCI-Orascom transaction.

The Court-appointed Directors have further considered that the only tangible alternative to the OCI-Orascom transaction is a solvent wind-down of OCI. Such a scenario would involve a lengthy process expected to extend until at least 2031, would entail significant costs and material uncertainty as to the ultimate liquidation proceeds available for distribution to shareholders, and would likely result in Dutch dividend withholding tax being levied on distributions to a significant proportion of OCI's minority shareholders, reducing the net amount received by those shareholders by 15% (at current rates). A solvent wind-down scenario would therefore not appear to represent a financially superior outcome for shareholders when compared to the OCI-Orascom transaction in combination with the Offer.

On that basis, the Court-appointed Directors have decided to consent to the convocation of an extraordinary general meeting of the Company, to be convened simultaneously with the publication of the offer memorandum in respect of the Offer by NNS, to approve the OCI-Orascom transaction. The resolution to be presented to shareholders will be subject to the condition that NNS will have made the Offer and will have declared the Offer unconditional (gestanddoen) and that settlement of the Offer will have taken place.

Advisers

Alvarez & Marsal has provided OCI's Board with an in-depth assessment of a solvent wind-down scenario, while N.M. Rothschild & Sons Limited served as its independent financial advisor to opine on the fairness, from a financial point of view, of a potential offer. De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek N.V. acted as legal advisor to OCI, Wakkie & Perrick B.V. also provided legal advice to OCI's board. AXECO Corporate Finance B.V. and Freshfields LLP provided financial and legal advice, respectively, to the Court-appointed independent non-executive directors.

Important information

This press release contains information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

Learn more about OCI at www.oci-global.com. You can also follow OCI on LinkedIn.

^{[1] The decision of the Enterprise Chamber (Amsterdam Court of Appeal) is available on our website in the designated section regarding the Orascom Combination.
[2] Rothschild & Co's fairness opinion on the proposed acquisition by Orascom of all of the issued share capital of a to be formed subsidiary of OCI, holding substantially all of the business, assets and liabilities of OCI, as set out in a sale and purchase agreement to be entered into by Orascom and OCI, is available on OCI's website in the designated section regarding the Orascom Combination.}

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

For more information, visit: justcoglobal.com

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking

Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking is a leading global financial institution that provides advisory, investment banking, financing, corporate banking and capital markets services to corporations, financial institutions, financial sponsors and sovereign and supranational organizations worldwide.

Our teams of experts in close to 30 countries advise clients on their strategic development, helping them to grow and transform their businesses, and maximize their positive impact. Natixis CIB is committed to aligning its financing portfolio with a carbon neutrality path by 2050 while helping its clients reduce the environmental impact of their business.

As part of Groupe BPCE, the second largest banking group in France through the Banque Populaire and Caisse d'Epargne retail networks, Natixis CIB benefits from the Group's financial strength and solid financial ratings (Standard & Poor's: A+, Moody's: A2, Fitch Ratings: A+, R&I: A+).

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Many organizations struggle to confidently audit and report on AI tool usage across their device fleet, including both sanctioned applications and unsanctioned or prohibited tools. AI Governance provides comprehensive visibility into which AI applications are in use, along with detailed insights into how they behave on the endpoint. This enables organizations to understand AI activity at a level that network- and cloud-based reporting solutions alone cannot provide, helping security teams identify risk, support compliance, and make informed governance decisions.

With launch support for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and OpenAI Codex, the capability provides deep governance coverage across model access, tenancy, network permissions, file system controls, MCP server restrictions, and other vendor-specific AI configurations. A vendor control tracking engine continuously monitors supported AI platforms for new or updated controls, helping organizations keep governance policies current as AI tools rapidly evolve. All of these policies are in place offline and before a user's first login to an AI agent, enforcing a foundational day-zero and tamper-resistant policy baseline.

The only native Mac control plane for enterprise AI

AI tools run natively on Apple Silicon and operate as processes that existing network proxies and cloud-based tooling cannot fully see or govern. No existing tool unifies platform-native device management, deep AI tool configuration coverage, and a workflow that translates governance intent into vendor-correct configuration on macOS.

Jamf AI Governance closes that gap by enabling visibility of Shadow AI and providing granular AI configurations natively, deployed in minutes, through the same endpoint management control plane that admins use today, offering:

• Visibility: AI application visibility and shadow AI discovery surface AI tools, agents, and LLM runtime across the fleet (including CLI-based developer tools and background agents) using Jamf's existing telemetry agent, which uses native and high-performance macOS frameworks. No new agent is required.
• Control: AI access policy controls let IT define sanctioned tools, deploy access policy at scale, and scope different postures to different teams. Vendor-correct configurations can be applied automatically at scale.
• Governance: An executive AI posture report provides CIOs and CISOs with a snapshot-in-time summary of AI usage. The capability offers SIEM compatibility and is designed to assist companies in reporting against their existing compliance frameworks.

"AI adoption across the enterprise is moving faster than existing technology policies can keep up," said Beth Tschida, CEO at Jamf. "Organizations need governance that matches the way AI tools actually operate on Mac. This means visibility into what's running, policy controls enforced directly on the endpoint, and reporting that helps security teams demonstrate compliance. Our AI Governance capability delivers that natively from the same platform customers already trust to manage and secure Apple devices."

"Like many organizations, we want to enable teams to use AI tools productively while maintaining appropriate governance and oversight," said Sam Lalli, Security Engineering & SOC Manager at Eventbrite "What impressed us about Jamf's AI Governance was how quickly we could apply policy across our Mac fleet without adding another point solution or creating friction for developers. Having this critical capability built into the same device management platform we already use, really simplifies AI governance for our team."

Jamf enables partner AI solutions to thrive on the Mac

Beyond essential visibility and control, Jamf's AI Governance policies can more effectively deploy and govern partner AI solutions.

IT and security teams can use Jamf to discover AI tools running across MacOS devices and register those agents directly with Okta for AI Agents. This gives each one a managed identity and scoped access to only the resources it is allowed to reach. Jamf controls which MCP servers can run on the device while Okta controls what cloud resources those MCP servers can reach. Rather than long-lived static keys, agents use short-lived, vaulted credentials, and every action is authorized and logged from the endpoint to the cloud. The Okta integration deploys directly from Jamf's console without manual API setup or certificate management required.

Organizations can also configure their preferred agent builder platform, such as Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, ensuring AI traffic routes through and is processed on sanctioned cloud infrastructure.

With Jamf handling device visibility and policy enforcement, and Okta managing agent identity and access, organizations can answer: which agents ran on which endpoints, what they were authorized to reach, and what they did along the path from a MacOS device to the SaaS app.

"While some enterprise AI agents run locally, they access data across a vast cloud ecosystem, requiring coordinated security between the endpoint and identity layers," said Harish Peri, SVP & GM of AI Security, Okta. "By anchoring Okta for AI Agents to Jamf's endpoint enforcement, every agentic connection on a managed Mac is authenticated, authorized, and fully visible from the device to the data. Together, we're helping organizations become secure agentic enterprises by giving them more control over what AI agents can access and on whose behalf."

AI governance urgency is accelerating

The need for enterprise AI governance is accelerating as organizations rapidly adopt AI-powered tools across employee workflows. Jamf's recently released AI Governance Survey found that organizations with deeply integrated AI are 40% more likely to report an incident than those still in the exploration phase, suggesting AI governance is quickly becoming an operational requirement rather than a future planning exercise.

Gartner® mentions, "With spending on AI governance expected to reach $492 million in 2026 and surpass $1 billion by 2030, organizations are reassessing the tools and strategies needed to stay ahead of both regulatory and operational risk." Further, in its Top Cybersecurity Trends for 2026 report, Gartner also says that, "Cybersecurity leaders must identify both sanctioned and unsanctioned AI agents, enforce robust controls for each and develop incident response playbooks to address potential risks."

Jamf's AI Governance capability is now available in Jamf for Mac with immediate support for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and OpenAI Codex. Learn more about Jamf AI Governance at: https://www.jamf.com/solutions/ai-governance

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

To learn more, visit www.jamf.com.

The report reveals that organizations are dangerously overlooking a reputational blind spot that directly impacts revenue. A staggering 93% of APAC consumers quietly disengage when believability in a brand or organization is lost, with almost half (48%) stopping their purchases entirely. In response to the findings, Ogilvy has concurrently launched its new Believability Agent, a predictive AI diagnostic tool designed to help C-Suite leaders identify and close these commercial gaps.
Richard Brett, President of Ogilvy PR APAC, said: "As AI slop and synthetic content reshape the communications landscape, believability has evolved from a PR challenge into a commercial imperative. Traditional reputation metrics no longer tell the full story because the greatest risks are now invisible. The true cost of lost belief is measured in lost revenue, rather than negative headlines. The organizations that succeed in 2026 will be those that recognize operational action matters more than a traditional holding statement."

Key Findings from the Ogilvy APAC 2026 Believability Index show:

• The biggest reputation threat is silent disengagement
  Consumers are far more likely to walk away quietly than publicly criticize an organization. The research found that 93% of consumers who lose belief in an organization disengage silently, while 55% who disengage publicly, including just 10% who would post about a negative experience on social media.
• Competence before purpose
  Across the region, 42% of consumers stopped engaging with an organization over the past year because a product or service failed to deliver on its core promise, compared to 29% who disengaged due to poor business ethics. The findings reinforce that operational competence remains the foundation of credibility.
• Believability is built differently across APAC markets
  Consumers evaluate credibility differently across the region. Markets like Singapore and Malaysia place greater confidence in institutional authority and official sources, while markets like Australia and the Philippines rely heavily on peer-to-peer "lived experience". The findings highlight the danger of a one-size-fits-all regional communications strategy.
• Actions restore belief more effectively than apologies
  While 85% of consumers say lost belief can be regained, they increasingly expect meaningful operational correction before a corporate apology. More than half (57%) said actively fixing a problem is the most important step toward rebuilding belief.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

On July 1, UOB Vietnam announced the official commencement of construction of its new headquarters building, UOB Plaza Ho Chi Minh City, becoming the first foreign bank to develop and own a purpose-built headquarters within the Vietnam International Financial Centre (VIFC) in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Grade A office tower, designed in line with international sustainability standards, is expected to be completed in 2030.

With a total investment of approximately $450 million, UOB Plaza Ho Chi Minh City reflects the bank’s long-term commitment to Vietnam as a core market within its ASEAN strategy. The development underscores UOB’s confidence in Vietnam’s long-term growth and reflects the bank’s support for Ho Chi Minh City’s ambition to become a leading international financial centre.

By establishing its Vietnam headquarters there, UOB is strengthening its role in supporting Vietnam's growing connectivity with regional and global capital, trade and investment flows.

After completion, UOB will establish its full headquarters footprint across its five core ASEAN markets – Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. This reinforces UOB's unique position as a regional bank with deep local presence across ASEAN, enabling it to better support clients' cross-border ambitions.

Wee Ee Cheong, deputy chairman and CEO of UOB, said Vietnam is a key pillar of UOB's regional strategy.

"Our new headquarters reflects our confidence in Vietnam's future and our support for Ho Chi Minh City's ambition to become an international financial centre," Cheong said. "Having our own headquarters in all five of our key markets underscores our long-term commitment to the region, its businesses and communities. Through our extensive network, we are uniquely positioned to deepen connectivity across the region and create greater value for our 8.5 million customers."

Wee Ee Cheong, deputy chairman and CEO of UOB

Located at 2 Ton Duc Thang street within the Ba Son area, UOB Plaza Ho Chi Minh City occupies a prime riverside site at the heart of the VIFC. Developed on a 4,571-square-metre site, the 36-storey tower will rise 160 metres above the Saigon River and serve as UOB's flagship headquarters in Vietnam.

Designed by global architecture and design firm Gensler, the project will be built to international Grade A standards with a commitment to achieving BCA Green Mark certification while supporting the functional needs of a modern financial institution within the city’s emerging financial centre.

Envisioned as a future-ready workplace, UOB Plaza Ho Chi Minh City is designed to support evolving workstyles through flexible layouts, collaborative shared spaces and greater access to natural light and greenery, fostering both innovation and employee wellbeing.

Thoughtfully tailored to Vietnam’s tropical climate, the building incorporates climate-responsive design features to enhance energy efficiency and occupant comfort, in line with environmental, social, and governance standards. Beyond its functional role, the plaza is conceived as a space that brings together art, nature and local identity, contributing to a more vibrant, inclusive and culturally resonant urban environment within the VIFC.

Looking ahead, UOB will continue to strengthen its capabilities to better serve customers and support Vietnam’s growing connectivity with regional and global markets. In line with this commitment, UOB intends to establish a branch presence within the VIFC and will continue to work closely with government agencies, industry partners and key stakeholders to contribute to the centre's development and strengthen its position as an internationally connected financial hub.

Through its strong regional network, sector expertise and cross‑border capabilities, UOB is well positioned to support businesses and investors seeking opportunities in Vietnam and across ASEAN, while contributing to the country’s long‑term economic development and international integration.

UOB Vietnam elevates retail banking experience with enhanced credit card suite UOB Vietnam has unveiled a refreshed credit card portfolio, offering enhanced lifestyle benefits and exclusive privileges through partnerships with renowned brands.

UOB Vietnam appoints Pham Hong Hai as deputy country CEO United Overseas Bank (Vietnam) Limited (UOB Vietnam) announced the appointment of Pham Hong Hai as deputy country CEO, effective June 15, 2026.

Hanoi teams up with UOB to upgrade FDI quality A new agreement between UOB Vietnam and Hanoi Department of Finance aims to channel high-grade foreign investment into priority sectors, while also opening regional doors for local enterprises.

Announced on July 1, the initial public offering (IPO) will see Dien May Xanh (DMX) shares begin trading on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange in August.

On June 30, the company’s Board of Directors issued Resolution No.14/NQ/HĐQT/ĐMX-2026, approving the results of the IPO. A total of 166,438,500 shares were successfully allocated (equivalent to 93 per cent of the offered volume and representing 13.1 per cent of the company’s voting shares after the offering) to 2,646 investors.

In finalising the allocation, the Board of Directors approved the further allocation of part of the 13,386,900 shares that remained unsold. Accordingly, Robert Alan Willett, a member of the Board of Directors, subscribed for 325,000 shares at VND80,000 ($3.08) per share, for a total value of VND26 billion ($1 million); these shares are subject to a one-year transfer restriction from the close of the offering in accordance with regulations. The remaining 13,061,900 unsold shares were cancelled and not counted towards the company’s charter capital.

At the IPO price of VND80,000 per share, the actual proceeds from the transaction reached more than VND13.32 trillion (over $500 million). The completion of the IPO will raise DMX’s charter capital from VND11.01 trillion ($423.46 million) to VND12.68 trillion ($487.69 million), corresponding to 1,267,722,000 shares outstanding – a scale that secures DMX’s position as the CE/ICT retailer with the largest charter capital in the market.

The offering results further confirm DMX as one of the most closely watched transactions on the stock market, drawing the participation of nearly 30 institutional investors representing close to 60 domestic and foreign investment funds, alongside nearly 2,600 individual investors. These financial institutions absorbed up to 90 per cent of the total registered volume; of which foreign institutional capital played the leading role at 73 per cent, with domestic institutions accounting for 17 per cent.

With 90 per cent of the volume held by institutional investors and long-term funds, DMX’s shareholder base is regarded as high in quality. This reflects institutional investors’ long-term confidence in the business and helps mitigate short-term profit-taking pressure once the shares begin trading. Following the IPO, Mobile World Investment Corporation holds nearly 86 per cent of DMX’s charter capital.

This is a notable outcome, as the transaction – exceeding half a billion US dollars in size – was executed during a period of heightened market volatility, marked by intensifying net selling by foreign investors. Despite this backdrop, major international capital still chose to invest in DMX.

The foundation for the successful IPO is Dien May Xanh’s steady business growth. In the first five months of 2026, consolidated net revenue reached more than $2 billion, up 33 per cent on-year and completing 45 per cent of the full-year plan after only 5 of 12 months.

This growth was driven entirely by deeper market penetration, with same-store sales growth maintained at 33 per cent while no new stores were opened in Vietnam during the period. In Indonesia, the Erablue chain reached 245 stores, with revenue up 93 per cent on-year.

On the back of this momentum, DMX is on track to exceed its 2026 plan, with revenue and net profit after tax projected to grow 30 per cent and 50 per cent on-year, respectively. This provides the foundation for DMX to deliver on its commitment to pay a cash dividend of VND4,000 (15.4 US cents) per share immediately after listing, equivalent to a 5 per cent dividend yield on the IPO price.

Indonesia-Vietnam retail chain EraBlue targets $790 million by 2030 EraBlue, an Indonesian consumer electronics retail chain joint venture between Vietnam's Dien May Xanh and Indonesia's PT Erajaya Swasembada, is targeting annual revenue of $790 million by 2030.

Dien May Xanh posts over $40,000 profit per hour in Q1 Dien May Xanh, Vietnam’s leading consumer electronics and home appliance retailer, recorded average profits of more than $40,000 per hour in the first quarter, as it accelerates ecosystem expansion ahead of a planned IPO this year.

Dien May Xanh plans $574 million IPO to fund regional expansion Vietnam’s leading consumer electronics retail chain Dien May Xanh is planning to raise more than $574 million through an initial public offering (IPO) to fund its transition towards high-margin service segments and regional expansion.

Lynch: Adoption is largely being driven by tightening global regulation, shifting trade dynamics, and increasing demand for evidence-backed origin claims from regulators, brands and consumers.

Oritain chief customer officer Gemma Lynch

Despite widespread investment in traceability, supply chain risk continues to persist, as our 2026 Supply Chain Intelligence Report found that 90 per cent of brands analysed in our 2025 Market Insights Programme had at least one result consistent with prohibited cotton, highlighting the limitations of documentation-based approaches and accelerating demand for independent verification.

The market is evolving towards continuous, programmatic verification models, where origin verification becomes embedded into ongoing supply chain and sourcing strategies rather than treated as a one-off compliance exercise.

What are the biggest challenges brands and textiles supply chains face today in proving the authenticity and origin of their raw materials?

Lynch: Regulatory scrutiny is heightening across multiple markets, from the US with the evolving tariff landscape, recent Section 301 investigations, and an uptick in enforcement due to the Executive Order “Strengthening Customs Enforcement,” to the EU Forced Labour Regulation and impending EU Deforestation Regulation. This environment highlights that documentation alone is no longer sufficient in complex, multi-tier supply chains, particularly where raw material origin is under regulatory scrutiny.

A verification-first approach enables companies to take a proactive approach, and identifying and addressing inconsistencies early, providing stronger, evidence-based support for compliance and reducing the risk of disruption.

More broadly, it reinforces the need for resilient supply chains built on independent verification of the physical product, ensuring companies can maintain market access and confidence in a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.

Kyungbang has become the first spinning mill to join Oritain's membership programme. What motivated this decision, and how important is it to Kyungbang and the Vietnamese textiles industry?

Kyungbang chairman Joon Kim

Kim: Kyungbang believes that a trusted supply chain will be one of the most important competitive advantages for the textiles industry in the years ahead.

Joining Oritain's membership programme reflects our long-term commitment to transparency, traceability, and responsible sourcing.

As the first spinning mill to join the programme, our goal is not simply to meet customer expectations, but to help strengthen supply chain credibility and contribute to setting a higher standard for the industry.

Kyungbang's membership spans its operations in South Korea and two spinning mills in Vietnam. As a global yarn supplier operating at the earliest stage of the textiles supply chain, Kyungbang's commitment to ongoing, programmatic origin verification sets a new standard for the spinning sector, and gives its customers worldwide access to independently verified origin claims backed by forensic science.

Through Oritain's membership programme, Kyungbang will supply customers worldwide with products verified through independent forensic authentication. We expect this to receive strong support from market participants, and we are committed to ensuring we consistently deliver integrity and responsible trust to our customers

For Vietnam, as the country moves towards mandatory digital traceability for textiles products, Kyungbang's participation in Oritain's global membership programme positions its Vietnam operations at the forefront of the industry's transition from documentation-based traceability to independent, science-backed origin verification, helping strengthen trust, support compliance, and enhance the competitiveness of Vietnam's textiles sector in global markets.

We also hope this initiative will support the global competitiveness of Vietnam's textiles industry and further strengthen its reputation as a trusted sourcing destination.

How does joining Oritain's membership programme align with Kyungbang's long-term vision for sustainability, innovation, and customer trust?

Kim: At Kyungbang, sustainability extends beyond environmental responsibility to include supply chain transparency and customer trust.

Our partnership with Oritain provides a meaningful foundation for demonstrating these values through independent scientific verification.

We have continuously strengthened not only our product quality and manufacturing excellence, but also our commitment to traceability and responsible business practices.

Going forward, we will continue creating sustainable value by being a trusted partner for our customers and stakeholders.

What innovations is Oritain developing to make provenance testing even more scalable and accessible for the industry?

Lynch: Oritain verifies the product itself using forensic science, rather than relying on documents, certifications or digital systems that depend on supplier-reported data.

Our methodology analyses the intrinsic characteristics of a material to determine whether it is consistent with its claimed origin, providing a tamper-resistant and independent source of truth.

Oritain continues to invest heavily in scientific research and development, extending its forensic origin verification capabilities beyond cotton into additional materials including leather, another of the world’s most highly scrutinised materials due to deforestation concerns. This broadens access to provenance testing across more product categories and enables brands to apply the same rigorous verification standards throughout their supply chains.

Through our membership model, Oritain is creating a global network of origin-verified buyers and suppliers that share a common, science-based source of truth. This approach moves the industry from one-off testing towards programmatic verification at scale, helping suppliers demonstrate credibility to multiple buyers while giving brands greater visibility, confidence and transparency across their sourcing ecosystems. This innovation ensures greater accessibility to the most robust forensic verification programmes and ensures a continuously scalable model across global supply chains.

This delivers greater value by enabling brands to substantiate claims with evidence and giving consumers increased confidence that product origin aligns with what is being communicated.

What additional investments is Kyungbang making to strengthen responsible sourcing, sustainability, and supply chain resilience?

Kim: Kyungbang will continue investing in greater supply chain transparency, operational resilience, and sustainable manufacturing across our global operations.

Our priorities include expanding digital traceability systems, strengthening partnerships with suppliers, improving manufacturing efficiency, and investing in environmentally responsible production technologies.

We will also continue enhancing our responsible sourcing practices in line with internationally recognised sustainability standards to meet the evolving expectations of global customers.

Vietnam is a key manufacturing base for Kyungbang. We will continue investing in technology, people, and production capabilities to support sustainable growth and strengthen our global competitiveness.

The official visit to Vietnam by the Thai prime minister, together with the Thailand-Vietnam Investment and Business Forum 2026 last month, has opened up new expectations for the business communities of both countries.

For TCP Group, which is marking its 70-year milestone, this is also an important moment to reaffirm its long-term commitment to Vietnam and its role in strengthening bilateral economic cooperation.

How have Vietnam-Thailand relations evolved over the past 50 years, and what is the outlook for future cooperation?

Over the past five decades, Vietnam and Thailand have built a partnership that extends beyond diplomatic relations into broader economic and people-to-people cooperation. Today, that foundation is becoming even more important as both countries look for new ways to strengthen economic cooperation and advance more green growth.

The momentum behind this partnership is reflected in strong economic ties. Thailand is currently Vietnam’s largest trading partner in ASEAN and the eighth-largest foreign investor in Vietnam, with total registered capital of around $15.4 billion. The shared ambition to raise bilateral trade to $25 billion reflects the scale of existing cooperation as well as the significant potential that remains to be unlocked.

The “Three Connects” Strategy, connecting supply chains, local economies, and sustainable growth, provides a practical direction for the next phase of cooperation. I believe businesses from both countries have an important role to play in turning these national-level priorities into concrete outcomes through investment, partnerships, innovation, and long-term value creation for local communities.

Could you share the importance of the Vietnamese market for TCP’s business expansion and investment strategy?

Vietnam is a strategic market and a long-term growth partner for TCP. We have been present in Vietnam for more than three decades, and this journey has given us a deep understanding of the market, consumer needs and evolving lifestyles, and the importance of working closely with local partners.

Vietnam has a large, young, and dynamic consumer base. Consumers are increasingly attentive to product quality, brand experience, and the values that companies stand for. For an F&B brand to grow sustainably in Vietnam, it needs to do more than expand distribution. It must listen to the market, stay relevant to evolving lifestyles, and build trust through consistent quality and responsible business practices.

In Vietnam, TCP currently develops our portfolio through two key brands, Red Bull and Warrior, with seven product lines, reaching more than 100,000 points of sale across both traditional and modern trade channels. This scale reflects not only market reach, but also the strength of local partnerships, operational capability, and long-term brand building.

At the group level, TCP has built a strong regional and international platform. We currently operate seven factories in Asia and employ more than 5,200 people across Thailand and international markets. TCP products are exported to 22 markets, while Red Bull is marketed and distributed in more than 170 countries worldwide. These regional capabilities enable TCP to bring global expertise and operational experience into markets such as Vietnam, while continuing to adapt to local consumer needs.

What are TCP’s initiatives to implement its purpose of “Energising a Better World for All” in Vietnam?

Our corporate purpose, “Energising a Better World for All,” guides how we conduct our business globally, reflecting our belief in driving sustainable growth alongside positive impact. Centred around this corporate purpose, TCP aligns its strategies across three core pillars: Fulfilling, Growing, and Caring.

Fulfilling means continuing to improve our product portfolio to meet evolving consumer needs while maintaining global quality standards. Across the group, we have also been developing products that respond to new lifestyles, including consumers’ growing interest in wellbeing, and lower-sugar options.

Growing means building value for our brands and creating value for our partners throughout the supply chain. TCP has pursued investment to expand production capacity, improve operational efficiency, and accelerate digital transformation through data management, smart manufacturing, and multichannel systems. In Vietnam, this direction is reflected in our commitment to market development, local partnerships, and strengthening our presence over the long term.

Caring focuses on creating positive social and environmental impact through four sustainability priorities: product excellence, low carbon economy, circular economy, and water sustainability. While aiming for net-zero operations, TCP concrete actions are tailored to local contexts. In Vietnam, we strictly adhere to extended producer responsibility regulations through financial contributions to the Vietnam Environment Protection Fund, reinforcing our commitment to a circular economy.

Furthermore, starting in 2026, TCP has partnered with VNUS and VSDS to launch the "Community Awareness and Action Project on Water Conservation." This initiative drives impactful change by raising water protection awareness among students and communities, boosting practical local safeguards, and establishing "Safe Clean Water Points" for schools and residents.

As one of Thailand’s leading F&B groups, how does TCP contribute to deepening Vietnam-Thailand cooperation?

I believe businesses can serve as a vital bridge between the two economies. For TCP, this role is not limited to products or market expansion. It is about connecting resources, business experience, local partners, consumer insights, and long-term development initiatives.

TCP’s participation in the Thai business delegation accompanying the Thai Prime Minister’s official visit to Vietnam reflects this spirit. We were honoured to represent the F&B sector and share our experience of investing and building brands in Vietnam. This was an opportunity to show how companies can support the broader economic agenda between the two countries.

With more than three decades of operations in Vietnam, we understand that long-term growth depends on strong local relationships, market understanding, and the ability to create value together. We see Vietnam as a market and a partner in the next chapter of regional growth.

On the occasion of the 70^th anniversary, what is TCP’s commitment to advancing community and social impact?

For TCP, 70 years represent more than business growth. They represent a long-term journey of creating value with consumers, partners and communities. Guided by our corporate purpose, we aim to go beyond products by helping unlock human potential, supporting communities, and contributing to more sustainable progress in the countries where we operate.

This milestone is particularly meaningful as Vietnam and Thailand move towards the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations. It comes at a time when businesses from both countries have significant opportunities to build on their complementary strengths, deepen cooperation, and expand connections across the region and beyond.

We believe companies like TCP can help advance Vietnam-Thailand cooperation by connecting resources, market experience, local partners, and long-term development efforts, creating value for businesses but also for communities and future generations.

TCP Group reaffirms commitment to Thailand-Vietnam economic cooperation TCP Group has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Thailand-Vietnam economic cooperation through sustainable investment and community development initiatives.

TCP Vietnam collaborates with VNUS to promote water resource protection TCP Vietnam has announced it is carrying out a series of initiatives to raise awareness of water resource protection under a three-year project.

TCP extends youth development partnership with CVYF for 2026-2028 TCP Pharmaceutical Industries and the Vietnam Youth Federation have signed an MoU for the 2026–2028 period to support community activities for Vietnamese youth.

Photo: The MST

The minister said he appreciated the results of cooperation between Vietnam and Germany in the fields of training, research, and academic cooperation, and said that Vietnam was giving high priority to the development of science, technology, and innovation, considering it an important driving force for national development.

Based on the discussions at the meeting, Minister Quan suggested that the two sides could continue to strengthen cooperation in the following directions: increasing the implementation of joint research programmes between Vietnamese and German scientists in priority areas; strengthening cooperation in semiconductor, maximising the effectiveness of laboratories and research infrastructure.

The others are strengthening cooperation in training, research, and development of high-quality workers to meet the requirements of scientific and technological development in the new era.

On her side, Ambassador Barth expressed her desire to expand research and training programmes and connect the innovation ecosystems between the two countries.

Both sides agreed to continue discussions to concretise cooperation, aiming to boost substantive, effective and long-term cooperation programmes.

Vietnam’s semiconductor and innovation is attracting growing attention from international partners.

On June 29, Minister Quan held a working session with Mariam J. Sherman, the World Bank country director for Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, to discuss key cooperation initiatives. The discussions centred on advancing national research infrastructure, streamlining laboratory operations, attracting talent, commercialising technology, and designing a national venture capital fund.

June 26, Minister Quan received Jeff Place, chief supply chain officer of Coherent Group. The two sides discussed Coherent’s investment expansion plans in Vietnam, while exploring solutions for human resource development, high-tech supply chains, and capacity building for domestic enterprises to integrate into global value chains.

He stated that the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) stands ready to accompany and support businesses for long-term development. He proposed that both sides strengthen cooperation across four key areas.

First is collaborating to design training programmes and develop high-quality workers, targeting not only engineers but also managers and research and development personnel.

Second is connecting Coherent with universities and research institutes to develop training curricula tailored to the enterprise's actual needs.

Third is studying the establishment of open laboratories and shared infrastructure for businesses in the semiconductor and optoelectronics industries, thereby enabling small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in the supply chain.

Fourth is requesting Coherent to formulate specific proposals regarding its needs for supply chain development, infrastructure, and support policies, which will serve as a basis for the government to study and refine appropriate mechanisms for the industry.

In May, Intel Corporation at the meeting with Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui Hoang Phuong shared its new strategic direction in Vietnam, including plans to expand investment, support workforce training, and contribute to the development of the semiconductor ecosystem.

The deputy minister said that the ministry would continue to support Intel and enterprises in the supply chain in expanding high-tech investment in Vietnam. This cooperation is expected to contribute to positioning Vietnam as an important link in the global semiconductor value chain.

Prime Minister: Science and technology, and digital transformation must serve economic development Prime Minister Le Minh Hung has emphasised that sci-tech and digital transformation must directly serve socioeconomic development, becoming a driving force for double-digit economic growth, improving productivity, quality, and national self-reliance.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology studies Croatia’s experience in universal postal service delivery A Vietnamese delegation has studied international postal service experience in Croatia to support the drafting of the amended Postal Law.

MST and World Bank strengthen research and innovation ties The Ministry of Science and Technology and the World Bank will enhance cooperation in research infrastructure and venture capital development.

Specifically, Agribank has approved a resolution on its 2026 public bond issuance plan. Under the plan, the bank will issue up to 150 million bonds with a face value of VND100,000 ($4) each, raising a maximum of approximately $600 million.

The bonds will have a 10-year maturity and carry floating interest rates calculated as the reference rate plus a margin, with interest paid annually. The offering is expected to take place during the second and third quarters (Q2 and Q3) of 2026.

BIDV plans to raise approximately $1.6 billion through bond issuance in 2026

The proceeds from the bond issuance will be used to increase tier-2 capital which strengthens banks' capital buffers and ensure compliance with prudential ratios prescribed by the central bank, while supporting lending in the economy, particularly medium- and long-term projects in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, transportation, warehousing, and construction.

Earlier, the Board of Directors of Vietcombank approved a plan to issue up to $400 million of bonds through private placements to expand tier-2 capital sources.

The bonds will have a face value of VND1 billion ($40,000) each, maturities of five years or longer, and may be issued in up to 30 tranches.

The issuance aims to supplement tier-2 capital, thereby strengthening the bank's financial capacity and supporting its growth requirements in the coming years.

At BIDV, the bank's Board of Directors issued two resolutions in late April approving plans to raise up to $1.64 billion through bond issuance. Of this amount, BIDV will issue approximately $840 million to expand tier-2 capital sources.

The bonds will have maturities of more than five years and will be distributed in up to 50 tranches, each with a minimum value of $2 million. The issuance is scheduled for Q2 to Q4 of 2026.

In addition, BIDV's Board of Directors issued a private placement of bonds worth up to around $800 million to supplement lending for customers across the economy.

The bonds will have maturities ranging from two to five years and will be offered in up to 30 tranches, each with a minimum value of $2 million. Distribution is scheduled from Q2 to Q4 of 2026, while the proceeds will be disbursed progressively from Q2 of 2026 to Q2 of 2027.

Among private joint-stock commercial banks, MB recently completed a major bond issuance, closing 10 bond tranches to raise approximately $240 million within one month, with interest rates ranging from 8.3 per cent to 8.4 per cent, per year.

OCB also completed three bond issuances in late April, raising around $120 million, with the highest interest rate reaching 8.6 per cent, per year.

Most recently, the Board of Directors of HDBank approved the first tranche of a private bond issuance in 2026 with a total maximum face value of approximately $600 million.

Sacombank has also approved a private bond issuance plan and the use of proceeds from the offering in 2026, with a maximum value of around $800 million. The bank has yet to disclose detailed information on issuances, including bond maturities, interest rates, issuance schedules and eligible investors.

As of the end of Q1/2026, Sacombank's outstanding value of issued debt securities stood at about $1.53 billion, down approximately $40.8 million, or 2.6 per cent, from the outset of the year.

Earlier, in March, VPBank issued a private bond issuance programme for this year with a maximum total value of approximately $1.2 billion.

Vietnam's corporate bond market has witnessed a strong return by banks during the first months of 2026. According to data from the Vietnam Bond Market Association, banks offered around $2.4 billion worth of bonds during the first five months of the year.

In May alone, bond issuance reached approximately $1.3 billion, accounting for more than half of the total volume issued since the beginning of the year.

Analysts said that as deposit growth remains sluggish and access to funding in the interbank market faces certain constraints, bonds have become one of the most important channels for banks to supplement their capital.

Dr. Chau Dinh Linh of Ho Chi Minh City University of Banking said, besides meeting liquidity needs, many bank bonds – particularly long-term bonds that satisfy regulatory requirements – can also be counted as tier-2 capital.

This provides banks with greater room to improve their capital adequacy ratios, strengthen financial capacity and expand business operations, especially amid intensifying competition for funding.

“This is also one of the reasons why bond issuance is expected to remain vibrant in the second half of 2026, with many banks having announced plans to raise tens of, and in some cases hundreds of millions US dollars through the bond market,” he said.

Green bond market gathers momentum Vietnam is embracing a new era of green finance, with a stronger legal framework and rising investor interest paving the way for a vibrant, cost-efficient green bond market.

Vietnam’s infrastructure expansion accelerates on bond market innovation Vietnam’s infrastructure ambitions, which are estimated to cost $245 billion through 2030, depend on unlocking long-term private capital.

Corporate bond market shows early recovery signs in 2026 Vietnam’s corporate bond market has shown early signs of recovery in 2026, with real estate driving issuance growth while default risks ease and debt recovery improves despite lingering macroeconomic uncertainties.

Vietnam has qualified for five esports disciplines at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, to be held from September 19 to October 4, marking another milestone for the country’s competitive gaming industry.

Do Viet Hung, chairman of the Vietnam Recreational and Electronic Sports Association, said the national teams are targeting at least one medal, aiming to establish Vietnam among Asia’s top three esports nations.

“It is an ambitious target, but one that could mark a historic breakthrough for Vietnamese esports after narrowly missing the podium at previous editions of the Asian Games,” Hung said.

The growing international presence of Vietnamese teams comes as esports is increasingly recognised as a driver of the sports economy, creating opportunities across tourism, digital content, media, and event organisation.

According to IMARC Group, the global esports market generated around $3 billion in revenue in 2025 and is forecast to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 19 per cent. In Southeast Asia, the market reached $77.4 million last year and is projected to nearly double to $154.9 million by 2034, while public awareness of esports has climbed to 94 per cent, surpassing Europe.

In mid-May, the signing ceremony of an MoU on strategic cooperation for national esports development between the Vietnam Department of Physical Education and Sports under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) and VTC Mobile marked a new step in the professionalisation of the esports industry, aiming to make it a link in the cultural industry and sports economy.

Deputy Minister Ho An Phong stated that esports can help create a diverse economic ecosystem, from event organisation, media, design, and content production to image promotion and tourism development.

"Major esports tournaments promote the professional development of esports and contribute to Vietnam's image as a dynamic and attractive destination in the eyes of international friends," Phong said.

According to Statista, the Vietnamese esports market revenue is projected to have reached $7.2 million in 2025 and could increase to $10.4 million by 2029, with an average growth rate of 9.7 per cent.

Vietnam currently has approximately 28.2 million people participating in electronic entertainment, accounting for nearly 30 per cent of the population, while the number of esports followers has also reached over 10 million.

Rose Lam, global production director of Riot Studios under Riot Games, noted that Southeast Asia is one of the regions experiencing strong esports growth, with potential comparable to other traditionally strong esports regions such as the US, South Korea, and Europe.

"Vietnamese esports has made significant progress and differentiated itself from other countries in the region by building and developing an esports community that is very effective at translating online interactions into offline activities," Lam said. "Vietnam is also one of the preferred destinations for tourism or filmmaking, with a large and stable audience. I think if a Riot Games film were shot in Vietnam, it would have a very positive effect.”

Last year, Riot Studios surveyed the Cat Ba archipelago in Haiphong for a nine-episode live-action series based on the League of Legends universe. Although production plans have not been officially announced, Vietnam's selection alongside Japan, South Korea, and Thailand demonstrates its growing appeal to global content producers, opening up opportunities for collaboration between esports, the creative industry, and destination promotion.

Beyond generating direct revenue, many countries have transformed esports into a tool for attracting tourists and boosting local economies.

According to London & Partners, the 2024 League of Legends World Championship finals, held at the O2 Arena, contributed approximately $15.5 million to the London economy through tourism, hotel, and service spending.

Before that, the 2022 World Championship in the US generated around $53 million in tourism revenue for host cities such as San Francisco and New York. According to the Entertainment Software Association, the gaming industry currently creates approximately 263,000 direct and indirect jobs, contributing over $100 billion to the US economy.

According to the Korea Tourism Organisation, esports fans are a high-spending group of tourists, willing to spend on airfare, accommodation, tournament tickets, meet-and-greets with players, and souvenirs. Therefore, the organisation has launched various tourism programmes combining tournament viewing, gaming centre experiences, and meet-and-greets for international visitors.

In Vietnam, many national and regional tournaments have been moved to tourist centres such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Halong. The Grand Esports Festival, for example, is expected to take place in Hanoi on July 9-12 and will bring together teams from around Asia.

Besides the competition, the event will include activities such as player networking, cosplay performances, career workshops, and digital culture experiences, a model being used by many countries to extend tourist stays and increase spending.

According to Thu Phuong, general secretary of the Vietnam Recreational and Electronic sports Association, esports is considered an important growth driver as Vietnam seeks to boost its sports economy.

"The esports market value has huge room for growth. If combined with tourism, events, and the content industry, the economic impact of tournaments could far exceed the direct revenue from the tournaments," she said.

Phuong noted that for esports to develop, Vietnam needs to build a clear legal framework, ensure a safe and transparent competitive environment, control game products, and strengthen coordination between game publishers and regulatory agencies.

"We envision esports not only serving top-level competition but also becoming a creative economic sector, contributing to the advancement of the digital content industry," Phuong added.

“The Hanoi Local Zone will make real-world impact to Vietnamese enterprises. It comes at a very significant time in Vietnam where its digital economy is developing strongly, and is at an inflection point at $72 billion last year, targeting $300 billion by 2030. This is coupled with nearly 170,000 businesses adopting AI in 2024 alone, a 39 per cent growth in one year,” said Yeo.

Eric Yeo, country general manager of AWS in Vietnam

Talking to VIR, he said Vietnamese businesses relying on low-latency services had to architect around distance – data travelling to AWS Regions and back. For some workloads, that's fine. But for real-time fraud detection, live gaming, and smart factory alerts – milliseconds matter.

"What's different now is that with the Hanoi Local Zone, data is processed and stored inside Vietnam at single-digit millisecond latency," said Yeo.

"That means a bank can catch fraud before the transaction completes. A gaming company keeps players engaged instead of losing them to lag. A manufacturer gets alerts in time to act. A telecom can keep subscriber data local for compliance. And organisations don't have to choose – they can run latency-sensitive workloads locally while tapping the full power of AWS Regions in Asia-Pacific for scale."

“Things that could not be done previously, can now be done with the Local Zone, and that is a true measure of success,” he noted. “Customers now have a choice. They can use the Local Zone for sensitive workloads or applications with very stringent latency requirements. Otherwise, they can continue to use the Region to help them scale better.”

Yeo continued, adding, “I believe this will help companies in Vietnam scale faster while continuing to use the AWS Region and all the services available there, including broad access to AI and the hundreds of models that are available. To me, that is a critical part of helping Vietnam remain competitive and compete globally.”

According to AWS, all industries will find it relevant, but particularly sectors such as telecommunications, manufacturing, particularly those operating smart factories, which also require instant responses and very low latency, and gaming companies as well.

Banks are also beneficiaries, particularly for sensitive workloads and situations where certain data needs to stay within the country. Fraud detection was cited as one example which is essential and needs to happen almost instantly, and cannot afford too much latency.

VPBank is among the first in Vietnam to deploy workloads on the Hanoi Local Zone, and now is already seeing tangible benefits.

Nguyen Hong Trung, VPBank Group CIO said that in the past, when operating traditional on-premises infrastructure, performance depended heavily on many factors, including hardware procurement, deployment timelines, network connectivity, and the availability of supporting services both locally and internationally.

“With AWS, we only need to focus on maintaining a small number of core components. AWS takes responsibility for designing, operating, and optimizing the underlying infrastructure. In other words, AWS acts as the architect of that infrastructure and continuously delivers the best possible performance. This allows us to move faster and focus more on innovation and business outcomes,” said Trung

He added that previously, organisations were largely responsible for building and maintaining their own security capabilities based on industry standards and recommendations from technology vendors. Considerable effort was required to develop security controls and ensure compliance.

“With AWS, we are able to leverage a mature and highly advanced security foundation. Security is a core priority for AWS, and many security controls and best practices are built directly into the platform. As a result, we can strengthen our own security capabilities by building on top of AWS's existing investments and expertise,” Trung explained. “Speed and security are the two key values that make digital infrastructure a critical enabler for organisations today.”

Nguyen Hong Trung, VPBank Group CIO

According to Eric Yeo, this infrastructure isn't just about today's workloads – it's about tomorrow's. As generative AI accelerates in Vietnam, the Local Zone gives organisations the ability to run AI inference locally – keeping data within Vietnamese borders, while accessing the world's most comprehensive AI platform through Amazon Bedrock.

First, it will solve the challenge about data locality. Many companies are concerned about using AI because of concerns around where the data is at. The Local Zone will allow companies to process the AI inference locally, which in the past has been one of the major stoppers.

Second, it is fundamentally helping every company that uses AI to differentiate and improve their customers' experience.

“Our vision is simple: Vietnamese organisations should be able to build, innovate, and compete at the same speed as anyone, anywhere in the world – without leaving home,” he noted.

In Vietnam, small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) account for over 90 per cent of all businesses in the country. These enterprises play an important role in the country’s acceleration of digital transformation. And the Local Zone is well positioned to support their journey.

“For SMEs, the bigger challenge is often skills rather than cost. They may not have the people or expertise needed to implement AI solutions. That’s why we provide technical support, and we also have a strong ecosystem of business partners who can help them,” he said.

To date, AWS has trained more than 157,000 people in Vietnam in cloud and AI skills since 2017, and partnered with 25 universities through its First Cloud Journey initiative.

“AI needs to run on the cloud, which enables SMEs to experiment quickly and affordably. If something works, they can scale it. If it doesn't, they can simply stop and move on,” he added.

Sharing about the company’s next plans, Eric Yeo shared that senior leaders from Amazon and AWS recently visited and met with General Secretary and President To Lam. One of the key priorities he highlighted for Amazon is its commitment to help develop Vietnam's digital infrastructure. As a result, AWS committed to continual engagement with customers such as VPBank and many other organisations across Vietnam.

“We take a long-term view. We will continue listening to our customers, evaluating demand, and investing to ensure Vietnamese businesses have access to the infrastructure they need to innovate and compete globally,” he noted.

Groundbreaking ceremony attended by Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee representatives and local officials

The investment structure reflects the spirit of Politburo Resolution No.68-NQ/TW on private sector development under the guiding principle of the city’s committee: “Ho Chi Minh City for the whole country, and the whole country for Ho Chi Minh City.”

According to Hoang Nguyen Dinh, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, the eight groundbreaking projects represent strategic building blocks within the city's broader infrastructure development plan, supporting its vision of innovation and sustainable growth.

Among them, the most significant and symbolic is the Ben Nha Rong-Khanh Hoi Cultural Park and Bach Dang Riverside Public Green Space project, which commenced construction at the historic harbour where, 115 years ago, President Ho Chi Minh embarked on his journey to seek a path for Vietnam's national liberation.

Under the investment policy approved by Ho Chi Minh City People's Council, the project has a preliminary investment capital of nearly VND30 trillion ($1.15 billion) and will be implemented under a build-transfer contract within the PPP framework. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with completion targeted for mid-2029.

The large-scale public infrastructure project will require approximately 73.3 hectares of land and water surface, encompassing parks, public squares, cultural spaces, heritage conservation facilities, green areas, sports amenities, commercial and service facilities, transport infrastructure, and other community-oriented public utilities.

“Once completed, the project will become a regional cultural, historical, and tourism landmark while addressing long-standing transport issues and creating a modern riverside urban landscape. More importantly, it will serve as a symbol connecting the past, present, and future, a place where Ho Chi Minh City's vibrant contemporary life converges with its rich historical heritage, preserving the nation's proud memories while embracing future development," Dinh said.

A key highlight of the project is the reconstruction of the 'Amiral Latouche-Tréville', the vessel associated with the historic departure of the young patriot Nguyen Tat Thanh from Nha Rong Wharf in 1911 on his journey to seek a path for Vietnam's national liberation. The reconstructed ship is planned to serve as a floating exhibition, tourism, and service venue, helping to preserve the site's historical and cultural significance while enhancing the city's tourism offering.

The project will also create an interconnected network of riverside green spaces and landscaped public areas, renovate existing structures such as steel-frame buildings and former warehouses, and develop a cruise passenger terminal, parking facilities, and supporting infrastructure. Together, these components will form a continuous waterfront park stretching from Ba Son to Bach Dang Wharf, Nha Rong Wharf, and Khanh Hoi.

Meanwhile, a series of strategic transport infrastructure projects is expected to generate new growth momentum for the city.

Ho Tram-Long Thanh Expressway, Can Gio-Vung Tau Sea Bridge, the Binh Tien bridge and road project, and interchanges linking to Ben Luc-Long Thanh Expressway are expected to ease major urban traffic issues while opening up new development corridors towards the coast, strengthening connectivity between Ho Chi Minh City, the Southern Key Economic Region, and Long Thanh International Airport.

At the same time, Ho Chi Minh City–Moc Bai Expressway will establish a vital northwestern transport corridor, enhancing overland connectivity between Vietnam and other ASEAN countries.

“The workload ahead is immense. The city's leadership calls on all municipal departments, agencies, and local administrations overseeing these projects to demonstrate the highest level of political responsibility and ensure there is absolutely no passing of responsibility, administrative delays, or reluctance in handling procedures. They must also take a proactive approach in resolving issues related to planning, site clearance, the relocation of technical infrastructure, and the supply of construction materials,” Dinh said

"Project developers, contractors, and investors are urged to mobilise maximum resources, machinery, and advanced technologies while implementing detailed and well-coordinated construction plans. They should work with the determination to overcome all weather conditions, accelerate construction to the greatest extent possible, deliver the highest quality standards, and ensure absolute workplace safety," he added.

Three major industry expos set to kick off in Ho Chi Minh City Three exhibitions focused on smart factories, hardware, and home products are set to take place in Ho Chi Minh City, bringing together nearly 500 enterprises.

VIFC set to raise the bar for Ho Chi Minh City’s office market Vietnam's International Financial Centre is expected to add substantial office space to Ho Chi Minh City's market while raising competitive standards across the sector.

Ho Chi Minh City to establish seven high-tech agricultural zones Ho Chi Minh City is set to establish seven high-tech agricultural zones, covering an area of 1,727 hectares, aiming to develop research centres and attract investment in modern agriculture.