Hue promotes the digital startup ecosystem: Equipping young people with e-commerce and AI skills

Following the success of the training conference on enhancing e-commerce capacity for businesses, households, and cooperatives in Hue City , on July 23rd and 24th, 2026, the Department of Industry and Trade of Hue City continued to cooperate with the Center for E-commerce and Digital Technology Development (eComDX) - Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy (Ministry of Industry and Trade) to organize an e-commerce training conference for students and young entrepreneurs in Hue City.

The conference was attended by leaders from the Hue City Department of Industry and Trade, the Director of eComDX, and businesses.

Attending the opening ceremony of the training course were Mr. Dang Huu Phuc - Member of the Hue City Party Committee, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Hue City; Mr. Phan Hung Son - Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade; Mr. Nguyen Huu Tuan - Director of eComDX; Mr. Kieu Tien Anh - Operations Director of the F2C e-commerce platform Hi1 Thuan Viet; and more than 350 students and young entrepreneurs in Hue City.

In his opening remarks at the training course, Mr. Dang Huu Phuc, City Party Committee member and Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Hue City, highly appreciated the close and effective cooperation of the Center for E-commerce and Digital Technology Development. This is the second training conference jointly organized by the two agencies, scheduled for July 2026, with the goal of equipping students and young entrepreneurs in Hue City with practical knowledge and skills in e-commerce, digital business, online marketing, and the application of technology in entrepreneurship. It is hoped that the training course will inspire a spirit of innovation, helping young people confidently and effectively utilize digital platforms, build brands, and bring Hue's products and services to the domestic and international markets.

Why do young entrepreneurs need to be good at e-commerce?

Sharing an overview of current e-commerce laws and development trends, Mr. Nguyen Huu Tuan - Director of eComDX - emphasized that the 2025 E-commerce Law and its implementing regulations, effective from July 1, 2026, not only complete the legal framework for e-commerce activities but also reflect the strong shift of digital business models in the new era. 

Mr. Nguyen Huu Tuan - Director of eComDX, shared at the Conference.

According to Mr. Tuan, a notable point is that the scope of the Law has been expanded to include new entities such as livestream sellers, advertisers, and affiliate marketing activities. Accordingly, in addition to the responsibilities of sellers and platform owners, entities promoting products in the digital environment must also fully fulfill their obligations regarding information transparency, verification of advertising content, clear notification of advertising activities, and compliance with the platform's regulations when livestreaming. Furthermore, the Law emphasizes the responsibility of coordination among entities in storing transaction data, providing information for inspection and auditing purposes, and protecting consumer rights. 

“ These regulations demonstrate a management orientation that focuses not only on e-commerce transactions but also extends to the entire digital business ecosystem, contributing to building a transparent, professional, and sustainable e-commerce environment in the future ,” the eComDX Director emphasized.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Tuan interacts with students.

During a discussion with students and young entrepreneurs, Mr. Tuan posed the question: "Why should we excel in e-commerce right now?" According to Mr. Tuan, the answer, along with identifying the golden time for digital transformation or being left behind, will become the driving force helping young people clearly define their direction and be more proactive in seizing the vast opportunities for e-commerce development ahead.

The training conference is expected to inspire a spirit of innovation and creativity, helping young people in Hue confidently and effectively utilize digital platforms.

As Vietnam's e-commerce sector enters a new competitive phase, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and the development of multi-channel business strategies are becoming essential skills for students and young entrepreneurs. Therefore, experts from the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy helped participants access the latest market trends while equipping them with the mindset and tools to build effective business models on digital platforms.

Sharing his insights on the shift in consumer shopping behavior, Mr. Tuan stated that while 2022 marked the beginning of Vietnamese consumers buying everything online, 2025-2026 will see them buying based on content. This indicates that sellers not only need good products but also must create valuable and engaging content to attract and retain customers.

Regarding this issue, from a practical perspective, Mr. Tuan clearly analyzed the differences between the platforms. With TikTok Shop, customers often "buy based on emotion," attracted by short videos, authentic reviews, and livestreams. Meanwhile, on Shopee, customers "buy based on trust," actively searching for products, reading reviews, and comparing before deciding to buy. Therefore, the recommended formula is: TikTok creates demand - Shopee closes the deal, combining content, SEO, advertising, and reviews to improve conversion rates.

Delegates pose for a commemorative photo at the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the University of Economics, Hue University and Hi1 Vietnam Joint Stock Company within the framework of the Conference.

One topic of particular interest to the trainees during the presentation by the eComDX representative was building "Digital Reputation." Mr. Tuan noted that in 2026, the price war will give way to a race for "reputation" and "customer experience." Accordingly, customers don't buy products; they buy peace of mind. Therefore, instead of just focusing on sales, Mr. Tuan suggested that students and young entrepreneurs need to build personal brands, share expertise, ensure product origin transparency, and create positive customer experiences.

Representatives from the Hue City Department of Industry and Trade presented commemorative flowers to representatives from eComDX.

Discussing the "4-3-2-1 Golden Formula" for building digital content to retain customers, the Director of eComDX stated that it consists of 40% content on daily life values, 30% knowledge-based content, 20% content that builds trust through real-world feedback, and only 10% sales content. This approach helps build a community, increase trust, and create a sustainable foundation for business development in the digital environment.

AI - A new driving force for effective youth entrepreneurship. 

In the context of rapid digital transformation and e-commerce development, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a core technology, changing business methods on digital platforms. AI not only supports the analysis of customer behavior and needs, suggests suitable products, manages inventory, and detects unusual transactions, but also automates marketing activities and opens up the trend of AI Agents – intelligent assistants capable of helping users search, compare, and shop online. This was one of the key topics shared by Mr. Cao Qui Long (eComDX) at the training conference.

Mr. Cao Qui Long shared this at the conference.

According to Mr. Long, for students and young entrepreneurs, AI is an effective tool to support them from the idea generation stage to the implementation of specific activities. In learning, platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Gemini Notebook help with research, document compilation, study planning, and idea development. Meanwhile, for startup business ideas, tools like Canva AI, CapCut, Veo, Kling, and ElevenLabs… support the creation of images, videos, AI voiceovers, presentation slides, and product promotion content at low cost while maintaining professionalism, helping young people easily build their brand in the digital environment.

Furthermore, AI helps students build and operate effective Shopee stores. In this section, Mr. Long introduced how to research keywords, create SEO-optimized product titles and descriptions, and use appropriate hashtags to increase visibility on the platform's search engine. He also covered skills in designing product photo sets with standard layouts, creating promotional videos using AI, and leveraging Shopee's AI-powered image optimization tools to improve image quality and increase customer click-through rates.

The participants were enthusiastic about the content at the conference.

Mr. Long emphasized that mastering AI tools will help students and young entrepreneurs save costs, enhance competitiveness, and effectively capitalize on development opportunities from e-commerce. However, the expert from eComDX cautioned young people that AI only truly delivers value when used for the right purpose, combined with creative thinking, expertise, and human verification, thereby contributing to building professional, efficient, and sustainable online business operations.

New opportunities for students and young entrepreneurs.

In the context of the booming e-commerce and digital economy, social commerce is becoming a prominent business trend, opening up many opportunities for students and young entrepreneurs to build personal brands, reach customers, and develop businesses at low cost. Therefore, at the training conference, Ms. Tran Quynh Trang (eComDX) guided participants on how to create short content on the TikTok platform, gradually transforming them from content creators into digital entrepreneurs.

Ms. Tran Quynh Trang (eComDX) shared at the Conference.

One of the key messages throughout the presentation by the expert from eComDX was "The fundamental mindset when producing short videos," emphasizing that each video needs to create value for the viewer before aiming for sales. To help participants easily implement this, Ms. Trang specifically introduced the "6-step script formula" which includes: "Hook (0–3s) – Pain/Desire (3–7s) – Solution/Product (7–12s) – Proof (12–25s) – Offer (25–35s) – CTA (35–45s)", helping to build engaging short videos, increase viewer retention, and improve conversion rates.

The Q&A session was lively. 

In addition, Ms. Trang introduced an ecosystem of AI tools to support personal branding. According to Ms. Trang, TikTok is a distribution platform that helps creative content reach the right audience; CapCut supports video editing and automatic subtitles; and ChatGPT/Gemini acts as a "powerful virtual assistant that helps analyze youth trends, develop weekly topic systems, and quickly draft conversation scripts." "Personalize the language after the AI ​​generates the text by adding trending vocabulary used by Gen Z students, increasing the user experience and avoiding overly academic or formulaic writing," Ms. Trang suggested.

The conference attracted the attention and participation of more than 350 students and young entrepreneurs in Hue City.

Through the practical content shared by experts from eComDX, the training program not only equipped students and young entrepreneurs in Hue City with skills in applying AI and e-commerce, but also contributed to shaping a modern business mindset. This will be an important foundation for young people to confidently build brands, expand markets, and effectively utilize opportunities from the digital economy in the future.