FPT Expert: AI as a Catalyst for Smart Real Estate and Smart Cities — From Planning to Experience
On June 20, 2025, Mr. Phan Thanh Son, Business Development Director of Enterprise Sector at FPT IS, a member of FPT Corporation, was invited as a keynote speaker at the seminar titled “AI Applications in Smart Cities.” During the event, Mr. Son delivered a presentation titled “FPT’s Perspective: AI as a Catalyst for Smart Real Estate and Smart Cities – From Planning to Experience,” offering a comprehensive view of FPT’s strategic approach to integrating AI across the entire real estate and smart city value chain – from urban planning and design to implementation, operation, and resident experience. As part of this vision, he introduced FPT’s concept of “Triple Transformation” for urban development and real estate, driven by the convergence of AI, Big Data, IoT, and Blockchain.
In today’s wave of digitalization, AI is emerging as a core technology reshaping real estate and urban development. To foster collaboration and share practical AI application solutions, the event was jointly organized by VREC, HREC, and Saigon Entrepreneur Magazine under the theme “AI Applications in Smart Cities.”
The event also marked the 7th anniversary of HREC, celebrating the journey of a vibrant community of real estate entrepreneurs. It brought together leading technology experts, researchers, academics, and representatives from major tech corporations.
Experts and Delegates at the Seminar “AI Applications in Smart Cities”
Discussions centered around key challenges and directions in developing smart cities in Vietnam—ranging from policy frameworks to real-world implementation. Topics included strategic positioning for investors in the digital age, cutting-edge technologies like AI, big data, and IoT in urban management, and recommendations for regulatory mechanisms to accelerate tech adoption in modern urban infrastructure.
From FPT’s perspective, Mr. Son’s presentation highlighted a holistic strategy for AI integration, spanning every phase of real estate and smart city development – from initial planning and design, to construction, operations, and resident engagement.
Mr. Son emphasized that AI should be viewed not just as a tool, but as a foundational capability for sustainable, modern urbanization. FPT proposes a Triple Transformation model, encompassing Digital Transformation (DX), Green Transformation (GX or ESGX), and Intelligent Transformation (IX). This model is powered by the synergistic integration of four foundational technologies: AI, Big Data, IoT, and Blockchain.
Mr. Son noted: “AI alone is not a magic bullet. We also need complementary technologies. That’s why big data is critical—without quality data, AI cannot achieve the intelligence we expect. IoT is essential to collect real-time data, and blockchain ensures transparency and trust across all stakeholders. A next-generation smart city must integrate all of these technologies on a unified foundation.”
Mr. Phan Thanh Son, Business Development Director of Enterprise Sector at FPT IS speaking at the event.
Leveraging its diverse technology ecosystem, FPT has already implemented a range of real-world solutions, including the FPT Smart City platform, Digital Twin solutions for planning, Akabot for automating construction permit processes, AI-powered traffic monitoring systems, FPT Smart Home, AI sales chatbots, and platforms supporting healthcare, education, and urban operations. With the message “Genuine Commitment – Real Deployment – Tangible Value,” FPT continues to affirm its pioneering role in consulting, deploying, and operating smart city solutions in collaboration with local governments and businesses across Vietnam.
The second part of the seminar featured a dynamic panel discussion moderated by Mr. Nguyen Quoc Bao, Chairman of VREC & HREC, alongside Mr. Pham Thanh Hung, Vice Chairman. The session saw enthusiastic participation, with many thought-provoking questions from attendees and lively exchanges among the speakers—so much so that the session exceeded its scheduled time.
Panel speakers at the discussion session. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Club – HREC
The “AI Applications in Smart Cities” seminar not only served as a platform for expert dialogue among policymakers, technologists, and enterprises, but also paved the way for collaborative efforts toward realizing smart cities in Vietnam. With contributions from top-tier experts, the event delivered a multidimensional perspective—from policy to investment to technology—offering immediately actionable solutions for the future of smart urban development.
