AKP Phnom Penh, March 07, 2025 --  

Minister of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation H.E. Hem Vanndy has emphasised the need to invest in skills and technology to unlocking Cambodia’s human capital and driving economic growth, at a panel discussion at the Cambodia-ASEAN Business Summit, held here yesterday.

Speaking on the theme “Human Capital: Key to Trade and Infrastructure Development,” H.E. Minister underscored the role of technologies, including AI, robotics automation manufacturing, and STEM education in preparing Cambodia’s workforce for emerging industries.

“Cambodia has a young, dynamic population eager to utilise new technology. This demographic dividend is an asset now, but it won’t last forever. This is a miracle time for our country, and we must maximise it for socio-economic progress,” he said.

The panel, which featured esteemed panelists, including H.E. Heng Sour, Minister of Labour and Vocational Training and representatives from trade office and the private sector in ASEAN, discussed the need to bridge skill gaps and align education with industry demands.

H.E. Vanndy stressed the importance of improving productivity, updating policies to support technological transformation, and strengthening ASEAN’s mutual recognition agreements to enhance regional labour mobility.

Looking ahead to Cambodia Vision 2030 and 2050, he highlighted that human capital and technology investment would be the backbone of Cambodia’s economic future.

“Technology may replace some work human used to do, but we should not be scared it. Instead, we must invest in technology, invest in building our human capital to utilise it and continuously updating our tech-related curriculum—not every five years, but every six months or one year—to stay competitive,” he added.

AKP