Phnom Penh, March 6, 2025 – H.E. Hem Vanndy, Minister of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation,  joined as a panelists on a panel discussion at the Cambodia-ASEAN Business Summit, where he emphasized the need to invest in skills and technology to unlocking Cambodia’s human capital and driving economic growth.

Speaking on the theme “Human Capital: Key to Trade and Infrastructure Development,” Minister Vanndy 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 utilize 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 maximize it for socio-economic progress,” he said.

The panel, which featured esteemed panalists, including H.E. Heng Sour, Minister of Labor 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.

Minister Vanndy stressed the importance of improving productivity, updating policies to support technological transformation, and strengthening ASEAN’s mutual recognition agreements to enhance regional labor 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 utilize it and continuously updating our tech-related curriculum—not every five years, but every six months or one year—to stay competitive,” he added.