The Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation (MISTI) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) on May 6, 2024 hosted a dissemination workshop to exchange ideas and policies, aimed at advancing dialogues, cooperation and engagement of private sector in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).

The workshop reviewed findings and recommendations from UN-ESCAP's policy workbook, a product of the South-South and Triangular Collaboration Programme on STI involving Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam. MISTI collaborated with UN-ESCAP in developing the workbook during its one-year representation in the programme with an emphasis on fostering startup growth and human capital development.

During the workshop, H.E. Dr. HUL Seingheng, Under Secretary of State of MISTI, offered insights into private sector engagement and investment in Cambodia's STI ecosystem, emphasizing the necessity of directing such investment towards high-value-added production. He stressed the significance of research and development (R&D), collaboration, trade, and intellectual property rights for the STI sector development.

“STI drives economic growth by increasing productivity, fostering innovation-led entrepreneurship, and generating new industries and job opportunities. Countries like China, the United States, Japan, Korea, and Singapore, which prioritize STI investment, tend to achieve higher levels of economic development and competitiveness,” he said.

Addressing the workshop, Dr. SIEV Sokly, MISTI’s Deputy Director General of STI, emphasized the significance of the STI Roadmap 2023 in facilitating innovation within the private sector. “This roadmap serves as a national guideline for STI development. It outlines Cambodia's vision to become an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050.”

During a panel discussion titled "How to build and encourage private sector support for STI," featuring panelists from relevant ministries and research institutions, attendees gained insights into existing policies and government initiatives aimed at fostering the development of Cambodia's STI ecosystem.

H.E. Mak Ngoy, Director General of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, highlighted the success of public-private collaboration in STI, referencing the Triple Helix model involving Government, University, and Industry. This model, widely adopted in developed countries, fosters effective partnerships for innovation and development.

Sharing his perspective, Professor Apiwat Ratanawaraha from Chulalongkorn University stressed the risk of short-term focused investment leading to economic pitfalls in the future. He underscored the importance of long-term investment in STI, particularly in high value-added sectors like electronics, automobiles, high-end technology, and innovative technologies, for sustainable country development.

Cambodia has introduced a number of policies and roadmaps on STI to guide and contribute to the overall enhancement of the country’s innovation ecosystem. The National Research Agenda 2025 outlines eight priority sectors for investment, such as food processing, energy, electronics and mechanical spare parts, cloud-based services, education, digital health enhancements, carbon neutrality, and water and electricity.

Establishing Cambodia's National Innovation System is crucial for guiding the country's innovation trajectory and fostering STI development, H.E. Dr. HUL Seingheng said.