Jakarta: H.E. HEM Vanndy, Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, reaffirmed Cambodia's deep commitment to advancing regional science, technology, and innovation (STI) during the 21st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology and Innovation (AMMSTI-21), hosted by Indonesia on June 20.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the high-level meeting also endorsed the ASEAN Plan of Action on STI 2026-2035 (APASTI), a guiding framework to accelerate ASEAN's integration, competitiveness, and sustainability through innovation, according to the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation (MISTI). Minister Vanndy commended the consultative process behind APASTI's formulation and urged member states to remain ambitious in implementation.
AMMSTI, convened annually, brings together ASEAN ministers responsible for STI policy to steer regional cooperation with the Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (COSTI) as an implementing body. Minister Vanndy shared Cambodia's recent progress, citing the country's Pentagonal Strategy and STI Roadmap 2030 as central to building STI capacity, fostering research, and promoting private sector engagement.
Key measures include a forthcoming Sub-Decree on R and D, a new Technology Transfer Law, and a planned national R and D Foundation to mobilise resources. 'These frameworks reflect our shared commitment to placing science, technology, and innovation (STI) at the heart of ASEAN's sustainable and inclusive growth,' he said.
The Minister also highlighted Cambodia's leadership in launching the ASEAN Technology Management Hub, co-led with Indonesia. The initiative will serve as a matchmaking platform to connect research, innovation, and commercialization across ASEAN. He called for six concrete steps to support the implementation of the newly adopted APASTI 2026-2035, including aligning national research with regional platforms, strengthening the innovation ecosystem, establishing a regional monitoring system, promoting public-private partnerships in frontier technologies, and developing a detailed implementation plan. He also stressed the importance of enhancing human capital, technology transfer, and collaboration to support digital transformation across the region.
On the sidelines of AMMSTI-21, Minister Vanndy held bilateral meetings to advance cooperation in STI, with a strong focus on joint research and capacity building. He met with Professor Kazuhito Hashimoto, President of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST); the Malaysian Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation; and representatives from the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).