The National Council of Science, Technology & Innovation (NCSTI, led by council chair Hem Vanndy (centre), Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, and co-chaired by Minister of Post and Telecommunications Chea Vandeth (right) and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Dith Tina, holds its 4th annual review meeting on August 21. Supplied
The National Council of Science, Technology & Innovation (NCSTI) convened its 4th annual meeting to review progress and lay out the strategic direction for Cambodia's Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) sector.
Chaired by council chair Hem Vanndy, Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, the August 21 meeting took place at the industry ministry headquarters.
In attendance were senior officials from several government institutions, as well as representatives from the academic, research and private sectors, along with vice-chairs Minister of Post and Telecommunications Chea Vandeth and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Dith Tina.
Vanndy described strengthening the role of STI as key to driving Cambodia's socio-economic development.
He noted that the Royal Decree on the organisation and functioning of the NCSTI has been updated, with research and development (R&D) now falling under the council’s mandate. The composition of the council’s advisory board is being updated to reflect its new needs and missions.
In line with phase one of the seventh-mandate government’s Pentagonal Strategy, the council outlined a strategic direction that prioritises several key areas. These include enhancing STI governance, strengthening human capital, fostering collaboration within the innovation ecosystem, advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and accelerating research and development.
The council also reaffirmed its commitment to Cambodia’s STI Roadmap 2030, proposing a mid-term review in 2025 to ensure ongoing progress.
During the meeting, the council also reviewed its achievements, including the progress on the STI park initiative, R&D management, the development of human resources in science and technology and updates on various ASEAN STI initiatives.
The attendees acknowledged the outcomes from the 2nd National STI Day, the 20th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology, and Innovation (AMMSTI-20), the 85th ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology, and Innovation (COSTI-85) meeting, the 2023 STI Report and a recent study on the National R&D Information System.
Vandeth highlighted how the council’s operational framework will support progress with digital government efforts, while Tina called for careful management of digital platforms, emphasising the importance of consistency, interoperability and security when developing e-government technologies.
Several government institutions shared updates on their own digital progress, with the Ministry of Health reporting on plans for the development of a digital health platform to enhance the efficiency, quality and accessibility of healthcare services. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport outlined specialised programmes for human resource development in the field of science and technology.
The council also endorsed the Ministry of Environment's initiatives but noted that the “Green Hydrogen Technology Roadmap” could have cross-sectoral implications, and would require strong collaboration with all relevant ministries and institutions.
It also adopted three documents: The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the National Research Agenda 2025, the Cambodian Enterprise Innovation Index (CEII) – guidelines that reinforce Cambodia’s commitment to creating a robust innovation ecosystem – and the Internal Rules of the NCSTI, which aim to ensure coherent operations within the Council.
Council chair Vanndy expressed his belief that the insights gathered from the 4th Council Meeting will guide future STI development in Cambodia.
He urged all council members to provide updates on their respective sectors to the council and the government, in order to enhance Cambodia's standing in the Global Innovation Index. Additionally, he called on the private sector to adopt a more proactive role in advancing STI development initiatives.
