Cambodia’s Digital Technology (DigitalTech) Roadmap

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Digital Technology (DigitalTech) Roadmap is a strategic document that highlights the vision, goals, strategic products and services, and key technologies of Cambodia, in terms of national DigitalTech development. This roadmap aims to complement existing digital policy frameworks, roadmaps, and strategies, for the common goal of transforming Cambodia into an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050. Given the widespread influence of DigitalTech across various industries and domains, it becomes exceptionally important to seek insights from a wide array of professionals who possess practical expertise and implicit knowledge within the local setting. Although there is a global push for digital transformation at various stages, national roadmaps for respective countries are not one-size-fits-all. Thus, a national DigitalTech Roadmap tailored to the needs of Cambodia is crucial to establishing clear steps and key milestones for the coming years.

Undoubtedly, the significance of DigitalTech in Cambodia’s economy, society, and government is experiencing substantial growth. Although Cambodia’s human capital and technical capacity with regard to DigitalTech is still lacking to a certain extent at the national level, there have been vast improvements over recent years, thanks to the strategic focus of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC). In addition, the holistic national digital transformation approach encompasses broader cultural aspects, mindsets, and behavioural patterns concerning the role of DigitalTech within society. Cambodia exhibits a high digital adoption rate, driven by its young and tech-savvy population, widespread smartphone usage, and affordable mobile data services. This has resulted in the rapid adoption of emerging technological applications on a large scale. To effectively drive digital transformation at the national level, it is crucial for the public sector, private sector, and academia to collaboratively and strategically implement their DigitalTech initiatives in a unified manner that benefits all relevant stakeholders.

This roadmap will provide a brief overview of the global and local demand, supply, and trends of DigitalTech, as well as existing digital policy frameworks and strategies moving forward. Taking into account the workshop inputs provided by sub-committee members, alongside the contextualisation of domain expertise and literature review carried out by the consulting team, the vision is established to induce DigitalTech to enhance productivity and efficiency, and to bring about innovation for socioeconomic development. This vision is underpinned by three key goals: firstly, to leverage digital literacy and Information Technology (IT) skills as a foundation for human capital development; secondly, to diversify digital infrastructure in the national innovation system for priority sectors; and thirdly, to build a vibrant ecosystem through connectivity within digital and physical spaces. In pursuit of these objectives, strategic products and services such as digital devices, internet infrastructure, online business platforms, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)/Digital education programmes, a digital re-skilling/upskilling programmes, public awareness events, a national data centre, and a centre of excellence have been identified. Additionally, the critical role of key technologies, including mobile devices, the Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity, 5G, automation systems, big data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, computer software, Wi-Fi 6/7, and cloud computing, cannot be understated in this transformative journey.

To ensure the successful implementation of this DigitalTech Roadmap, three key actions are recommended. These actions involve the appointment of transformational leaders who can drive change and inspire innovation, the investment in human capital development by prioritising training and skill-building, and the allocation of resources towards robust IT infrastructure to support the effective implementation and sustainability of digital initiatives.

Objective and scope

The objective of the National DigitalTech Roadmap is to establish an outline distinct developmental stages, and identify key technologies for Cambodia’s digital transformation journey. The scope of the National DigitalTech Roadmap includes: 

Vision Building: Formulating a clear and inspiring vision to guide the digital transformation process in Cambodia. 

Environment Analysis: Conducting a comprehensive analysis of the existing digital landscape, identifying opportunities and challenges that will influence the transformation journey. 

Strategic Products/Services driven by Innovation: Creating innovative and impactful products and services that align with the strategic goals of the roadmap. 

Key Technologies with Short-, Medium-, and Long-Term Goals: Identifying essential technologies and setting specific goals for their integration across different timeframes.

The roadmap’s comprehensive framework offers guidance for relevant organizations, aiding them in contributing effectively to Cambodia’s overall digital transformation endeavours.

You can read the full text of the roadmap here.