Over 80 participants representing government departments, the food-processing and manufacturing industry, SMEs, and academia involved in promoting innovation and productivity enhancement attended the National Conference on Innovations and Applications of New Technologies to Improve Productivity for Cambodian SMEs. The three-day conference was organized by the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) in Phnom Penh, 13–15 February 2017 in association with the National Productivity Centre of Cambodia (NPCC).

The national conference aimed at enhancing participants’ understanding of the latest innovations and best practices to improve the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of various industries in Cambodia. It included presentations by experts on successful models and strategies from other member countries to promote innovations and how they could be adopted in Cambodia. Field visits shared experience and insights gained by local participants who had attended a previous international APO conference on the same topic.

Officially established in 2006 under the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, the NPCC plays an active role in improving productivity in Cambodia by creating awareness and training practitioners, as well as by providing consultancy services to both the public and private sectors.

A major thrust of the NPCC in the Cambodian productivity movement is promoting innovation, which is indispensable at the firm, industry, and national levels for organizations and economies to remain competitive. At the organizational level, innovation is linked to positive changes in efficiency, productivity, quality of services, and competitiveness.

The program was conducted by Knowledge Associates Cambridge Ltd. CEO/CKO Ron Young of St. John’s Innovation Centre, Cambridge, UK, and Chief of International Affairs Cooperation and Public Relations David Sehyeon Baek of the Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, Republic of Korea. APO Director for Cambodia and Secretary Phork Sovanrith of the Ministry of Industry and Handicraft; Deputy Secretary General Hash Vong Dara of the National Committee to Promote One Village One Product, Office of the Council of Ministers of Cambodia; NPCC Director Heng Eang; APO Research and Planning Department Director Joselito C. Bernardo; and NPCC Deputy Director Um Serivuth also made presentations during the conference.