AKP Phnom Penh, April 30, 2025 --

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Cambodia Office, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation (MISTI), the Ministry of Commerce (MoC), the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), and the Cambodia-Korea Alumni Association (CAMKAA), organised a Knowledge Sharing Seminar under the theme “Promotion of Investment in Cambodia through Intellectual Property and the Patent Recognition Programme.”

As part of KOICA’s ongoing efforts to strengthen Cambodia’s intellectual property system and promote the utilisation of the Patent Recognition Programme (PRP), the seminar took place at the MISTI on April 23 in the presence of H.E. Phork Sovanrith, Secretary of State of MISTI; Ms. CHOI Moon Jung, Country Director of the KOICA Cambodia Office; and H.E. Im Sour, President of CAMKAA.

Approximately 100 participants, including representatives from KOICA, MoC, CDC, CAMKAA, and stakeholders in the intellectual property field, attended the event.

During the seminar, H.E. Suon Vichea, Director of the MoC’s Department of Intellectual Property, introduced Cambodia’s current IP strategies and best practices, emphasising the critical role of intellectual property in economic development. He also introduced the KOICA-MoC project under consideration, titled "Cambodia’s National Trademark Management Centre (NTMC) and IP-Business Information Platform Development Project," which is scheduled to commence in 2026, highlighting the importance of continued cooperation with KOICA in the field of intellectual property.

Ms. Or Vandyma, Director, and Mr. Svay Rien, Deputy Director of the Department of Industrial Property at MISTI, shared insights on Cambodia’s intellectual property system and patent recognition efforts. Drawing from the experience gained through KOICA’s 2023–2024 capacity building training programme titled “Intellectual Property and Patent Recognition System in Cambodia,” they discussed how Korea’s IP system contributed to its economic growth, strategies for applying these lessons to Cambodia, and the Action Plan developed following the training. They also provided an overview of the Patent Recognition Program (PRP), shared statistics on PRP requests, explained the procedures for online filing, and discussed challenges and potential solutions for improving Cambodia’s patent examination process.

Finally, H.E. Suon Sophal, Deputy Secretary General of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CIB/CDC), presented strategies for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) through the promotion of intellectual property protections and emphasised the importance of building an IP-driven investment ecosystem.

This seminar also reflected KOICA’s broader commitment to strengthening human resources in Cambodia through initiatives such as the Capacity Improvement and Advancement for Tomorrow (CIAT) Programme.

According to KOICA Cambodia Office, the CIAT Programme focuses on building the capacity of policymakers, public officials, and experts to drive economic and social development. Since its launch in 1994, CIAT has played a vital role in promoting the exchange of expertise and technology, benefiting 4,179 Cambodian officials who completed training programmes in Korea. CAMKAA, composed of KOICA fellowship alumni, has been consistently organising seminars to share the knowledge and experiences gained through training in Korea, contributing to the dissemination of expertise across various sectors in Cambodia. KOICA remains committed to supporting Cambodia’s socio-economic development through the strategic use of intellectual property.

AKP