The 8th International Conference on Digital Arts, Media and Technology (DAMT) and

6th ECTI Northern Section Conference on Electrical, Electronics, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering (NCON)
2023 Joint International Conference on Digital Arts, Media and Technology with ECTI Northern Section Conference on Electrical, Electronics, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering (ECTI DAMT & NCON) | 979-8-3503-9654-6/23/$31.00 ©2023 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/ECTIDAMTNCON57770.2023.10139624

A Survey of Industry in Cambodia and Future

Prospects Industry 4.0
Vuthy Chheang Sokha Heng Kosorl Thourn
Dept. of Telecommunication and Faculty of Engineering Institute of Technology of Cambodia
Electronic Engineering Royal University of Phnom Penh Department of Telecommunication and
Royal University of Phnom Penh Phnom Penh, Cambodia Network Engineering
Phnom Penh, Cambodia heng.sokha@rupp.edu.kh Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Chheang.Vuthy@rupp.edu.kh kosorl@itc.edu.kh
Hamed Yahoui
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering,
Automation & Processing Center
Claude Bernard University Lyon 1
Lyon, France
hamed.yahoui@univ-lyon1.fr

Abstract—In developed countries, industry 4.0 revolution is
growing towards automation and data cloud analysis in
manufacturing technologies to create a smart and high-class
factory which be able to make higher production and logistics
systems with few employees. This paper is based on a project
funded by the ERASMUS+ Program of the European Union:
ASEAN Factori 4.0, Across South East Asian Nations: From
Automation and Control Training to the Overall Roll-out of
Industry 4.0, 609854-EPP-1-2019-1-FREPPKA2-CBHE-JP
which provided for a great survey of Cambodia industries in
order to develop universities programs of automated production
system. With these results of surveyed industries contributes to
the Telecommunication and Electronic Engineering
Department of Royal University of Phnom Penh recognizing
where to begin for requirement of future industry 4.0 in
Cambodia, such as automated production, applied technologies,
and programing skills. In short of future, Cambodia will be
extended for Industry 4.0 technologies with 5G, data centers,
artificial intelligent (AI), industrial Automation (IA), additive
manufacturing, industrial internet of things (IIoT) and smart
factories, intelligent management, cyber-security, and machine
learning as similar as other developed Asian countries.
industries in Cambodia before developing human resource of
industry 4.0 engineer are established [5]. To contribute to this
motivation, Project “Across South East Asian Nations: From
Automation and Control Training to the Overall Rollout of
Industry 4.0”-ASEAN FACTORI 4.0, Erasmus+ program,
Capacity Building Projects in the field of Higher Education,
609854-EPP-1-2019-1-FR-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP was
supported for faculty of Engineering in Royal University of
Phnom Penh.
In this research, designed survey questions to Cambodia
industries about future prospects, automated production
systems are importance. Information of technical skills, soft-
skill, hardware, software, technologies are required for
matching enhancement of both industries and universities.
[6][8]. For survey result, we will retrieve the data in quality of
study and analysis by comparing with data of ASEAN
investment in industrial 4.0 and data of Cambodia prospection
in industrial 4.0 in order to designing a powerful program of
Automated Production Systems in Cambodia for industry
4.0 level.

Keywords—Industry 4.0, automation, programable logic

control (PLC), Cambodia
I. INTRODUCTION
Automated production systems are critical point for
Industry 4.0 technologies which have been revolutionized
from waterpower, fuel engine, electricity, and micro
controllers including technologies as following as Internet of
Things (IoT), cloud computing, machine learning (ML), deep
learning (DL), cybersecurity, and networking [1], [2]. The
industry 4.0 revolution is the trend towards automation and
data cloud exchange and analysis in manufacturing
technologies to create a smart and high profitable factory
which produce more facilities and logistics systems with few
staffs [3], [4]. In Cambodia, a human resource with sufficient
knowledge in the fields of Automation are important factor to
reach the industry 4.0 level. However, developing human
resource for industry 4.0 level is not a simple thing. The
reason is about Cambodia industries and universities are not
reached similar technologies, and also, they are not matched
with together completely for technologies, knowledges,
skills, and solutions for automation of industry 4.0 [7]. For
solution of mismatching between university and industry, the
first important thing is a defining model of survey question to
II. ASEAN INVESTMENT IN INDUSTRIAL 4.0 REVIEW
ASEAN is a community exist of countries as Cambodia
Loas, Myanmar, Vietnam (CLMV), Thailand, Malaysia,
Singapore, Philippine, Indonesia, Brunei. Despite the
COVID-19 pandemic, ASEAN's FDI rose from 11.9 to 13.7
percent with only a small change in inflows. ASEAN
industries and digital economy have shown resilience during
the COVID-19 pandemic [10], [12].
Surprisingly, relocation of industries to ASEAN is rising
due to geopolitical factors, supply chain resilience, investment
policies, and pandemic disruptions. Diversification to ASEAN
from China is driven by factors such as geopolitics, supply
chain resilience, investment, and pandemic disruptions [11],
[13]. From the relocation of industries, ASEAN's integral
position in Industry 4.0 includes being users, technology
providers, manufacturers, trainers, and influencers for small
and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). [18]. Moreover,
multinational enterprises’ (MNEs) familiarity with Industry
4.0 technologies in ASEAN surpasses local companies with
IA, AI, additive manufacturing, IIoT, smart factories, 5G, and
data centers, [15]. By 2025, ASEAN will upgrade telecom
infrastructures to 5G, boosting data centers, cloud services,
cybersecurity, e-commerce, and smart cities. [14].

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 The 8th International Conference on Digital Arts, Media and Technology (DAMT) and
6th ECTI Northern Section Conference on Electrical, Electronics, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering (NCON)
Therefore, many Industries 4.0 activities and technologies
are establishing and promoting transformation through the use
of advanced technologies in ASEAN [16], [21]
III. CAMBODIA PROSPECTION IN INDUSTRIAL 4.0 REVIEW
Cambodia is attracting foreign investors to invest in
Industry 4.0 with policies like the upper-middle-income and
high-income policy, industrial development policy, and digital
economy plan [17].
The first strategy plan is to become an upper-middle-
income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050
by prioritizing innovative investments in manufacturing
technologies.
To support the first plan, the government created a second
strategies plan of industrial development policy (2015–2025)
which is encouraged public-private partnerships, STEM
education, entrepreneurship, and soft skills to promote
innovative technological development [20]. Cambodia's
government has identified strategic industries for investment,
including machine tools, electronics, ICT, and automation
factories. To facilitate strategic industry, Cambodia has 46
fully developed SEZs with infrastructure such as water,
electricity, safety, transportation and security.
Cambodia's third strategy plan focuses on digital economy
and social policy and aims to attract Industry 4.0 FDI.
Cambodia is upgrading to 5G to improve internet services,
offering high-speed, low-cost options via government-private
partnerships. This creates data centers, e-commerce, and data
privacy regulations. [20]. Moreover, New SMEs in agro-
agriculture, food processing, manufacturing, research and
deve, IT services, and other industries receive up to 9-year tax
incentives [21].
Cambodia's three-pronged strategy aims to upgrade
industry technology to Industrial 4.0, with the government
developing policies to maintain progress.
IV. METHODOLOGY OF ONLINE SURVEY
The first survey questions ask about company and industry
information like name, service activity, employee details,
salary, experience, and position. The second survey step
relates to industry competencies, skill requirements,
recruitment practices, and technical knowledge. The third step
relates to useful soft skills. The final survey step covers
training and internships, which are important for nurturing
practical skills and developing industry connections.
The survey uses 1-5 rating scale to gauge the importance
of industry concepts, ranging from "Not even important" to
"Very important". The survey measured how soft skills were
being developed in an industry through a 1-4 rating scale.
V. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
The survey was answered by 30 industries located in
different regions within Cambodia's cities and provinces. One
of important results for industrial 4.0 which is currently main
service and activity of each industry. The unexpected results
for the main services and activities of industries in Cambodia
are related to PLC, HIM, automation, simulation software, and
electrical power transmission, renewable energy solution,
energy-saving solutions, fieldbus systems, pump, motor drive
and generator, instrumentation and control vibration
measurement, actuator sensor or pneumatic manufacturer,
data infrastructure, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning
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equipment, embedded systems, maintenance service, process
automation, drink and food packaging, transport and delivery
activity, product trading, agriculture product processing,
consumer goods manufacturing, water cleaning and
distribution, automotive, special machinery designer for
manufacturing, Industrial internet of things, small electrical
housing manufacturer. These Technologies of automation are
relevant to Cambodia's current industrial landscape.
Most of Cambodian industries require automated
production systems for cost-effective and high-quality
production and manufacturing because according to surveys,
around 96% of Cambodian industries rated 4-5 in terms of
their need for automated production systems. Moreover,
industries in Cambodia have staff ranging from 10 to 100,
except for Electric of Cambodia and Minebear Cambodia with
3000 and 6000 staff, respectively. The staff in Cambodian
industries are mostly technical with an engineer salary range
of $200 to $500 and $500 to $1000. Cambodian industries
expect to recruit 85% Bachelor and 30% vocational diploma
backgrounds for technical staff and engineers as shown in Fig.
1. This data is helpful for designing automation industry
programs in Cambodia that consider the educational
background of potential candidates.
90%
85%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
30%
24%
21%
20%
9%
10%
0%
PhD (in Master Bachelor of Vocational Technical
Engineering) Degree of Enginnering Diploma High School
Engineering
Fig. 1. Estimate state of staff background that industries expect to recruit in
coming years based on survey result
From Fig. 2 to Fig. 5, Data collected from survey results
were converted to percentages by summing up all scores and
dividing by the total of 165, representing all surveyed
industries. As shown in Fig. 2, The top priority when hiring
staff in Cambodia's industries is technical skills, accounting
for 75%, particularly in automated production. Analytical
thinking and soft-social communication skills remain
important, with a score of 72%, following technical skills in
Cambodia's industries. Leadership, management, decision-
making, and cognitive skills are also important, with a score
between 67-70%, making them worth considering in
recruitment.
 The 8th International Conference on Digital Arts, Media and Technology (DAMT) and
6th ECTI Northern Section Conference on Electrical, Electronics, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering (NCON)

After graduation, the crucial step for most students is to

Leadership skill
Language skill
Soft, Social and Communication
skills
Contingency Management skill
Decision making and cognitive
skill in real time professional
situation
Analytical thinking skill
apply for jobs in industries, factories, and companies.
67% Successful automated production programs emerge when
graduates find suitable jobs that utilize their skills. To
achieve, process control skills have the highest industry
68% potential with a score rating of 75% according to survey
results presented in Fig. 4. The industry is also interested in
hardware-software of industrial technology, handling several
72%
PLC devices, and industrial internet of thing with scores of
72%, 71%, and 70%, respectively. SCADA programming,
69% handling one PLC device, and industrial device are also
important, with scores between 68% to 69%..
70%
Handle several kinds of
71%
PLCs
72%

Industrial Internet of Thing 70%

Technical skills 75%

60% 65% 70% 75% 80%

SCADA programming 69%

Fig. 2. The importance of following skills interests when recruiting staff

based on survey result. Process control 75%
For Fig. 3, Energy-saving efficiency and SCADA system
in digital factories are the top challenges for industrial
automation in Cambodia, scoring 73%. After that, IoT in Industrial network 68%
industry and production customization were rated at 72% and
70% respectively, as the next top challenges. Other challenges
with ratings between 60-69% are still significant as they Handle at least one PLC
69%
scored well above 50%. technology

Industrial technology
72%
(hardware and software)
Scada system and digital factory 73%
60% 65% 70% 75% 80%

Internet of Thing (IoT) or Fig. 4. Technical skills interest for job applicant based on surveyed result
72%
Industrial IoT
Programming skills important for Cambodia's automated
Environment friendliness and
carbon and earth resources 69% industry due to their advantages and disadvantages in
sustainability controlling hardware which they are commonly used or not
used by industry. Therefore, Fig. 5 revealed that Ladder,
Capacity to keep a product
manufacturing tool at National 68% structure text (ST), sequential function chart (SFC), function
level block diagram (DFB), and instruction list (IL) are the most
popular languages for controlling automation with a 69%
Unified Standard rating. After that, C language is rated at 62%, while Java,
65%
communication protocol
MATLAB, and Python have scores ranging from 52% to 56%
in the survey results.
Customization of the production 70%

Energy saving or efficiency 73%

Cybersecurity 60%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Fig. 3. Main challenges for industrial automation in Cambodia currently

and 5 years later

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 The 8th International Conference on Digital Arts, Media and Technology (DAMT) and
6th ECTI Northern Section Conference on Electrical, Electronics, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering (NCON)
Java 53%
Matlab 52%
Ladder, Structure Text (ST),
69%
SFC, DFB, Instruction List (IL)
Python 56%
C language 62%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Fig. 5. Technical skills interest for Programing Language based on survey
result
So, the survey results can help develop a program that
provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to
meets the industry 4.0 requirements in Cambodia.
VI. CONCLUSION
The analysis of the questionnaire provides an overview
of Cambodia's industry's current situation. Recognition
practices for industry and competencies are not standardized
between universities and countries, leading to discrepancies.
To build Automated Production Systems in Cambodia,
starting with technical skills, SCADA, energy efficiency, and
digital factory in Engineering is ideal. Other factors are also
being considered as they have a score rating above 50% in
creating Automated Production Systems in Cambodia.
Cambodia's industries will soon adopt Industry 4.0
technologies, such as 5G, data centers, IA, IIoT, smart
factories, and machine learning [8].
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This publication is developed as partial fulfilment of
Project “Across South East Asian Nations: From Automation
and Control Training to the Overall Rollout of Industry 4.0”
- ASEAN FACTORI 4.0, Erasmus+ programme, Capacity
Building Projects in the field of Higher Education, 609854-
EPP-1-2019-1-FR-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP.
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