News

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations between Germany and Cambodia, Dr. Ingo Karsten, German Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia, underlines the significance of the commercial and economic ties.

Fired up by an original, 5-piece Bavarian Band flown in from Munich, thousands of Cambodians, Germans and many guests form dozens of other countries enjoyed the German interpretation of cosiness at the 2017 Oktoberfest in Cambodia. Over 2,500 visitors attended the festival during two days on Phnom Penh’s Diamond Island.

Since its creation in 2008, Oktoberfest Cambodia has become an established and anticipated annual party, known as a ‘must-do’ for an eclectic mix of locals, expats and visitors of the country’s capital. By now a highlight of the social calendar, the festival brings a unique cultural event to the Kingdom: Every year, more than 3000 people gather during 2 days to enjoy a taste of German culture in Phnom Penh.

Published in the end of September, the annual EuroCham Business Confidence Survey – compiled from the responses of 115 member companies of the European Chamber of Commerce – found that while Cambodia remains an attractive destination for investment due its cheap labor, businesses were increasingly pessimistic in their outlook. Last week, EuroCham also published its updated White Book, an accumulation of 76 trade and investment policy recommendations, which could facilitate doing business in Cambodia.

In the Global Competitiveness Report 2017-2018, Germany ranks fifth among 137 states worldwide, the Swiss-based World Economic Forum announced on September 27th. Annually published since 2004, the report integrates the macroeconomic and the micro/business aspects of competitiveness into a single index.

In its annual study “Education at a Glance”, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) points out the strength of Germany’s vocational education and training system. With upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary vocational qualification, employment rates of individuals aged 25 to 34 are as high as for individuals with a tertiary one (86% and 87% respectively).

The next industrial revolution will introduce “smart factories” in which computers and robotics communicating wirelessly will handle physical processes with very little input from human operators, leaving few job opportunities for unskilled workers, executives of German industrial giants said during a briefing in Phnom Penh on August 25th organized by the German Business Group Cambodia (ADW). The event, titled “Industry 4.0, the Next Level of Manufacturing”, focused on the future of the internet and advanced technologies in the manufacturing sector, including its impact on human labour.

The German Business Group in Cambodia (ADW) invites all early birds to the Hotel Sofitel Phokeethra in Phnom Penh to discuss the next level of industrialization. Generally known as “Industry 4.0”, it mainly consists of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. Moreover, it comprises cyber-physical systems, the internet of things, cloud computing and cognitive computing. It is a concept that is already widely applied in the global operations of many German industrial groups, and likely to impact the future of manufacturing in Cambodia.

The German engineering company gbc engineers became the youngest member of the German Business Group Cambodia in June 2017. Managed by its owners Daniel Bacon (left) and Adrian Grabara (right), the company provides independent expertise in several engineering processes. According to General Manager Rico Ehrlich, the firm is “a dynamic, internationally active engineering company with a focus on structural design and construction planning in Germany and Southeast Asia. Since 2015, we have been offering high-quality planning and consulting services in structural engineering to our customers.” With additional offices in Berlin and Ho Chi Minh City, gbc engineers includes a broad network of specialists who are ready to realize even complex projects in Cambodia.

On July 1^st, the annual Summer Junior Fellowship Program commenced at the Center for Khmer Studies, the American Research Center in Cambodia. During the next six weeks, Cambodian undergraduates along with international students study contemporary Cambodia, especially the political system, the Kingdom’s foreign relations as well as the dynamics in economics, society, and culture. The program is mainly implemented by Dr. Markus Karbaum, one of Germany’s leading political scientists regarding coeval Cambodia and a specialist in personnel development.