The Future of AI for Development
Profiling the AI Readiness Baseline in Cambodia’s Manufacturing SMEs starts with a simple but urgent problem: in Cambodia, conversations about AI often swing between hype and dismissal, yet there is little firm level evidence showing what manufacturing SMEs actually understand, have in place, and can realistically use. The book treats that missing evidence as a policy and competitiveness risk, because moving up the manufacturing value chain depends on basics like skills, data discipline, and operational systems, not just ambition. It frames the whole study around one grounding question: what is the current state of AI awareness, readiness, and adoption among manufacturing SMEs, and what would help them move from early digitization to meaningful AI use.
The study applies a quantitative, cross sectional survey design, implemented between December 15 and 26, 2025 through structured interviews, and analyzes a cleaned sample of 273 enterprises. Readiness is examined as a set of operational foundations and constraints, including firms’ digital practices, data routines, AI awareness and perceptions, reported use of AI related tools, and barriers and support needs, organized across five readiness dimensions. The analysis is oriented around questions such as which foundational capabilities are in place, how SMEs manage and use data in routine operations, how decision makers interpret AI in relation to business needs, and what forms of support are most relevant for progressing from basic digitization toward effective adoption. Based on these results, the authors present stakeholder oriented recommendations and position the baseline as a reference point for monitoring progress and enabling comparison over time.
About This Series
Digital Insights is the flagship publication concerning digital transformation topics of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Cambodia. The publication is published once-a-year and brings together experts, practitioners and academics from various walks of life. The vision of the project is to support research and build bridges to the application in order to create a pro human digital future.