Cambodia has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing the creative industry at the ASEAN Digital Content Summit 2025 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
The country is encouraging regional companies to draw on ancient Angkor-era storytelling and co-produce films, animations, games, and other digital media to bolster the ASEAN creative economy.
The summit, held from Sept. 2-4, saw Cambodia spotlight its ambition to revive a once-flourishing creative industry by bringing timeless Angkor stories into the modern age.
“Our creative energy is driven by a new generation that is young, talented, English-speaking, and eager to learn,” said H.E. Seang Soleak, Advisor to the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation and Head of Cambodia’s Delegation.
“With the right training and guidance, these young talents can become creators, animators, game designers, and developers who bring Cambodian stories to regional and global platforms.”
The creative economy is gaining recognition alongside other emerging economic models in the region, such as the blue economy (sustainable activities related to oceans and waterways) and the green economy (focused on growth through reduced carbon emissions and efficient resource use).
At the summit, ASEAN leaders highlighted the “orange economy” as a new frontier. H.E. Onn Hafiz Ghazi, Chief Minister of Johor, described it as encompassing creative and cultural industries like media, design, technology, and the arts. His remarks underscored ASEAN’s growing belief that creativity and culture are vital drivers of competitiveness, jobs, and identity.
Globally, the creative economy is valued at more than US$2.2 trillion, contributing about 3 percent of world GDP and employing nearly 30 million people. Asia has become a powerhouse in this field, with South Korea’s cultural content industry valued at US$113 billion and Japan’s anime, gaming, and media industries generating billions in exports.
Cambodia aims to leverage its youthful population as the foundation of its creative revival. The country’s digital economy is projected to grow from US$1.62 billion in 2025 to US$4.5 billion by 2030, with employment expected to double from 14,000 to 28,000.
During the summit, Cambodia proposed several ASEAN-level initiatives, including an ASEAN Co-Production Fund, an ASEAN Creative Talent Exchange, an ASEAN IP Fast-Track & One-Stop Licensing system, and an ASEAN Global Content Platform.
On the sidelines, H.E. Soleak met with Anuar Fariz Fadzil, CEO of the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, to discuss collaboration. Soleak expressed Cambodia’s readiness to work with Malaysia on joint research, business matching, and talent exchange to connect Cambodian and Malaysian creative professionals.
