Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today delivered a message at the Closing Ceremony of the ASEAN NEXT 2025, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Dr. Kao highlighted that ASEAN is on the path to becoming a global manufacturing powerhouse. Manufacturing now makes up 18% of ASEAN’s GDP, where FDI in the manufacturing sector alone has also surged 145% to USD 45 billion, drawing greenfield investments and realigning global supply chains. Strategic investments in infrastructure, technology, and skills will accelerate this transformation.