Cambodia Development Resource Institute

What Cambodia Development Resource Institute does

Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI) is a policy research institute founded in 1990 and headquartered in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It is described as Cambodia's primary policy research organization, conducting evidence-based research on national development priorities including education, agriculture, and rural development. CDRI's research portfolio addresses development strategy gaps, STEM education gender disparity, and science-based research funding mechanisms. The institute serves Cambodian policymakers, government ministries, and international development organizations, functioning as the country's central think tank for development policy.

CDRI operates through a collaborative model with multilateral and bilateral development partners. Core partnerships include the Asian Development Bank (with whom CDRI jointly studied STEM education gender gaps in Cambodia), Cambodia's Ministry of Industry (co-organizing regional workshops on R&D funding mechanisms), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and the Canadian government. The organization distributes findings through policy workshops, regional events, and collaborative partnerships rather than commercial channels, with a workforce of 101-250 employees.

The institute's business model is built on grant-funded research rather than commercial revenue generation. Funding flows from international development organizations and government partnerships, with no disclosed pricing model, product offerings, or commercial customers. CDRI's value proposition centers on filling research gaps in Cambodia's development policy and providing evidence-based inputs to national strategic planning, particularly around workforce development and science-based research investment.

Name

Cambodia Development Resource Institute

Legal name

Cambodia Development Resource Institute

Website

https://cdri.org.kh

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cambodia Development Resource Institute is a Phnom Penh-based policy research institute founded in 1990 that conducts evidence-based research on education, agriculture, and rural development for Cambodian policymakers, government ministries, and international development organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

akta.pro primary industry

Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance (BPADAEAL)

Keywords

• Policy research services
• Development research
• Rural development studies
• Education research
• Agricultural research

Headquarters

HQ city

Phnom Penh

HQ country

Cambodia

HQ region

Asia

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Core offering

CDRI is Cambodia's primary policy research institute conducting evidence-based research on national development priorities including STEM education, agriculture, and rural development. It produces research studies, organizes policy workshops, and collaborates with government ministries and multilateral organizations to inform national development strategy and science-based research funding mechanisms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Cambodia's Ministry of IndustrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 March 2026CDRI co-organized with the Ministry of Industry a regional workshop on funding mechanisms for research and development, focusing on strengthening science-based research investment in Cambodia.
• Asian Development BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADB and CDRI jointly conducted a study on STEM education gender gap in Cambodia, warning that women's underrepresentation in STEM careers poses risks to the country's digital and green economy ambitions. The study found that women account for only 17% of tertiary STEM students and earn 26% less than men in STEM roles.

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS): VASS is Vietnam's primary social science research institution, conducting policy-relevant studies on economics, education, and rural development. It parallels CDRI's regional focus but operates under a more state-embedded governance structure.
• Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA): SIIA is one of Singapore's oldest independent think tanks, conducting policy research on economic and international affairs. It is comparable as a Southeast Asia-focused policy research organization, though it operates in a higher-income economy context than CDRI.
• Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia: ISIS Malaysia is an autonomous policy research institute focused on international relations, economics, and development. It is comparable to CDRI as a Southeast Asian policy think tank with multilateral engagement, though it operates at a larger scale and broader mandate.

Broad incumbents

• Brookings Institution: Brookings is a leading global policy research organization conducting economic, development, and education policy analysis. It is comparable to CDRI in policy research methodology and engagement with government and international stakeholders, though at far greater scale and global scope.
• International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI): IFPRI is an international agricultural development policy research institute providing research-based policy solutions. It is comparable given CDRI's agriculture and rural development research agenda and IFPRI's role as a multilateral research partner in developing economies.
• Overseas Development Institute (ODI): ODI is a UK-based global development think tank producing research on international development, policy, and humanitarian issues. It is comparable as a development-focused research organization and a likely funder/partner counterpart for CDRI's work on Cambodia's development policy.

Direct peers

• Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia: CSIS Indonesia is a leading policy research organization providing analysis on economic, social, and political development issues. It is comparable to CDRI as a national Indonesian think tank engaged with government ministries and international partners on development strategy.
• Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS): PIDS is the Philippine government-hosted policy research institute focused on socioeconomic development, agriculture, and education research. It mirrors CDRI's mandate of producing evidence-based policy recommendations for national development priorities in a Southeast Asian context.
• Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI): TDRI is Thailand's leading independent development policy research institute, conducting socioeconomic and public policy research. It is directly comparable to CDRI as a national development think tank operating in a Southeast Asian emerging market with government and multilateral partnerships.

Emerging players

• ERIA (Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia): ERIA is a regional research institute supporting ASEAN economic integration and development research. It is comparable to CDRI through its focus on Southeast Asian development policy and could serve as either a partner or comparable regional research platform.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CDRI_Official
• Facebookfacebook.com/CDRICambodia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cambodia-development-resource-institute-cdri

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cambodia Development Resource Institute