Background
As part of provincial investor facilitation, a Deputy Prime Minister who leads the Office of the Council of Ministers’ provincial working group met with Charles River Laboratories (CRL) to discuss expansion plans in Kampong Thom on 12 June 2026. Charles River Laboratories has committed up to US$500 million for a primate-breeding and research investment in Kampong Thom province. The meeting covered operational progress, community engagement, and planned research facilities.
CRL began operations in January 2026 and has exported non-human primates (NHPs) to markets in Canada and the United States. Company updates presented to the government included workforce growth, higher local wages, CSR commitments for education and health, and plans to develop laboratory infrastructure to support deeper research and local skills transfer.
Key Developments
Company representatives reported that initial export consignments of NHPs have already reached North American markets, and that on-site cultivation and husbandry operations started earlier in 2026. The investor outlined intentions to scale laboratory capabilities within Kampong Thom, recruit and train local staff, and expand commercial activities tied to the export supply chain.
Institutional Role
The Office of the Council of Ministers, represented by the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the provincial working group, acted as the government interlocutor for the investor’s provincial engagement. Government officials expressed strong support for the project and encouraged procurement of local agricultural inputs, such as feed crops, to integrate local suppliers into the biomedical value chain.
Market Impact
CRL’s project links provincial agricultural production and skilled labor development to an international biomedical export market, with stated effects including new employment and higher wages in the immediate area. The company also signalled annual CSR funding to support community education, health, infrastructure and youth programs as part of local benefit-sharing commitments.
