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NIA and Partners Jointly Create “Innovation Thailand Alliance” To “Revive the Country with Thai Innovations”

NIA and Partners Jointly Create “Innovation Thailand Alliance”  To “Revive the Country with Thai Inn

The National Innovation Agency of Thailand (Public Organization), or NIA, is broadening the scope of its Innovation Thailand platform through the formation of the Innovation Thailand Alliance, which includes partners from various sectors such as government agencies, private organizations, educational institutions, and civil societies. Their shared mission is to revive the country with Thai innovations. These allies will act as ambassadors in the campaign to rebrand Thailand as an innovation nation by raising awareness and pride in innovative Thai creations. At the same time, they will be able to share their knowledge and expertise with one another. Currently, 73 bodies have responded to the invitation to join the network, all of whom are eager to drive Thailand towards the target of being ranked among the top 30 innovative countries in the world by 2030, and transforming Thailand into an innovation-driven nation.

According to Adjunct Professor Dr. Anek Laothamatas, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation, Thailand’s 20-year national strategy, in which the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy is a recurring theme seeking to ensure stability, prosperity, sustainability by transforming Thailand into a developed country. This ambitious goal requires a great deal of knowledge and advancement in science, technology, research and development, and innovation. It also necessitates the development of qualified workforces and the establishment of clear innovation-related directions and policies. These elements must be dynamic and flexible enough to keep up with rapid global changes. One aspect of the national strategy outlines the transformation of Thailand into an innovation-driven economy. Its success relies on the ministry’s ability to incubate innovative entrepreneurs and develop an innovation ecosystem to facilitate the creation and transformation of innovative products into economic and social value. To this end, the ministry strives to decentralize innovation by expanding access to the infrastructure for science, technology, and innovation to other regions of the country. Additionally, the ministry sees the critical role that innovation can play in social betterment and will be fostering the development of innovative social businesses and the creation of a social innovation network to promote equality in Thailand.

“The Innovation Thailand platform that NIA has launched is essential for national economic recovery. It seeks to shed new light on Thailand, which is undergoing the fourth industrial revolution, aptly dubbed ‘Thailand 4.0’, in which innovation will play a pivotal role in driving the economy and society. Furthermore, as a part of the platform, the newly formed Innovation Thailand Alliance is a powerful force that will align policy formulation, implementation, and communication to propel Thailand towards becoming an Innovation Nation,” the adjunct professor added.

NIA Director Dr. Pun-Arj Chairatana said, “Thailand is facing a number of challenges: the middle-income trap with high manufacturing costs and new forms of competition in the global supply chain; inequality, including inadequate access to government services, digital technology, and education; and environmental issues, such as PM 2.5, drought, water supply salinity, and flooding. It is time for Thailand to prepare for an overhaul. Believing that ‘innovation’ will be the solution to these national issues, NIA has expanded the scope of our Innovation in Thailand platform to revive the country with Thai innovations. We are helping Thai people to see the importance of collaboration to ensure ‘business survival’ through the incorporation of innovations into business models; ‘equality promotion’ through the adoption of innovations in social contexts; and ‘environmental improvement’ through the application of innovations to production processes to reduce environmental impacts and promote an environmental balance.”

Innovation Thailand’s mission is to propel Thailand towards becoming an Innovation Nation. To this end, it has laid out the following four frameworks: 1) Innovation Thailand’s Positioning: Thailand to be placed in the top 30 of the Global Innovation Index by 2030 to solidify Thailand’s new image as an innovation nation on the global stage; 2) Innovation Thailand DNA: to promote Thai DNA characteristics that cater to the seven aspects of crafted living; 3) Innovation Thailand Alliance: to build a countrywide network of public agencies, private organizations, educational institutions, and civil societies to enhance Thailand’s strength in the global markets; and 4) Innovation Thailand Dashboard: to collect and connect a wide range of innovation facts and figures from various sectors across the country.

The launch of Innovation Thailand Alliance today aims to strengthen Thailand’s brand as an innovation nation and promote Thai innovation for crafted living to everyone in Thailand and the rest of the world. This alliance is made possible by the contribution of public agencies, private organizations, educational institutions, and civil societies. It currently comprises 73 organizations. They will cooperate in the following three areas: 1) promoting an innovation-centric image of Thailand through various collaborative activities such as signing cooperative agreements, conducting innovation seminars, and organizing innovation exhibitions; 2) raising innovation awareness in Thailand through various forms of communication to create interests in the application or further development of crafty Thai innovations economic, social, and environmental benefits; and 3) exchanging innovation knowledge and expertise, including personnel development, information exchange, and the transfer of the breadth and width of innovation knowledge between different partners in the Innovation Thailand Alliance.