The “NIA” is accelerating Thailand towards being an innovative nation through new roles as a “Focal Conductor,” moving forward with 7 issues to strengthen “government, private sector, SMEs, startups and infrastructure” and to be ready to diversify investment into the region.

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach – August 7, 2023 – The National Innovation Agency (public body), or NIA, continues to push Thailand’s Innovation Index to 30^e place by 2030 in the role of an “orchestra conductor” that connects with national and international partners to promote and support innovation-based entrepreneurs in all dimensions. This will lead to sustainable economic and social impacts for the country with 7 main strategies which are: 1) Create and improve innovation-based entrepreneurial skills in targeted industries with networks throughout the supply chain; 2) Promoting open innovation and opening up the Thai innovation system; 3) Promote access and use of infrastructure with universities and science parks; 4) Be a center for creating an ecosystem that promotes the use of innovation; 5) Promote the marketing of innovation both nationally and internationally; 6) Raise awareness and recognize the importance of innovation in all sectors; and 7) Develop the organization into one that is ready for change and that grows sustainably.

Dr. Krithpaka Boonfueng, Executive Director of the National Innovation Agency (public body), or NIA, revealed that in 2023, the policy of using innovation to stimulate the economy, society and infrastructure necessary for the development of the country was discussed and the roles in bringing the country back to being competitive at the macro level were clearly defined. Thanks to this dynamic, the NIA is another agency that plays a role both in terms of policy makers, facilitating an innovation ecosystem for work capacity and for creating business value, including the creation of innovation among entrepreneurs, startups and government sectors. In addition, an important goal is to accelerate Thailand to become one of the top 30 innovation countries in the world by 2030.

“In order to improve the direction of Thailand’s innovation momentum to be in line with the global context, the NIA has a new strategy under the concept of ‘Creating the dot – Connecting the dot – Creating value’ to through the “Groom Grant Growth” mechanism and the “2 reduce 3 increase” approach, which consists of reducing inequalities by emphasizing open innovation through exposure to new ideas from startups and SMEs to fill gaps weaknesses or address social and economic issues Second, reduce barriers to access and leverage innovation for all sectors while revising regulations that may impede growth and increasing access opportunities funding sources for the public and private sectors. In addition, to increase the number of innovators and innovation-based entrepreneurs. To create jobs, increase GDP and create the image of a “nation of innovation” and increase the potential of entrepreneurs based on innovation. This will provide the opportunity to expand the market and create innovative Thai brands ready to compete with innovations from abroad,” he said.

For the years 2023 – 2027, the NIA has changed its role from “system integrator” to become “focal driver”, which will be another new role according to the 7 strategies, he said, namely:

1) Build and scale Innovation-Based Entrepreneurs (IBEs) in targeted industries as well as networks across the supply chain to develop and scale significant project results across 5 industry clusters: 1) Food Tech & Ag Tech 2) Travel Tech 3) Med Tech 4) Climate Tech and 5) Soft power by promoting IBEs to protect and manage intellectual property of innovative products and to use the NIA Academy as the primary mechanism for developing IBEs to through an intensive program. This objective is also to be achieved by establishing a network of cooperation with external bodies such as the Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Bureau, the Confederation of Thai SMEs, the Federation of Thai Industries, the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade. of Thailand, Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, Siam Commercial Bank, Government Savings Bank, Government Housing Bank, etc. an impact value in targeted industries and areas of 20,000 million baht.

2) Promoting open innovation and making Thailand’s innovation system more open by emphasizing open funding and linkages to other funding sources. Regionally aligned industrial sector funding is expected to build capacity for grant applications and project proposal preparation with innovation networks such as universities, science parks, Federation of Thai Industries, Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Young Entrepreneurs Group of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (YEC) and the Thai SME Confederation to diversify opportunities to access sources of capital in the region, streamlining processes and accelerating disbursements in development projects. subsidies. Use innovative vouchers to provide faster funding and link funding sources, whether from public banks or other funding sources, both domestically and internationally. The 4-year goal is 2,000 million baht of funds to support innovations managed by the NIA, supporting 1,500 innovative projects and companies with an investment value of 2,000 million baht, with a cost-effective 5 times greater and with the impact of innovation funding creating 3 new support mechanisms.

3) Promote access and use of infrastructure with universities and science parks by working closely with regional science parks and provincial governors to establish innovation committees as has been done in Phatthalung provinces and Chiang Mai. Also create innovation networks in border areas in cooperation with agencies under the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Higher Education, such as the Directorate of Community Development, research agencies and universities, including the DEPA CEA, to increase the area of ​​innovation provinces to global and to generate results and have an impact in each region. The 4-year goal is the participation of more than 3,000 IBEs, promoting the use of innovation infrastructure in 40 universities and 16 parks, creating a regional investment in innovation of 20,000 million baht. The Urban Innovation Index ranking moved up 5 places with innovation development centers in 12 provinces, 12 innovation districts and 3 regional offices.

4) Be a center for creating an ecosystem that promotes the use of innovation that facilitates the participation of all sectors, collaborating with partner agencies both nationally and internationally to promote and support BBIs at the both financial and in other dimensions. This emphasizes using innovation to create economic and social impact, building a network to use research findings, and creating space to support startups like Station F from the French Republic. In addition, duties include preparing a database of Thai innovation systems, making policy recommendations, and promoting laws that strengthen the Thai innovation system, such as financial and fiscal policies that support innovative companies, intellectual property tax rebate, or policies that support targeted industries and extend privileges. in the Innovation Districts with the BOI and the bill for the promotion of start-ups.

5) Promote innovation marketing both nationally and internationally for innovation-based entrepreneurs’ products and services in the form of a “Business Brotherhood”, enabling large companies to support the business expansion of IBEs, such as promoting the marketing of innovative products with CP All, Makro, Siam Piwat and the core group companies, including promoting IBEs on how to build a brand, marketing through e-commerce platforms by expanding the cooperation with Shopee in the InnoMall project with other platforms such as TikTok and Line, including the creation of a catalog of innovative products in Thai and English. In collaboration with agencies of the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the goal in 4 years is for 1,000 IBEs participating in the project with a growth in the value of the domestic and international markets of 1,000 million baht.

6) Raise awareness and recognize the importance of innovation in all sectors through the Innovation Thailand project, by organizing innovation prize competitions, SITE events, Ubon Art Fest events to create a coalition in driving of the Thai innovation system. The goal in 4 years is the number of online and on-site participants of at least 50,000 people, with an online content visitor number of at least 2,000,000.

7) Develop the organization into a change-ready and sustainably growing organization, focusing on cross-functional work, reducing complicated work processes. support job rotation, promote creativity, implement project management, and set clear and consistent objectives and key results (OKRs) across the organization. People management should be systematic, transparent and fair, emphasizing teamwork to achieve the mission of the organization and introducing the concept of economics of sufficiency and ESG principles in operations.

“Within a year, the NIA has set itself the goal of advancing Thai innovation both in terms of value and brand image, whether to push the bill to successfully promote companies in start-up or to create a space to support startups based on the model of the French Republic Station F. It will be a space where startups and investors gather and is equipped with facilities, consulting firms, offices global technologies and a promotion program for the support of public and private companies,” he said.

“In addition, it will also create a network to use research findings with agencies under the Ministry of Higher Education, make policy recommendations and push for laws that strengthen Thailand’s innovation system, such as financial and tax policies that support innovative businesses, IP Tax Reimbursement, or policies that support targeted industries, extend privileges in innovation districts with the BOI, link innovation databases, and create a platform for Innovation Thailand, etc.”
concluded Dr. Krithpaka.