On 10 August 2022, NXPO President Dr. Kitipong Promwong participated in the launch of South-South and Triangular Collaboration Programme on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) among Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam (CLTV) organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The event was attended by representatives of the public and private sectors of the four participating countries.

In his remarks, Dr. Kitipong stated that the world is facing multiple challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, social issues, environmental degradation and climate change that threaten global sustainability and that STI is among main drivers of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this regard, NXPO has supported the Thai Government in its effort to mobilize STI policy to enhance the country’s competitiveness and introduce new developmental models.

Dr. Kitipong further explained that Thailand’s new national agenda on Bio-Circular-Green Economy (BCG) represents the concept of applying STI to elevate the level of competitiveness and achieve SDGs at the national and regional levels. The launch of this initiative will therefore reinforce the BCG agenda by promoting STI collaboration among the four countries and exploiting the STI to create sustainability for this region.

Serving in the overseeing committee of this initiative is Former Minister of Science and Technology and Former Minister of Digital Economy and Society Dr. Pichet Durongkaveroj.  He reflected that relationship among working teams in CLTV is a vital mechanism for deepening and sustaining long-term collaboration and that advancement in digital technology can facilitate such relationship and collaboration. Dr. Pichet also emphasized the essential role of the private sector in driving the economic recovery with the support provided by the government. 

The South-South and Triangular Collaboration Programme on Science, Technology and Innovation among Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam aims at leveraging STI capacity of CLTV through a co-creation process. NXPO will support this initiative by bringing in the Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (ARTNET on STI) – a network co-founded by NXPO – to design STI policy to enable regional sustainability.