On 12 October 2023, executives from NXPO and the three Program Management Units (PMUs), led by NXPO President Dr. Kitipong Promwong, received the visit of Ms. Supamas Isarabhakdi, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), along with MHESI executives, at the NXPO Headquarters located in Chamchuri Square Building in Bangkok. As Ms. Supamas Isarabhakdi recently took office as the new MHESI minister, NXPO, in conjunction with PMU-A, PMU-B and PMU-C, took this opportunity to present their strategic plans and initiatives aimed at driving the development of higher education, science, research and innovation. 

Dr. Kitipong presented the short-, medium- and long-term higher education, science, research and innovation strategic plans to drive economic growth and enhance people’s quality of life. The short- and medium-term plans place emphasis on four key areas: 1) SMEs Development: Enhancing the capacity and skills of SMEs, especially in high-potential sectors such as future food and the creative economy; 2) Poverty Alleviation: Employing social and innovation processes to foster the growth of local enterprises and cottage industries; 3) Green Campus and Net Zero Economic Zone: Promoting green technologies such as solar rooftop and smart energy system in universities and establishing models for low-carbon cities; and 4) Lifelong Learning: Providing lifelong education to support all three life stages, with initiatives such as a higher education sandbox scheme and reskilling and upskilling programs. 

The long-term strategic plan aims at economic, industrial and social restructuring, accompanied by a quick-win action plan designed to generate new revenue for the country.  The quick-win action plan includes establishing a comprehensive enterprise support system to boost the growth of 3,000 firms and create 1,000 new food innovation companies. The launch of ten Virtual Production Labs and four Thai Content Platforms will help increase the revenue of more than 3,000 companies in the creative industry. This action plan is expected to drive the value of innovative food product exports to reach THB 350 billion and add THB 5 billion in revenue to the creative industry, positioning Thailand as Asia’s Creative Content Hub within 3 years. 

The goal for poverty alleviation is set at increasing household incomes by THB 150,000/year within 1 year, utilizing technology and innovation approaches. This initiative will be expanded to cover 40 provinces within 3 years. In the area of sustainability, thirty universities are expected to participate in the Green Campus campaign, increasing the use of clean energy by 30 megawatts within 1 year. The emergence of new climate tech innovators and green technologies will contribute to a 1.5 MtCO2e reduction within 3 years. Meanwhile, the Saraburi Sandbox will support the demonstration of 10 innovative technologies in circularity and waste management with the support of international partners. The low-carbon city initiative will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8.5 MtCO2e. 

It is anticipated that each university will introduce at least one sandbox course within 1 year, and these sandbox courses are expected to produce a total of 100,000 highly skilled graduates. A university consortium will be established within 1 year to support the operation of the National Credit Bank.  Bootcamps will be organized to upgrade the skills of 50,000 workers and 3,000 teachers within the first year and these numbers will be doubled within 3 years. With increased access to education, the number of student dropouts is expected to decrease by 50,000.  

These higher education, science, research and innovation strategic plans are anticipated to promote sustainable economic growth and create an inclusive society, bringing the country closer to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).