On 13 August 2025, NXPO joined the panel discussion “Extending Research to Create Business: The University Spinoff Pathway” at the MHESI Fair 2025: SCI POWER FOR FUTURE THAILAND, held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. Ms. Manunya Chunhavuthiyanon, Director of Innovation Policy for Entrepreneurship Development at NXPO, spoke on “The Role of Holding Companies in Driving University Spinoffs.”
Ms. Manunya explained that holding companies serve as a critical mechanism to overcome barriers universities face in commercializing research and innovation, particularly through joint investment with the private sector. By establishing a separate legal entity, universities gain greater operational flexibility. She pointed to global success stories—such as Tsinghua University in China and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in Taiwan—that effectively use the holding company model to drive technology- and innovation-based enterprises.
She further noted that while some Thai universities had already set up holding companies, legal and internal regulatory constraints remained. To address this, NXPO introduced the Prime Minister’s Office Regulation on Public-Private Joint Investment in Projects Utilizing Research and Innovation Outputs, B.E. 2566 (2023), which provides clear guidelines. These include enabling university personnel to work with spinoff companies, allowing the use of university resources to support business activities, and encouraging universities to act as early adopters of spinoff products and services. Since the regulation’s implementation, the number of universities with holding companies has grown by seven in just two years, bringing the total to 12.
The event also featured a Startup Showcase, highlighting innovations from four university spinoffs—Nabsolute, Premier Innova, Advanced GreenFarm, and OsseoLabs. Founders from each company shared their first-hand experiences, discussing opportunities, challenges, and key success factors that shaped their growth, with the aim of inspiring universities and researchers interested in pursuing the spinoff pathway.
