On 15 September 2025, NXPO, together with the Program Management Unit for Competitiveness (PMUC) and the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), welcomed a delegation of energy experts from Germany. Accompanied by Ms. Chanantiya Temahivong, Second Secretary at the Royal Thai Embassy in Berlin, the delegation included Mr. Christoph Spurk, Vice President of the German Biogas Association; Prof. Dr. Christopher Hebling, Director of International Affairs at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE); Ms. Melanie Form, Managing Director of the Aviation Initiative for Renewable Energy in Germany; Ms. Mongkolaya Rungvetvuthivitaya, Sustainability Manager at the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce; and Ms. Nattaya Lonawan, Thai-German Energy Dialogue (TGED), GIZ.
During the session, Assoc. Prof. Wongkot Wongsapai, Vice President of NXPO, introduced NXPO and highlighted Thailand’s higher education, science, research, and innovation policies on climate change and energy. He emphasized that Thailand’s strategies are aligned with the 13th National Economic and Social Development Plan (2023–2027), which prioritizes sustainability. Energy-related goals include establishing Thailand as a global hub for electric vehicle manufacturing, developing safe and livable smart cities, reducing risks from climate change and natural disasters, and advancing the circular economy and low-carbon society. NXPO aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 million tons of CO₂ equivalent, with flagship initiatives such as the Saraburi Sandbox, which pilots a low-carbon city model in Saraburi province. It has also published the Climate Tech Landscape White Paper and established the Thailand Climate Business Network (Thai CBN) to accelerate the country’s transition to net zero, particularly in the energy sector.
PMUC, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jintawat Chaichanawong and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sunida Aroonpipat, presented its funding programs in bioenergy, biomaterials, biochemicals, and the circular economy. The team also outlined enabling mechanisms to strengthen Thailand’s higher education system internationally, including the Global Partnership program. PMUC’s Bio-Circular-Green Economy (BCG) Research and Innovation program targets areas such as low-carbon clean energy, EVs, energy efficiency, biorefineries, and carbon sequestration. To support sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), PMUC funded the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC), NSTDA, to develop sustainability standards for SAF feedstocks. Collaboration is fostered across government, industry, academia, and civil society, with ongoing projects including the development of safe transformer oil from palm oil—currently under field testing for commercialization—and a water management system for zero-waste discharge in the tapioca starch industry.
The German experts shared insights and expressed strong interest in Thailand’s bio-based research and innovation landscape, policies, and energy-related technology transfer. Discussions also covered Germany’s development of hydrogen pipeline networks and infrastructure. Both sides highlighted opportunities for collaboration in bioplastics—particularly in producing intermediates for bioplastic manufacturing—as well as in SAF and biofuels for marine transport. The meeting concluded with an agreement to hold follow-up discussions online to explore concrete avenues for partnership.
