On 29 October 2025, Mr. Surasak Phancharoenworakul, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), presided over the Meeting of NXPO Executive Board.
In his opening remarks, Minister Surasak emphasized his goal of achieving “Quick Wins” through collaboration across multiple sectors. He underscored MHESI’s role in driving the government’s agenda, particularly in addressing challenges related to the economy, national security, natural disasters, and social development. In the economic domain, MHESI will promote innovation-driven enterprises among grassroots communities and SMEs by leveraging the ministry’s knowledge base, research outputs, and technologies to strengthen entrepreneurs nationwide. For national security, the ministry’s technologies and innovations can contribute to enhancing resilience. In tackling natural and environmental risks, MHESI has established clear frameworks for disaster monitoring and management.
Minister Surasak further stressed the importance of achieving “Big Quick Wins” that deliver broad and tangible impacts — especially through reskilling and upskilling initiatives aimed at developing workforce capabilities across all age groups. These efforts are designed to align human resource development with labor market needs, strengthen the workforce’s capacity to adapt to digital and AI transitions, and enhance public awareness of MHESI’s role in advancing human capital, research, and innovation for better livelihoods and sustainable economic growth.
“Research must be practical and deliver real benefits to the country. People should be able to access and benefit from MHESI’s work. Once the public understands our role, they will join us in driving the nation forward,” said Minister Surasak. He also highlighted NXPO’s role as a national policy think tank and encouraged the organization to accelerate progress toward its objectives. The Minister assigned NXPO and its Executive Board to review and amend laws or regulations that impede operations or fail to serve public interest, to enhance agility and efficiency. Reaffirming his working principle as an enabler, Minister Surasak called for collaboration from all sectors to collectively drive MHESI’s mission and strengthen Thailand’s global competitiveness.
During the meeting, NXPO President Dr. Surachai Sathitkunarat presented the agency’s FY 2026 Action Plan, outlining five key impact areas to advance national development through higher education, science, research, and innovation:
- Driving economic growth to help Thailand escape the middle-income trap by strengthening entrepreneurs through scale-up platforms, expanding access to domestic and international markets, and preparing for future industries such as semiconductors, the creative economy, and electric vehicles (EVs).
- Enhancing the social sciences, humanities, and arts to foster knowledge creation and improve research funding structures, policies, and management mechanisms.
- Supporting climate change adaptation and advancing Thailand’s transition toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.
- Expanding the share of high-skilled labor through workforce development and talent cultivation aligned with labor market demand.
- Improving the efficiency of the higher education, science, research and innovation system, alongside strengthening NXPO’s organizational development to ensure transparency and operational excellence.
Additional recommendations were raised during the meeting, emphasizing the integration of social sciences, humanities, and arts into economic and social policies. For human resource development, the Board proposed that NXPO set a clear direction for reskilling and upskilling programs and encourage universities to utilize existing platforms to enhance workforce capabilities in the short term.
Board members also recommended focusing on the longevity and wellness industries, future food, and the development of a technology roadmap to raise Thailand’s GDP and foster sustainable and resilient growth.
