On 28 November 2025, Mr. Surasak Phancharoenworakul, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), presided over the Meeting of NXPO Executive Board.
During the meeting, Minister Surasak expressed concern about the flooding in the southern region, particularly in Hat Yai District of Songkhla Province. Although water levels had begun to recede and the situation was improving, the damage remained severe and widespread, with several other provinces still affected by prolonged flooding. MHESI therefore discussed urgent relief and recovery measures, including mobilizing personnel, knowledge, technical expertise, and innovation from universities and affiliated agencies to assist affected communities both in the immediate and long term.
Minister Surasak also expressed appreciation to Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai Campus, for serving as a major evacuation center and providing medical assistance, shelter, and care for pets—an effort that received praise from the Prime Minister, who commended PSU as a model for higher education institutions responding effectively to crises.
The meeting then reviewed NXPO’s performance for fiscal year 2025 (October 2024–September 2025). NXPO received an overall score of 98.78, rated “excellent” under the Public Organization Assessment Framework of the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC). The results reflect strong organizational management, transparency, and strategic progress. NXPO also reported the Executive Director’s performance for 2025, which aligned with the organization’s key performance indicators and demonstrated effective policy direction for Thailand’s higher education, science, research, and innovation ecosystem.
Three Program Management Units (PMUs) under NXPO—PMU-A, PMU-B, and PMU-C—also reported their organizational and executive-level performance. The results showed that all three PMUs performed in line with plans and KPIs in the areas of research funding management, innovation investment promotion, entrepreneurship development, and governance. The meeting also reviewed the fiscal year 2026 KPIs for NXPO and the three PMUs.
Dr. Surachai Sathitkunarat, President of NXPO, presented progress on the establishment of the Office of Research and Innovation for Competitiveness and Area-Based Development, approved by the Cabinet on 4 November 2025. The new organization is intended to serve as a key mechanism for driving area-based development through integrated research, innovation, and technology. He also outlined the transition framework for integrating the existing PMU-A, PMU-B, and PMU-C into the new organization to ensure continuity, transparency, and systematic operations in 2026.
Ms. Ratima Urthamapimuk, Senior Strategist at NXPO, briefed the meeting on the organizational structure of the new office, which consists of four main administrative components: (1) a Board responsible for setting organizational policy, (2) an Executive Director, (3) program management units, and (4) subcommittees and directors of the three units transferred from NXPO along with their existing mandates. The implementation plan is scheduled over a 180-day period.
