Vital Future Role Seen For Science And Technology

[george]

BANGKOK BRAINSTORM

Vital future role seen for science and technology

By Jirapan Boonnoon

The Nation

Pleas for clear direction, support measures

The important role to be played by science, technology and innovation in the growth of Thailand's economy was emphasised repeatedly at a recent panel discussion organised by The Nation.

The event, entitled "Thailand's Agenda for Science, Technology and Innovation" aimed to provide both government and private-sector executives the opportunity to brainstorm Thailand's need to use science, technology and innovation (STI) to sharpen its competitive edge

Science and Technology Ministry deputy permanent secretary Weerapong Pairsuwan said his ministry's Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Master Plan 2009-2013 aimed to lay down infrastructure, expand research and development and produce scientists to create competitiveness in Thailand. It would do this by increasing the budget for science and technology (S&T) development, producing human resources for S&T and promoting as well as supporting private-sector research and development to create new products and services.

However, compared with countries like South Korea, Thailand lacks money to inject into STI. Thailand spends only 0.21 per cent of GDP in developing STI, while Korea spends 3.28 per cent; Thailand has 6 scientists per 10,000 people, while Korea has 55 scientists per 10,000 head of population.

Weerapong said the key to success for Thailand in driving its economy was to export hi-tech products with high value and to encourage the private sector to both use STI and develop it for the future, in creating new products and services.

Meanwhile, the country should spend much more on STI and research and development and increase the human resources available to science and technology. Private-sector spending on research should also be encouraged and supported, along with cooperation with government agencies, so that government researchers can lend support to private-sector research and development aimed at creating innovative products and services.

"I think the government needs to inject money into providing opportunities and scholarships for talented students in science and technology (S&T). In this way it will support Thai scientists, increase the quality of their life and create both competitiveness and productivity in Thailand," Weerapong said.

A member of the Fiscal Policy Research Institute Foundation's executive board of directors, Pich Nitsmer, said STI had an important part to play in driving the economy and supporting growth.

Therefore, the government should create a technology roadmap to show the way to change the speed, attitude and direction of STI in Thailand. The private sector should also adopt the use of STI to create new business and to replace "traditional ways of doing business", so as to become more competitive and improve company performance.

"To promote science and technology, the government should promote clusters, or collaboration between government and private-sector organisations," Pich said, adding that government procurement could play an important role in creating demand for local products and supporting local suppliers, which would, in turn, create human resources for science and technology.

The director of Siam Cement Group's Corporate Technology Office, Wilaiporn Chetanachan, said her company introduced a policy of using STI and research and development to drive its performance in 2004. At that time, SCG spent Bt40 million a year on research and development. This year, the company has spent more than Bt1 billion on research and development, enabling it to provide high-value-added products to the market.

The group also provides training and creates career paths for research and development staff to enable them to become executives, so they can carry the cause of STI to higher levels.

Thai Venture Capital Association president Sopon Boonyaruttapunth said the government should drive STI and encourage small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to use it to develop new products and services. Those SMEs that opt to use STI or to import technology to create new products should be officially supported by tax-exemption measures, the availability of loans and the creation of business models such as joint ventures with access to venture capital, he said.

"I think that STI has an important role and is necessary if we want to create long-term, sustainable growth. We need to develop STI and apply research and development to produce new products and services, so we will be competitive and efficient," Sopon said.

Intellectual Property Department assistant director-general Chumpon Sirivannabood said the National Intellectual Property (IP) Policy Committee and the IP Court had been set up to protect IP rights, so that innovative products and services could be developed in Thailand without danger of commercial exploitation by others. IP registration not only provides this protection, but also creates added value for the developers of new products. The IP policy also encourages and creates public awareness of IP in science, technology and innovation and research and development.

"The department has created a project to access and use 5 million expired patents around the world, to support SMEs who want to develop expired patents to create new products and services. The department also has an IP Mart to support and promote the purchase of IP licences by businesses that want to use IP to produce new products," Chumpon said.

He said his department was working to create awareness of IP among young people and had created a means of youngsters reporting illegal products. The department was also working with other government agencies, such as the Customs Department, to suppress the traffic in illegal products.

The vice president of the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology, Duangsamon Klongsara, said that her institute aimed to promote careers in science and technology, starting among primary school students and working at all educational levels. It also identifies students who will potentially excel in STI so that they will be encouraged to develop to the full extent of their ability. The institute also produces standard S&T text books to drive STI subjects to students at all educational levels.

Duangsamon said the institute was also trying to develop "clusters", including government- and private-sector organisations, to provide scholarships to students and scientists to develop skilled human resources.

She said the government should set up an excellence centre with research, S&T and innovation reports and tools that would help people working in S&T to collaborate and create new developments.

IBM Thailand's country manager for general business Parnsiree Amatayakul said that STI could create value-added products and services to support both business and consumers.

IBM spends more than Bt200 billion a year on research and development, or about 5 per cent of its total revenue. The company has eight laboratories around the world and a staff of about 3,000 S&T personnel, he said. However, it also has three core values: dedication to every client's success, innovation that matters for the company and for the world and trust and personal responsibility in all of its relationships.

"I think the business sector wants to see the country follow an STI path because competition in a globalised market place and in Thailand will drive STI smoothly in this country," he said.

-- The Nation 2010-10-07

[backsoon]

Important, vital, sure! but the great asian tiger is stll scratching it's ears about 3G, while the west goes to 4G. I guess too many fleas slow down the progress:)