On 27 January 2025, NXPO and the Center for Research and Development Strategy (CRDS) under the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) held discussions focused on policy research and development to explore collaboration opportunities. The meeting was led by NXPO President Dr. Surachai Sathitkunarat; NXPO Vice President Assoc. Prof. Wongkot Wongsapai; and Professor Emeritus Dr. Katsunori Hanamura, Principal Fellow at the Environment and Energy Unit (EEU) of CRDS.
Professor Emeritus Dr. Hanamura introduced CRDS, a public think tank established in 2003 under JST. Its main role is to analyze trends in science, technology and innovation (STI), as well as social and policy issues, both domestically and internationally. Based on these analyses, CRDS identifies key challenges and proposes strategies for research and development (R&D). CRDS disseminates its insights through reports and seminars and supports stakeholders and relevant agencies in policy development. The organization is structured into specialized units, including the Environment and Energy Unit, which plays a key role in Japan’s efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by supporting policies and R&D initiatives in this area.
Dr. Surachai provided an overview of NXPO, emphasizing its role as the secretariat of the National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Policy Council (Policy Council), which is chaired by the Prime Minister. The Policy Council, which includes the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, and ministers from nine other ministries, formulates policy recommendations to the Cabinet.
Similar to CRDS, NXPO conducts research and analysis to inform policy formulation. Formerly known as the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Office, NXPO was restructured in 2019 as part of a system-wide reform that integrated higher education, science, research, and innovation into a single framework, leading to the establishment of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI). This restructuring expanded NXPO’s scope to include not only science, technology and innovation but also social sciences, humanities, and liberal arts.
“NXPO is a policy body that provides strategic direction to the government on higher education, science, research and innovation. We collaborate with various stakeholders and utilize different policy tools to address Thailand’s needs. We also work closely with the Thailand Science Research Innovation (TSRI) on strategic planning for research funding allocation,” said Dr. Surachai.
Assoc. Prof. Wongkot further elaborated on NXPO’s role in climate change initiatives, noting that NXPO serves as Thailand’s lead negotiator for technology development and transfer at the Conference of the Parties (COP) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). NXPO is also Thailand’s National Designated Entity (NDE) for the UNFCCC technology mechanism and oversees the APEC Center for Technology Foresight (APEC CTF), with climate change being among its key focused issues. This year, NXPO is preparing the second report on Thailand’s Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) for submission to the United Nations.
Dr. Surachai concluded the meeting by highlighting the long-standing partnership between Thailand and Japan. He expressed confidence that the collaboration between NXPO and CRDS would further strengthen bilateral policy engagement.
