MHESI-NXPO participated in the 86th Meeting of ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology, and Innovation (COSTI-86) and related meetings held during 7-11 October 2024 in Singapore. The event was hosted by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) of Singapore.
Dr. Pranpreya Sriwannawit Lundberg, Director of International Policy Partnership Division at NXPO, represented Thailand in the 17th Meeting of the Board of Advisers to ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (BAC-17). She was joined by Dr. Doungkamon Phihusut, Policy Developer at NXPO, at this meeting as well as the COSTI-86 meeting.
The BAC-17 meeting focused on: 1) introducing private sector representatives from three countries participating for the first time; 2) reporting BAC’s on-going progress; 3) providing updates on the ASEAN Science, Technology, and Innovation Fund (ASTIF); 4) reviewing the status the 2024 Annual Priority Projects and proposing projects for 2025; and 5) developing the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology, and Innovation for 2026-2035 (APASTI 2026-2035).
In the discussion on the formation of BAC subgroups, Dr. Pranpreya suggested that BAC examine the structure and operation of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as an exemplary framework for intergovernmental collaboration. She also proposed extending BAC discussion durations to enhance effectiveness. In addition, she supported the adoption of the Global Innovation Index (GII), instead of the Gross Domestic Expenditure on R&D (GERD), as a benchmark for COSTI aspirations to ensure broader data availability for all 10 ASEAN member countries, noting that Thailand has comprehensive data on both GERD and GII.
The COSTI-86 is a high-level meeting of STI representatives from ASEAN member countries. Led by Prof. Dr. Supachai Pathumnakul, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, the Thai delegation included officials from the Office of the Permanent Secretary, NXPO, the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), and the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (TINT). NXPO played a key role in providing policy insights to the Thai delegation.
