NXPO recently welcomed the media to unveil its strategic vision and future directions, while introducing its new “Green & Smart Office.”
Shaping the Future
Dr. Surachai Sathitkunarat, President of NXPO, revealed that as Thailand’s key policy body in higher education and science, NXPO focuses on foresight-driven policy planning, leveraging in-depth data and research to anticipate global trends, navigate future challenges, and seize emerging opportunities. At the heart of this approach is the use of advanced foresight tools, such as AI Horizon Scanning, to analyze global shifts and inform strategic decision-making. These efforts are spearheaded by the APEC Center for Technology Foresight, established by NXPO over a decade ago.
NXPO has been at the forefront of Thailand’s climate action, serving as the national negotiator at the Conference of Parties (COP) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for over a decade. Despite the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change, NXPO remains confident that other nations, particularly in Europe, will persist in driving climate agendas forward.
Beyond its role in climate negotiations, NXPO actively promotes policies on the circular economy, renewable energy, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS)—a crucial technology for capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide and repurposing it to combat climate change. NXPO is also exploring future energy sources, including green hydrogen and advanced nuclear energy systems like small modular reactors (SMRs) and micro modular reactors (MMRs). In the biotechnology sector, NXPO is advancing synthetic biology (SynBio), an emerging field with transformative global potential.
Driving Economic Growth and Industry Workforce Development
NXPO’s initiatives supporting economic growth include projects in semiconductors and AI to promote high-tech industries, and EVs to facilitate the transition to clean energy. It also aligns its efforts with government policies such as soft power promotion with dedicated initiatives.
Dr. Surachai further discussed the Science, Research, and Innovation Fund, which allocates an annual budget of 20 billion THB to nine funding agencies. Of this, 70% supports research addressing national priorities, while 30% funds basic research at universities and institutions. He emphasized that research must lead to tangible outcomes, citing the Innovation Driven Enterprise (IDE) policy as an example. This initiative aims to scale 1,000 enterprises to achieve an average revenue of 1 billion THB each and has made significant progress. Another major initiative is the University Holding Company scheme, designed to foster research commercialization within universities.
In human resource development, NXPO, in collaboration with the Office of the Permanent Secretary of MHESI, has launched the Higher Education Sandbox initiative, paving the way for the creation of new educational programs tailored to labor market needs. Approved programs include computer engineering courses that allow students to work before completing their degrees and enable students to accumulate credits in the creadit bank for future use toward earning degrees. Additionally, MHESI is advancing Skill Mapping to align educational programs with labor market demands.
“The challenge in our education system lies in ensuring quality and alignment with labor market needs. We are working closely with universities and the private sector to identify in-demand skills. Several universities have already adopted this approach, and we plan to expand it nationwide. The government is also preparing to roll out Skills Future Thailand, modeled after Singapore’s system, offering skill development vouchers for workers in target sectors,” explained Dr. Surachai.
Fostering Multisectoral Collaboration
As Thailand’s primary policy body for higher education and science and the Secretariat of the National Policy Council for Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation, NXPO recognizes the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration. Dr. Surachai highlighted the significance of cross-ministerial cooperation and engagement with industries, with MHESI playing a supportive role. The event concluded with a tour of NXPO’s newly renovated Green & Smart Office, designed with a focus on efficient space utilization and environmental sustainability. This initiative reflects NXPO’s belief that a high-quality work environment fosters better outcomes—aligning with its mission to develop forward-thinking policies that address national needs and adapt to global changes.
