NXPO took part in the ASEAN-EU Forum on Aviation Research and Innovation (R&I), held from 25 to 27 March 2025 in Singapore. Organized by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the forum aimed to strengthen collaboration, drive innovation, and facilitate knowledge exchange between ASEAN and EU stakeholders in science, technology, and the aviation sectors.
The three-day event featured discussions on ASEAN-EU aviation cooperation, research capabilities, industry partnerships, and emerging innovations. Key topics included green aviation technologies, digitalization, and public-private partnerships.
Representing Thailand, Dr. Doungkamon Phihusut, Policy Developer at NXPO, delivered a presentation on “National Research and Innovation Capabilities and Priorities.” She outlined Thailand’s Science, Research, and Innovation Plan (2023–2027), highlighting 15 key focus areas, implementation mechanisms through nine research funding agencies, and funding programs under the Program Management Unit for Competitiveness (PMUC) and the Program Management Unit for Human Resources & Institutional Development, Research, and Innovation (PMU-B). She showcased Thailand’s aviation and aerospace initiatives, including the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for logistics, commercial drone advancements, and efforts to strengthen technologies in earth sciences, space technology, geoinformatics, and satellite systems to support Thailand’s future industries and high-potential economy. She also explored potential collaborations on human resource development for the aviation industry.
Dr. Doungkamon also introduced Thailand’s Global Partnership Program, which fosters regional and interregional cooperation through three national research funding agencies: the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), PMUC, and PMU-B.
The forum brought together key research and funding agencies supporting aviation and aerospace innovation, particularly in science, digital technology, and sustainable solutions. Notable presentations included an overview of the ASEAN-EU Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement (CATA) and the EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package (SCOPE) in aviation led by EASA, research capabilities and partnerships in Europe under Horizon Europe, and the application of research for sustainable solutions presented by ORLEN S.A. and Airbus in Singapore.
Discussions also focused on current topics of interest in the aviation and aerospace sectors which include the development of artificial intelligence (AI) for safety and efficiency in air traffic management, as well as the advancement of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which is being actively pursued for commercial adoption as demonstrated by Poland’s ORLEN S.A. The importance of public-private partnerships (PPP) in research and innovation was also emphasized, with examples from Singapore’s Nandina REM, as well as efforts to develop aviation infrastructure as shown by the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) of Cambodia.
