EduAsiaNews, Bangkok — Thailand is entering a new chapter in its national research and innovation strategy with the launch of the Thailand RISE Fund. This is a research funding initiative designed to accelerate the transition from academic research to tangible economic and social impact.
The initiative was introduced through the third edition of the Thailand RISE Fund Forum: RISE UP THAILAND, organised in collaboration between the Science, Research, and Innovation Promotion Fund (SRI Fund) under Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI) and Chulalongkorn University. The forum was attended by policymakers, researchers, industry leaders, and innovation stakeholders from across Thailand.
Chulalongkorn University Rector Professor Dr. Wilert Puriwat emphasised that a nation’s progress cannot rest solely on the quantity of knowledge it produces. “An advanced nation is not merely one that generates knowledge, but one that can transform that knowledge into an integrated system connecting policy, research, innovation, and industry,” said Puriwat.
In the same vein, Professor Dr. Sompong Klaynongsruang, President of TSRI, stressed that Thailand’s science, research, and innovation system must be driven systematically and with clear direction, from targeted policy strategies and research funding through to the real-world application of research outcomes across economic and social sectors. Assistant Professor Dr. Ake Pattaratanakun, Chairman of the Thailand RISE Fund Strategic Communications Subcommittee, underscored that Thailand’s greatest challenge today is no longer about the volume of research produced. “Thailand has significantly increased its research output over the past decade, but the key challenge today is not quantity. it is how that research creates economic and social value,” he asserted.
The long-term vision of the Thailand RISE Fund is to strengthen the role of research in Thailand’s development strategy, focusing on the creation of measurable impact and long-term value to enhance the country’s competitiveness while supporting sustainable economic and social development. (**)
(Sources: Bangkok Post, Asia Tech Daily, ThaiPR.NET)
