In an effort to open up dialogue on new dimensions of innovation, the National Innovation Agency (NIA) of Thailand launched the Startup Thailand x Innovation Thailand Expo 2020. The project is a complete virtual event that does not only demonstrate Thailand’s strong innovation potential, but also creates a new phenomenon that combines all sectors to take part in the development of the national innovation ecosystem and make it stronger.
The event successfully concluded last September 18, which Dr. Pun-Arj Chairatana, Executive Director of NIA described as “an important synergy of leading Thai startups and innovators that have come together to show the innovation potential of the country in a virtual event.” The initiative also seeks to create changes in the country in order to address issues surrounding different crises occurring around the world.
This year, there was cooperation from 133 partner organisations and 412 agencies to exhibit their innovative works geared towards coping with the crisis across 6 important themes. The event also featured 47 topics as discussed by more than 100 renowned speakers from 29 countries around the world.
Throughout the event, NIA received positive responses from government agencies, private sectors, startups, entrepreneurs, investors, students, and other interested stakeholders. A total of 15,462 people registered to the event, with approximately 19,000 visitors having accessed the website, which is now open for those who want to catch up on all the sessions.
Addressing the future through innovation
With the Startup Thailand x Innovation Thailand 2020, NIA is creating waves in the areas of innovation and technology not just as a means of mitigating the effects of different forms of global crises, but also as a means to holistically improve and empower broad spaces including economy, society, education, and culture.
The project has resulted in a number of successes, including the creation of a vast network of more than 3,000 stakeholders and investors and a total amount of 20,000 million baht from 120 investors ready to be invested across 48 corporations.
Moreover, over 200 startups are able to offer more than 46,000 products and services through an online market interface, opening up employment opportunities of more than 3,300 jobs across over 600 positions, which provide a vital driving force for the country’s economy. Such developments help address changing consumer behaviour in the new normal, creating a collaborative network between private and public sectors across various spaces including professional development and education.
The initiative also helped create new data assets from the use of Data Analytics to predict what will happen in the future, creating innovative business opportunities, and establishing data-driven innovation.
Moving forward with NIA
Dr. Pun-Arj emphasised NIA’s commitment to driving the country’s future through innovation, which is why Startup Thailand x Innovation Thailand 2020 is not just an online event but also a policy-based initiative to promote and support startups and innovative entrepreneurs. The initiative primarily serves as a tool to raise awareness on the concrete use of “Innovation in Times of Crisis”, one in which the “Virtual World” it has created won’t end after the pandemic, but will become a mechanism for continuous innovation and the further development of the innovation ecosystem.
Pun-Arj concluded by highlighting the need for the ecosystem to adjust the innovation paradigm to cope with the different crises that are happening, including COVID-19, environmental degradation, and global economic setbacks — all of which are, in many ways, inextricable with one another. From the online forums in the event, NIA found that the global trends are now pointed at Deep Tech which will play an important role in addressing today’s challenges not only as a defensive strategy, but as a force that actually drives global transformation.
Moving forward, the next step for Startup Thailand x Innovation Thailand 2021 will see a specific focus on ‘DeepTech Rising’. This future instalment of the NIA initiative highlights the important next steps that the world should be taking as we inch closer to a post-pandemic future.
– –
This article is produced by the e27 team, sponsored by the National Innovation Agency of Thailand.
We can share your story at e27, too. Engage the Southeast Asian tech ecosystem by bringing your story to the world. Visit us at e27.co/advertise to get started.
The post Startup Thailand x Innovation Thailand Expo 2020: a catalyst for innovation appeared first on e27.