Yossanan Pushes Thai Research Toward Business, Unlocks Regulations with Fast Track to Help Startups Move Faster
Thailand's deputy PM is removing regulatory barriers to commercialize research through a Fast Track pathway for startups and an IP Marketplace linking academic innovation to the private sector, backed by AI technology and improved compensat
Yossanan is clearing regulatory obstacles to turn Thai research into revenue, unlocking a Fast Track pathway to help startups conduct business more quickly while developing stable career prospects for innovation managers.
On May 14, 2025, at the Asia Hotel in Bangkok's Ratchathewi district, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Yossanan Wongsawat presided over the 2025 annual general meeting and delivered a keynote address titled "Advancing Research and Innovation as a New Engine to Drive Thailand's Economy," organized by the Association of Intellectual Property Managers and Technology Transfer Professionals (AITP).
Yossanan stated that Thailand is advancing toward becoming a high-income nation, and leveraging innovation and commercializing intellectual property (IP) are critical mechanisms for achieving success.
Past obstacles have included IP processing backlogs and legal barriers or concerns about audits, preventing many excellent research projects from creating real commercial value.
Solving these problems requires more than one agency—it demands systemic structural and ecosystem reform. This is why efforts are underway to unite professional networks and associations like AITP as central hubs for connecting, sharing case studies, and standardizing the work of Technology Licensing Offices (TLOs) nationwide with consistent direction.
Yossanan emphasized that concrete implementation requires a key policy focused on creating an "IP Marketplace" through coordinated efforts between the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) and the Ministry of Commerce to link research to the private sector. Artificial intelligence technology will be integrated to support workflows, reducing administrative burden and improving intellectual property screening quality.
Regulatory deregulation efforts are being accelerated by creating fast-track pathways for startup establishment, licensing agreements, and holding company formation, as well as establishing standardized TLO operational practices that are clear, internationally comparable, and eliminate redundancy across institutions.
Yossanan further noted that success cannot be achieved without capable personnel. Advancing the TLO profession with international standards and compensation reflecting their abilities is a priority.
When workers can demonstrate that intellectual property management processes create economic value and generate revenue for institutions and the nation, career advancement structures and compensation will be upgraded accordingly.
Yossanan urged all agencies, educational institutions, and personnel to use this network association as a shared learning space to promote sustainable and robust growth of Thai innovation.
