Yutthasak Insists on National Science and Technology Development Office as Country's Research Engine with Four Strategic Pillars Targeting 17 Billion Baht Economic Impact
Deputy Prime Minister Yutthasak Wongsawat unveiled a strategy to transform Thailand's National Science and Technology Development Office into a "research engine" targeting 17 billion baht in economic impact by 2027 through four strategic pi
On April 27, 2026, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Yutthasak Wongsawat, serving as chairman of the National Science and Technology Development Committee (NSTDO Board), presided over the first board meeting of 2026. He announced a crucial policy to transform the National Science and Technology Development Office (NSTDO) into a "research engine for the nation" (New Research Engine) emphasizing precision, targeted focus, and measurable broad-based results. The meeting was attended by Supachai Pathumnakaul, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry; Dr. Sriyadha Palimaphand, ministerial advisor; Chaturin Chanhom, ministerial secretary; Chukkij Limpitjamnong, NSTDO Director; and other executives at the NSTDO Plant Factory in Pathum Thani Province.
Yutthasak revealed that the modern NSTDO must transcend pure research and become the primary mechanism for elevating Thailand to upper-middle-income status through four key strategic approaches: 1) Research for Nation & Economic Drive: emphasizing downstream research reaching various sectors, particularly empowering smallholder farmers, SMEs, and startups, and collaborating with the Ministry of Commerce to shield Thai innovations from foreign price dumping. 2) Mission-based Collaboration (Break Silos): breaking down barriers between agencies so that national priority projects receive integrated cooperation across all units in the Ministry and NSTDO, with NSTDO complementing rather than competing with universities through personnel and research funding exchanges. 3) Frontier Research & Tech War: preparing readiness in cutting-edge technologies such as AI, semiconductors, and quantum computing to strengthen Thailand's position in global value chains. 4) Urgent Battles & Crisis Management: rapidly developing innovations to address critical crises including disaster mitigation, energy security, and developing high-quality crop varieties for food security.
"We are transforming NSTDO into a high-impact research engine, targeting that by 2027 our innovations will benefit 10 million people and generate over 17 billion baht in economic and social impact," Yutthasak stated.
For his part, Chukkij stated that NSTDO stands ready to implement the policy with over 3,000 research personnel through Battle and Pre-battle mechanisms to convert laboratory expertise into national solutions, anchored in industry and public needs.
On this occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister led media representatives on a tour of the Plant Factory, showcasing successful precision agriculture that has transformed from volume-based vegetable sales to high-value extract production for global pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, helping farmers sustainably increase income from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of baht per rai.
