BOI joins forces with CU, TISTA in research projects for commercial purposes

BANGKOK, September 5 (TNA) - The Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI) has agreed to join forces with Bangkok-based Chulalongkorn University (CU) and Thailand Institute of Science and Technological Research (TISTA) in driving forward the country's research projects for commercial purposes. BOI has signed separate agreements with CU and TISTA, both witnessed by Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office Suvit Maesincee, with the one with CU focused on cooperation to jointly promote and support Thailand's research projects towards the production for commercial purposes practically, initially through the Thai Subcontracting Promotion Association (Thai Subcon) that works together with the BOI Unit for Industrial Linkage Development (BUILD), prior to expanding such the cooperation to other international private agencies. For the BOI-TISTA agreement, both agencies will jointly support the work of the Strategic Talent Center (STC) that is tasked with linking database of high-skilled science and technology personnel and authorized to issue certifications, as well as provide facilitations for the official issuance of visa and work permits for qualified international experts in the area in Thailand. BOI and CU also plan to expand their cooperation in the future to cover linking their database on high-skilled science and technology personnel through the connection with STC in order to sustain Thailand's economic development in the long run. CU Rector Bandit Ua-aporn said that CU will initially cooperate with BOI through the university's four affiliates, as BOI has set up a 10-billion baht-fund to help boost competitiveness of Thai businesses in the science and technology sector. Meanwhile, successful research projects of CU so far include Biosensors, a device for monitoring the work of human organs, and the development of three-dimensional techniques for the prosthesis production for medical purposes. (TNA)