New national research and innovation office to be set up in Thailand

BANGKOK, October 25 (TNA) - The Thai Cabinet has approved the establishment of a new national research and innovation office to promote and support comprehensive research and innovation projects in the country in an integrated manner for the sake of public and national benefits economically and socially. Nattaporn Jatusripitak, an advisor to the Prime Minister's Office, told journalists of the decision after the Cabinet's weekly meeting at Bangkok's Government House on October 24. Nattaporn said the new national research and innovation office is under the jurisdiction of the Secretariat of the Prime Minister and is tasked with tailoring policies and strategies on national research and innovation systems based on the master plan on national policies and strategies on research and innovations. Nattaporn revealed that the new office is also in charge of overseeing research and innovation agencies in Thailand and expediting their work, as well as working out the new office's budget framework and budget plans to be allocated to the relevant agencies in order to promote and support their research and innovation projects to meet the national target in the long term economically and socially. Besides, the new office is authorized to handle Thailand's research and innovation projects introduced by the relevant agencies in the form of unified clusters and an integrated aspect in order to facilitate their implementations and to measure their constructive progress and fulfillment through a central standard index and a legitimate evaluation system. (TNA)