Strategic Areas

1. Bio-Business

Through analysis of the current condition and future potential, requirement, and growth of bio-business in Thailand, NIA has divided the improvement of bio-business into three parts

1.1 Biotechnology
Thailand’s biotechnology improvement framework (2004-2011) has assigned the strategic creation of at least 100 new biotechnology companies and 5,000 million baht investments, creating an income of at least 30,000 million baht for Thailand.
NIA has outlined the work course to correspond with the national framework by targeting the innovation of high-valued products such as organic farming, pro-biotic, enzyme technology, test kit and rice product, etc.

1.2 Bio–Based Materials
Due to the environmental movement, especially in the importing or exporting products with environmentally friendly components, it becomes necessary to create an innovation in bio-based materials that can quickly decompose to use in various industries such as food packaging, electronics, or auto-parts. On August 18th, 2000, The European Union established a regulation that all imported cars to the nations in the EU must have at least 85% of the materials that can be reused, recycled and recovered by January 1st, 2006 and at least 95% by January 1st, 2015.

The regulation is a technical barrier to trade or non-tariff barrier (NBT) that Thailand, as an exporter of automobiles is directly affected. NIA has anticipated this problem since 2002 and has cooperated with Du Pont Co., USA in improving bio-based materials such as Bio-PDO, Bio-Protein, Bio-Refinery, and with BASF Co., Germany, Metabolix Inc., USA and Mitsui Chemicals Co., Japan in improving Bio-plastic according to the regulation of the European Union.

1.3 Natural Products
Thailand has many advantages in its potential in cultivating, producing and improving herbal products to compete with manufacturers from other countries in addition to the continuing global trend for natural products for cosmetics and medicine.

From the market opportunity and potential for natural products, NIA plans to improve the bio-active compounds for herbs and other agricultural products such as silk powder to improve the country’s economy in both the grass-roots and industrial levels.

2. Energy and Environment

Thailand uses energy up to 14 percent of the country’s GDP which is equivalent to 52,979 thousand tons of raw oil. Most energy is imported, losing at least 300,000 million baht each year and increasing. If the trend continues, Thailand would lose its energy stability due to lack of efficient use of alternative energy sources. Supports in improving alternative energy sources would enhance the energy stability.
The target of improving strategic innovation in energy and environment for NIA emphasizes the development of alternative energy sources, diversification and renewable sources. At the same time, rising environmental problems also call for technological and management innovation, especially in dealing with garbage. The innovation involved deals with ways of reducing and separating garbage as well as recycling of glass, paper, plastic and steel, and repairing.


3. Design and Branding

Design and branding is important in managing a business, as said by the Hong Kong Design Center that innovation and creative design not only result in increasing profits but also big changes for the industry. For NIA, branding means combining the different knowledge together and develops them into an innovation, which leads to branding of a new product. Design then involves the combination of technology, culture and management together to create higher-valued product.
Moreover, Thailand is a country rich with culture, therefore supports for native cultural designs would add new value for the country. NIA’s projects for design and branding include branding of the ceramic industry in Lampang called ‘Cera Lampang” and the improvement of pararubberwood furnitures.