The National Innovation Awards are held to recognize achievements in innovation that benefit the economy and society with the broader aim of strengthening the national innovation culture and awareness at all levels of industry, in the public sector and academia.

Now in the fourth year, the National Innovation Awards 2009 will once again be presented in two categories: "Outstanding Innovation in Economics" and "Outstanding Innovation in Society", with five prizes for the top projects in each category.

Project entries must be suitable for practical use or commercial application. The key criteria for selection of the winners are:

 
  • Degree of Novelty
    Winning projects must be considered innovative at the international, national or corporate level.
  • Management Process
    Winning projects must be able to maximize the effectiveness of operations and management, and must apply knowledge, as well as exploiting locally available materials and resources.
  • Overall Benefit of the Innovation
    The innovation must create added value to related business and must benefit the local community and the grass-roots economy.

Winners will benefit from over 1 million baht in prize money together with a prestigious trophy and certificate. Winning innovations will also receive widespread media publicity, will be published in the "Top Innovations of Thailand" publication, and are authorized to use the emblem of the National Innovation Agency on their innovations for a period of three years.