TOKYO – Thailand and Japan have established additional cooperations in economy, science, and technology during the Thai delegate’s visit to Japan.
A team of Thai economic officials, led by Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, along with the Ministers of Transport, Commerce, Industry, ICT, Science and Technology, and Tourism and Sports, is now in Japan during an official visit to discuss economic matters with their Japanese counterparts.
On this occasion, Minister of Science and Technology Pichet Durongkaveroj met with Japan’s Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy Aiko Shimajiri. Both sides agreed to establish the Climate Change Technology Transfer Center, and a research center for science, technology, and innovation policies with the assistance from Japan’s National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. Both countries will also establish the National Space Program with cooperation from the Overseas Space Working Group.
The Minister of Science then called to Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Hiroshi Hase, and signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint research center for energy and the environment within the Japan-ASEAN Science, Technology and Innovation Platform (JASTIP) during early 2016. Both sides also agreed to setup a manufacturing/engineering training center for engineers and technicians, which will serve to support Japanese companies in Thailand and the Mekong region.
The Thai Minister of Science and the Minister of Industry Atchaka Sibunruang also co-hosted the Food Innopolis exhibition to attract Japanese foods companies to invest and develop in projects, with incentives such as tax reduction for researchers, and tax reduction for research and development.
The Minister of Science also participated in the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) meeting, which is a network of the government agencies and 26 private companies to generate funding in management technology for new entrepreneurs through open innovation mechanism.
