It is undeniable that Thailand must urgently find new economic engines to gain competitive advantage, as discussed at the conference. ‘The Bangkok Business Summit 2026’ under the concept ‘Reinvent Thailand, Resilient ASEAN’. This important public-private cooperation forum united Thai leaders, global development partners, and foreign investors to drive Thailand toward high-income country status.
Professor Dr. Yoschanan Wongsawat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), participated in a panel titled “New Horizons The Next Investment Platform: Diverse Industries of the Future, One Proposition.”
He reflected on future directions through past experiences when students asked about growth opportunities in brain-computer interface (BCI) and neurotech & healthtech industries, which then had no direct industrial support. His answer was to encourage them to become entrepreneurs, as traditional manufacturing could no longer drive new era growth.
Therefore, the current main mission focuses on driving deep technology by combining semiconductors and neurotechnology with Thailand’s traditional strengths to transform research from theoretical to sustainable global innovation.
This goes hand in hand with enhancing human capital through practical learning amid AI disruption, emphasizing strengthening foundational sciences—physics, biology, facts—and arts to foster deep understanding among people and international connections.
“To propel the country toward high-income status, a new economic engine is essential. Relying solely on traditional manufacturing is no longer sufficient. Thailand must systematically build foundations in science, technology, and human development. The Ministry of Higher Education is committed to upgrading infrastructure, especially semiconductors, fiber optics, and photonics.”
Recently, MHESI announced the “Siam Silica” project to attract investors and global experts to establish production bases and develop workforce domestically, reinforcing Thailand’s potential as a regional connectivity and logistics hub in Southeast Asia.
Moreover, true competitive advantage requires leveraging Southeast Asia’s strength in seamless cross-border integration combined with logistics infrastructure linking southern China, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, as well as expanding connections to major markets like India to support global change and stable economic growth.
The recently launched “Siam Silica Framework” centers on workforce development to support Thailand’s semiconductor industrial ecosystem.
After continuous study and analysis by the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), semiconductors were found to have a large supply chain connected to many economic activities. Developing all parts simultaneously is difficult and costly, so Thailand must select high-potential areas that can create maximum added value.
Regarding workforce readiness, Thailand has clear plans to recruit and develop talent; where shortages exist, it is ready to attract foreign experts for collaborative work integration.
Looking deeper into research directions, Professor Dr. Yoschanan sees Thai innovation building on traditional strengths such as agriculture, manufacturing, food, and tourism, combined with logistics to enhance production capabilities. The goal is to create unicorn startups using local resources like pharmaceutical extracts, cosmeceuticals, or herbs to build unique competitive advantages.
This approach will become a “Local Growth Engine” distributing income back to communities. Thailand can use incubation models alongside Singapore’s strong capital ecosystem, then expand production and scale back in Thailand.
For translating research from theory to practical application, Professor Dr. Yoschanan suggests starting from real local problems to inspire researchers and deepen their understanding. Research solving local issues can be published in top journals like Nature, Science, or Cell and become innovations exported to solve problems in other regions with similar contexts.
Regarding preparing the new generation, the MHESI minister advises focusing on strong foundational knowledge along with cultivating entrepreneurship and interpersonal communication skills to collaborate with venture capital groups in commercializing university patents and knowledge.
Thailand is advancing innovation learning through practical experience projects like CWIE (Cooperative and Work-Integrated Education), where higher education institutions collaborate with workplaces (government, private sector, or community) so students learn in classrooms alongside real workplace practice.
This transforms universities into business incubators, establishing Higher Education Sandbox environments, supporting clinical trials and GMP-standard manufacturing to help learners understand industry mechanisms, patents, and international business laws.
Regarding BCI progress in Thailand, Professor Dr. Yoschanan revealed initiatives inspired by global brain studies but adapted to Thai contexts, such as meditation studies, quantitative measurement of hormone control through emotions, and establishing sensory cognition labs with the Office of Knowledge Management and Development (OKMD) to apply neuroscience understanding to age-appropriate child learning design.
At the end, Professor Dr. Yoschanan shared thoughts with global investors proposing the concept of "Nature Financing" (green finance) to turn nature conservation into an economic engine. He emphasized nature as the true foundation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thailand, as an agricultural hub and center of biodiversity, is ready to use financial mechanisms to protect the environment, which will be key to sustainable growth and global inspiration in the future.
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