The National Innovation Agency, Thailand (Public Organization) or NIA announced the organization of "STARTUP x INNOVATION THAILAND EXPO 2023" (SITE 2023), the largest Thai innovation and startup network event of the country operating under the concept of INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP - TOGETHER WE GROW, aiming to foster "Innovation Partnerships" to drive Thailand towards an innovation-driven future, uniting the strength of 4 sectors of the country to empower startups and innovative businesses. This fully-fledged gathering of new economic warriors will take place at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center from June 22nd-24th, 2023, free of charge. Registration at site/nia.or.th.
Dr. Pun-Arj Chairatana, Executive Director of the National Innovation Agency, Thailand (Public Organization) or NIA, said that since 2020, the NIA has combined 2 significant national events, STARTUP THAILAND and INNOVATION THAILAND EXPO. This was a significant move to gather leading Thai startups and innovators to create a Virtual World for innovation, the first of its kind in the country. This initiative aimed at driving transformation, helping the country emerge from the COVID-19 crisis and shifting the paradigm in creating innovations to cope with crises.
In 2021, the Startup x Innovation Thailand Expo (SITE) focused on promoting, developing, and creating growth opportunities in Deep Tech, firmly believing that Deep Tech would be a crucial weapon to further innovate and drive technology, propelling Thailand to compete with the world's leading countries.
Even though the COVID-19 situation began to ease in 2022, full confidence in recovery was not yet present. SITE started to build connections, linking innovators from Thailand and around the world, fostering interactions once again to prepare for post-COVID reopening.
"Following the SITE 2022 event, we have witnessed the continuous and diverse growth of Thailand's innovation potential. The success of SITE 2022 has contributed to promoting Thailand's ecosystem, becoming increasingly suitable for innovation investments. We have noticed almost every organization increasingly engaging in deep tech business, and Bangkok has turned into a city that attracts foreigners to set up businesses, becoming the world's second most popular destination for Digital Nomads," added Dr. Pun-Arj.
The awakening of universities with incubation units and the establishment of funds to promote startups has also been prominent. There has been a push for more laws and regulations that facilitate the conduct of startup businesses, and investment in startups remains consistently vibrant.
In the past, there has been a push for state procurement leading to improved public services. Both independent investors and large corporations are investing in startups to attract international investment. Lastly, there has been a drive to promote the enactment of a law to promote startups.
"Under the uncertainty, one change we want to see in Thai society is the development of an 'Innovation Mindset'. This represents an attitude that is open to innovation, ready to embrace challenges and changes, and seeks new opportunities and collaborations to create solutions through innovation.
Moreover, the acceleration of transformation to expand the use and impact of innovation is crucial. This mindset needs to be nurtured and instilled in organizations and personnel alike, across government sectors, private sectors, civil society, and the public. The aim is for Thai society to become a community that is open to innovation and ready for future changes, all the way to collaborating to make a difference in the world," said Dr. Pun-Arj.
Therefore, this year's SITE is a return to the full-fledged event format, marking the comeback of the largest tech conference in Southeast Asia and the biggest innovation event of the year. It brings together a mix of new entrepreneurs from both older and younger generations, innovation gurus from around the world, innovators, investors, and public and private sectors under the concept of 'INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP - TOGETHER WE GROW'. The aim is to create an "Innovation Partnership" to lead Thailand towards an innovative future. It represents a significant collaboration in innovation between 4 sectors: the government, private sector, education sector, and civil society, to support the growth of startups and innovative businesses, strengthen the Thai innovation ecosystem, and propel Thailand towards becoming an innovation-led nation.
The event comprises 4 main activities:
1) FORUM with over 20 top speakers -- both Thai and international -- throughout the three-day event. It is conducted under 3 main themes: BRIDGING PUBLIC & PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, ACCELERATING INNOVATION BUSINESS & PARTNERSHIP, and HACKING FOR NEW INVESTMENT & GROWTH MODEL, which includes over 30 intriguing seminar topics on a wide range of issues, such as:
- "Digital Innovation in Public Sector - What made Estonia becoming a leader in digital living" by Mr. Siim Sikkut, Former Chief Information Officer, Government of Estonia
- "Social Innovation: Shaping the Future" by Mr. Renaud Meyer, Resident Representative, UNDP
- "Creativity & Cultural Capital as Thailand's Innovation Powerhouse"
- "Unlocking the Power of Festivals: Driving Economic Growth and Cultural Engagement" by Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB)
- "Predicting the Unpredictable for Resilient Transformation" by Prof. Rene Rohrbeck, Director of Chair for Foresight, Innovation and Transformation, EDHEC Business School
- "Keys to success for innovative organizations"
- "Linking state support mechanisms for innovation capital for Thai entrepreneurs"
2) BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY: This is an opportunity to meet, exchange knowledge, and expand business. It includes a market of innovative products from over 250 leading start-ups and innovative businesses, along with a PITCHING event where over 50 startups and innovative businesses will present their business plans. There's an INTERNATIONAL ZONE featuring over 10 agencies from 5 countries, BUSINESS MATCHING and NETWORKING events to build business networks.
3) SHOW: An innovation exhibition that can create changes for the future, and
4) AWARD: A prestigious award ceremony to honor those who have contributed to promoting and supporting the development of the country's start-up and SME ecosystems, and to strengthen the business potential of start-ups and SMEs to enter the international market, along with awards for innovations that address crises for sustainable development.
During the press conference, a discussion was held featuring 4 partnership agencies from both public and private sectors and associations. Areepan Charoensuk, Deputy Secretary General of the Office of Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC), said, "the OPDC has gathered innovations from 11 government agencies to showcase at the SITE 2023 event, including interesting talk sessions such as 'Better Data, Better Decision' that illustrate how data can currently transform the operations of the public sector and also impact the private sector."
Worakan Kosolpisitkul, Director of the Competitiveness Enhancement Department at the Office of the Board of Investment (BOI), said, "the key role of the BOI is to promote investment. We have implemented measures to specifically promote startups under the enhancement of targeted industries act. We want the ecosystem of startups to be strong so that it can forge the foundation of our future economy and be a pillar in developing Thailand's sustainable economy through innovation. At the SITE 2023 event, we will provide a learning space where startups or entrepreneurs can come to seek advice and consultation."
Supachai Sachaphibulkij, a member of the Innovation and Research Promotion Committee of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said, "The Thai Chamber of Commerce has a key mission to promote entrepreneurs in collaboration with various agencies. We uphold the principle of CCS, i.e., Connect, Competitive, and Sustainable. For the SITE 2023 event, the Chamber of Commerce has taken part in promoting entrepreneurs who have emerged from agency collaborations as seedlings for incubation. There are also SME groups that have transformed and adjusted their mindset towards the startup mode. They will set up booths at SITE2023 to showcase their products."
Furthermore, Praphasiri Atthachin, Head of Ecosystem at Krungsri Finnovate, stated, "We believe that startups and innovations will be a significant driving force to propel the Thai economy towards 4.0. At Krungsri Finnovate, we have a mission to promote the startup ecosystem in Thailand and the region. In addition to providing capital support, another aspect is partnership, which is crucial for the growth of startups."
In addition, the Startup Universe 2023 Update will be introduced to demonstrate the opportunities and strength of the Thai startup ecosystem. The SITE 2023 event is ready to welcome everyone again. The NIA would like to invite those interested in innovation, government personnel, private sector entrepreneurs, both large organizations, SMEs, startups, education institution personnel, investor groups, and investment companies to participate in the STARTUP THAILAND x INNOVATION THAILAND 2023, from June 22nd to 24th at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, free of charge. Registration can be done at site/nia.or.th.