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INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
VICHAYA PITSUWAN
The National Innovation Agency (NIA) has suggested that Thai industries focus on innovation when adding value to their products.
Business operators need to differentiate themselves if they are to survive in the current economic situation, said Supachai Lorlowhakarn, the NIA director.
''Everyone is competing in saving costs and trying hard to sell their products, but creative operators who can differentiate their products with innovative ideas do not have to work that hard,'' Dr Supachai said.
The NIA is positioning itself as an agency to support operators who wish to be different by promoting innovation under three concepts: bio-business, eco-industry, and design and solution.
Bio-business is the application of biotechnology to new health products to support modern lifestyles while the eco-industry concept involves the development of organic materials such as green fuels, alternative fuels and bioplastic.
The design and solution concept aims to integrate mechanical and electronic applications with software and nano-technology to create innovative products or services. ''One example is the project that uses an electronic device to test the ripeness of durian,'' Dr Supachai said.
An operator may need to invest to find the right innovation, but Dr Supachai said the gains in revenue and profit would more than justify the investment.
According to the NIA research, only 6% of business operators in Thailand see innovation as a key to business development. The figure is 30% in South Korea and 40% in Japan.
However, Dr Supachai finds it a challenge to turn Thai industries into innovation-based ones. ''Thai operators are used to being original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). We have long been labour-intensive and it is difficult to shift away from the familiar grounds because we do not like to take risks.''
He views that to help promote the change, the government should review its policies to encourage the operators to recognise the importance of innovation and move away from cheap labour-intensive production.
He said innovative agricultural products would vastly improve Thailand's economy. ''As the prices of rice have increased, the agency is implementing a lot of projects to add value to the produce. Who knows? A franchise on rice farming could become one of Thailand's products in the future.''
The NIA urged local operators interested in innovation projects to approach it for research information, knowledge support and financial assistance.
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