The Creative Economy Agency (CEA) and its 15 alliance networks have joined forces to strengthen cooperation in the creative industries, focusing on "Creative Business Transformation."
This collaboration seeks to drive the growth of Thailand's creative industries, bolster its position in the creative business market, expand business opportunities, enhance Thai Soft Power, and ultimately increase economic value. It also aims to establish a more comprehensive strategic direction for the country's creative industries in the future.
Dr. Chakrit Pichyangkul, Executive Director of CEA, emphasised the increasingly significant role played by the creative economy in driving economic growth through knowledge creation, the utilisation of creativity and intellectual property rooted in cultural backgrounds, the accumulation of social knowledge, technology, and innovation. These factors contribute to the production of new products and services that increase economic value. In 2020-2021, UNESCO estimated that global creative industries experienced a decline of over 24.8 trillion baht, while 15 branches of Thai creative industries decreased by 23% to 1.19 trillion baht.
As the main agency responsible for advancing the creative economy in Thailand, CEA has implemented effective measures to enhance the competitiveness of creative entrepreneurs and industries on the global stage. The agency consistently equips them with valuable creative knowledge and expertise necessary to adapt to the ever-changing world in terms of the economy, society, and digital technology, which significantly impact lifestyles. CEA has implemented various forms of creative economy policies, and this collaboration with 15 partners through the signing of the MoU marks an important step in driving Thailand's creative economy forward.
The MoU signing ceremony, centred around the theme of "Creative Business Transformation," showcases a strong collaboration between the public and private sectors, bringing together expertise from various fields. The collaboration primarily focuses on four dimensions:
Cooperation in community business network, business management knowledge, and sales and marketing: Collaborative efforts from the College of Management, Mahidol University (CMMU), the Community Development Department of the Ministry of Interior, and Shopee (Thailand) Company Limited will study and develop these areas to promote market needs nationally and internationally.
Cooperation in innovative knowledge and technological adaptation for the future of creative businesses and industries, with the participation of the Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR) and PTT Public Company Limited.
Cooperation to facilitate greater access to capital resources for the development of creative industries, with joint guidelines established through cooperation between the Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM Bank), Sinwattana Crowdfunding, SME Development Bank (SME D Bank), and the National Innovation Agency (NIA).
Cooperation in the creative content industries, with jointly determined guidelines to promote Thai content in the international market, in collaboration with Netflix (Thailand) Ltd., Music Copyright (Thailand) Ltd., Thai Entertainment Content Trade Association, the National Federation of Motion Pictures and Contents Associations (MPC), Radio-Television Broadcasting Professional Federation (RTBPF), and the Thai Film Director Association.
CEA expresses great pleasure and honour in receiving cooperation from esteemed agencies through this collaboration. Dr. Chakrit emphasises the belief that partnering with agencies from both the public and private sectors is crucial for formulating effective policies and strategies to enhance the competency of business entrepreneurs and creative enterprises. This collaboration will not only strengthen the local economy but also create more job opportunities and generate income from local creative products. It will support various aspects such as knowledge, marketing, business management, packaging, product design, adoption of advanced technology for production and online marketing, and establishing a bridge that connects local creative products to both domestic and international commercial markets. Ultimately, this collaboration will contribute to Thailand's Soft Power, promoting the country's image on the global stage and attracting more tourism and exports.
Additionally, a seminar on "Creative Economy Foresight & Transformation" was organised, featuring distinguished speakers from esteemed organisational networks and agencies. The seminar aimed to foster the exchange of ideas among agencies regarding the creative economy. The discussions focused on policy formulation, innovation, and technological development to enable creative businesses to adapt to the ever-changing world. Other topics included expanding knowledge in creative business management, sustainable business investment guidelines, effective access to capital resources, and the potential of Thailand's content industry. These discussions empowered stakeholders in the creative industries to shape policies and project future trends that will enhance Thailand's economic competitiveness.
This integrated collaboration between agencies from the public and private sectors represents a crucial step in driving Thailand's national economy and creative industries towards greater efficiency in line with the national strategy. Through the adoption of knowledge, creativity, technology, and innovation, the country's potential can be harnessed, leading to comprehensive development in all dimensions and the creation of economic value for Thailand in the future, while gaining recognition on the global stage.
