With the aim of encouraging industries to create new value on top of their existing business through research and development (R&D), the Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR) has joined with Amata Corp, an industrial estate developer, to set up a new science park at the heart of its Amata Nakorn Industrial Estate.

Located on a prime site only 57km from Bangkok, between the Bang Na-Trat elevated expressway and the Bangkok- Chon Buri motorway in the heart of the Eastern Seaboard, the planned science park will support not only enterprises established in the estate but future industrial efforts in the eastern part of the country.

From a total of 12,000 rai where more than 400 manufacturing plants are located, it is expected that between 200 and 500 rai will be set aside and about Bt2 billion spent to establish the new science park in the near future.

"It will be an incubator where entrepreneurs and enterprises seek technology support. It will be placed where new innovative ideas need to be nurtured and assessed for feasibility before expanding to a larger scale," said Nongluck Pankurddee, TISTR governor.

Setting up the new park is part of the government's plan to build places where researchers and the private sector can work together on R&D and transfer knowledge for the main purpose of developing technology for commercial use across the country.

Supported by the Science Ministry, the new science parks will be in the North, Northeast, East and South of the country. While TISTR is responsible for setting up the science parks in the North and East, the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) is looking after the establishments in the Northeast and South of the country.

The idea is to provide support that meets the specific needs of local industries in each region.

As planned, the new park will be operated as a habitat to foster, nurture and facilitate local industries. Initially, the parks will work as incubators for those who want to do R&D by providing them with technology transfer, facilities and services as well as expert consultancy. This includes facilitating technology transfer from universities while encouraging industry-university collaboration.

Kamjorn Vorawongsakul, president of Amata Corp's industrial investment business development unit, said that Amata's strong point lies in its estate as well as the number of people on its land while its weak point is the fact that it doesn't have a research team or related facilities to support its customers.

To complete the loop and lend support to its customers while enhancing R&D in the country, Amata has offered TISTR its land to develop the new science park.

While the institute will take care of setting up various processes, including R&D facilities, Amata will work as a marketing arm to introduce the park's potential to customers.

To get an exact idea of what the local market wants, the set-up team has also been studying local requirements as well as evaluating demand and supply in the area to get not only feedback from manufacturers but also to determine the exact support requirements.

Kamjorn added that at Amata Nakorn there are manufacturing plants for various industries such as auto, food, electronics, jewellery and more, ranging from small, medium to large. The move will enable companies to consult and create something new using services of local researchers at universities.

Nongluck said that with the park, Amata's customers or industries in nearby areas could walk in and ask for support.

Apart from providing consultation, there will also be a testing unit for developing products.

In the plan, the institute will form a research network with universities in the areas, for example King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Burapha University and Rajaphat Institutes.

Nongluck added that in the initial phase of operation, the new science park would be looked after by the institute but it must be able to operate and earn revenue independently within three years.

Kamjorn said that with the setting up of the science park, in the long run Amata Nakorn would be developed as a perfect city where students in schools as well as universities can come to study and be trained in a practical working environment.

suchalee@nationgroup.com

Suchalee Pongprasert

The Nation