The government has earmarked a combined 24.4 billion baht for spending on R&D in fiscal 2022, up from 19.9 billion in fiscal 2021.
According to Kitipong Promwong, director of the Office of National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO), the proposed budget received the green light from the cabinet last Tuesday.
Mr Kitipong said the R&D spending for 2022 would focus largely on creating innovation for commercial purposes, strengthening competitiveness in the production and service sectors, narrowing income disparity and upgrading technology.
As Thailand faces many challenges in terms of social problems, poverty, income disparity and economic competitiveness, the government sees it as imperative for R&D to help tackle such problems, he said.
According to Mr Kitipong, the spending would also focus on developing “product champions”,…
