The Establishment of Thai National Innovation System

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The purpose of this study is to examine technological catching-up processes in Thailand since 1980s by focusing on the establishment of Thai National Innovation System. National innovation system (NIS) has become essential framework for the enhancement of national technological capabilities, technological catching-up processes, as well as science, technology and innovation (STI) policy implementation and vice versa.
In Thailand, the government has been shown as a significant driver that playing an important role in paving the way for technological catching-up. The study of the history of STI policies that have been implemented over time by the government, thus, could explore the rate and direction of technological catching-up. Moreover, it could be applied to illustrate how Thai national innovation system has been established and characterized through time. STI policies directly influenced the key
institutions’ roles, activities and interactions in the web of national innovation
system that could imply significant meaning of national S&T resources, knowledge intensity, technological innovation capabilities, economic growth as well as social well-being. Key institutions that are involved in the investigation of Thai national innovation system include government (and STI policy implications), universities/research institutions (RTOs), private enterprises and bridging institutions. The findings of the study will be useful as they could be used to design science, technology and innovation policies in order to enhance and improve national technological capabilities.
This research provides literature review on technological catching-up, absorption, learning, and capabilities in order to investigate technological catching-up processes.
National innovation system approach is also introduced and the analysis of system of innovation mechanism in Thailand is carried out.
The analysis of the results is based on the in-depth investigation of STI policies, key institutions’ activities and linkages among them, combine with innovative indicators from several sources and existing research examination. These qualitative and quantitative data link to the description of how national innovation system approach has been employed and the current stage of technological catching-up in Thailand.
The results indicated that national innovation system approach was adopted and its characteristics significantly changed from linear to systemic networking model when the new S&T policies were implemented in 2002. Technological catching-up processes were rather slow but had positive tendency of technological development.
This is mainly due to the inefficient fluidity of technological knowledge flows among the key institutions in the web of national innovation system and incoherence of STI policies.
Moreover, it is found that education system reformation was critical agenda due to the fact that it was a major obstacle to the enhancement of national technological capabilities and development of national innovation system in Thailand.