Nectec focuses on creative economy

The National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec) is focusing on the creative economy concept and service industries this year, with the aim of developing and raising productivity in the information-technology industry.

Nectec director Pansak Siriruchatapong said that as part of the creative economy concept, his agency was seeking to create efficiency among government organisations and agencies. New technologies and innovations are being developed to solve the country's problems, researchers are being trained and clusters of information technology systems created that relate to food, renewable energy, agriculture and healthcare industries.

He said the overall aim was to utilize and drive information technology and innovation to create global competitiveness for Thailand.

In the information-technology cluster related to agriculture, Nectec will develop new technology and innovations to support smart farms. These may include sensor devices, an "e-tractability" system and knowledge-based management systems to support smart-farming practices.

In the healthcare cluster, the agency will develop technology and innovations to support a national healthcare-information system in order to increase the overall quality of healthcare.

For service industries, the agency plans to utilise technology and scientific management to support smart new services that will drive and boost the national economy.

Pansak said Nectec would also work with government and private-sector organisations to develop and create a productivity and knowledge base for the tourism industry, to reduce costs and losses of investment.

Nectec will also join the Service Research Innovation Institute to set up a special-interest group to develop new innovations and scientific services that will create best practices in agriculture, healthcare and tourism. The agency will therefore be promoting faster private-sector development of innovations to meet market demand and new services to support industry.

For example, Nectec has developed the "Traffy" application, which is a system for reporting real-time traffic conditions on Bangkok's main roads. Future developments from this may include new services or digital content to support the demands of city drivers.

"We want to be a government agency that has a role in driving the economy and the country's long-term development - even the dynamic change of new technology," Pansak said.

The agency will also work with universities and private-sector organisations in a cooperative education project that aims to develop professional human resources to support the future development of the ICT industry.

In conjunction with Japanese authorities and the Labour Ministry, Nectec will also develop examinations for information-technology professionals that will uphold international standards of competence. These will include professional expertise in database systems and software design and development, and will enable the professional qualifications of IT professionals to be recognised overseas.

"We will develop IT professionals and experts who have internationally-recognised qualifications, to support the IT industry both domestically and internationally," Pansak said.