(23 February 2026) The Office of the National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO) and the APEC Center for Technology Foresight (APEC CTF) convened a meeting of the Climate Change Adaptation Working Groups under Thailand’s Second Technology Needs Assessment (TNA 2) Project, implemented under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The project supports the assessment of Thailand’s technology needs in responding to climate change, with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) providing implementation support. The meeting was organized in two sessions: Water Resources Management in the morning and Human Settlements and Human Security in the afternoon, and was held at Waghor Room 1, NXPO, Chamchuri Square Building, 14th Floor.

The meeting was convened in the context of Thailand’s increasing emphasis on climate action—particularly “adaptation,” defined as national and societal efforts to reduce vulnerability and strengthen the capacity to cope with climate impacts that are expected to intensify over time. Adaptation and impact management are therefore critical to national security, covering water security, health, community and urban safety, and overall quality of life. Thailand has established a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and now needs to accelerate the systematic and formal selection and deployment of appropriate technologies to reflect the country’s technology needs in its international reporting. This process can create opportunities for future support, including finance, capacity building, and technology transfer.

The meeting was chaired by Assoc. Prof. Wongkot Wongsapai, Vice President of NXPO and Chair of both the Water Resources Management Working Group and the Human Settlements and Human Security Working Group. He underscored the importance of the TNA report for Thailand and highlighted the role of the working groups in providing technical inputs to enable the country to prioritize adaptation technologies in line with national circumstances—particularly in support of Thailand’s climate change adaptation plan, which sets out a three-phase framework: short term (B.E. 2566–2570 / 2023–2027), medium term (B.E. 2571–2575 / 2028–2032), and long term (B.E. 2576–2580 / 2033–2037). This framework aims to ensure that selected technologies address climate risks and can be scaled up in a practical manner at both local and national levels.

Participants included representatives from key stakeholder groups, including government agencies, the private sector, financial institutions, and academia, to jointly deliberate, exchange views, and provide recommendations on approaches for selecting priority technologies in each sector.

Key outcomes included the working groups’ review of a preliminary longlist of technologies for both sectors, followed by prioritization using UNEP’s standard criteria, and the collection of feedback from participants. The inputs will be used to refine and synthesize a shortlist of technologies for the next phase of work.

#tna #foresight #apecctf #thailand

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On 24 February 2026, Ms. Jieni Guo, Secretary General of the Beijing International Exchange Association (BIEA), paid a visit to the APEC Center for Technology Foresight (APEC CTF) at the Office of the National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO) to strengthen strategic collaboration and prepare for joint initiatives under the APEC framework.

Led by Dr. Srichattra Chaivongvilan, Strategist 1 at APEC CTF and NXPO, the delegation held in-depth discussions with Ms. Jieni Guo to translate cooperation into tangible outcomes. Both sides exchanged views on BIEA’s important role in supporting connectivity and cooperation among Beijing’s international partners by coordinating networks across government, the private sector, and academic and research institutions. This includes promoting exchange activities and innovation cooperation at the regional level, as well as supporting work aligned with China’s priorities in APEC—particularly on sustainable development and the transition toward a green economy.

In the meeting, both sides agreed to advance practical cooperation through a Low-Carbon Project and workshops. The cooperation will emphasize knowledge sharing and best practices, connecting expert networks, and developing policy approaches that can be implemented in practice.

APEC CTF reaffirmed its readiness to closely coordinate and drive cooperation with BIEA to enhance science, technology and innovation collaboration in the Asia-Pacific, support the transition to a low-carbon economy, and further strengthen cooperation networks among APEC economies going forward.

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(19 February 2026) The Office of National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO) and the APEC Center for Technology Foresight (APEC CTF) convened the Mitigation Working Group meeting under Thailand’s Second Technology Needs Assessment (TNA 2). The project is implemented under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to support Thailand’s assessment of technology needs for addressing climate change, with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) providing implementation support.

The meeting was divided into two main sessions: the energy sector in the morning and the agriculture sector in the afternoon. It was held at the Mandarin C Meeting Room, 1st Floor, Mandarin Hotel Bangkok.

The meeting took place in the context of Thailand’s strong commitment to tackling climate change, both in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation and strengthening national implementation capacity in line with global directions. Thailand has announced the goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 (Net Zero GHG 2050). This underscores the need to systematically and formally identify and advance appropriate technologies in key sectors, so that Thailand can submit its priority technology needs to international bodies through national reporting—thereby creating opportunities to access future financial support and technology transfer.

The meeting was chaired by Associate Professor Wongkot Wongsapai, Chair of both the energy and agriculture working groups, with the APEC CTF team serving as the Secretariat. He emphasized the importance of the TNA report for Thailand and highlighted how the sub-working groups provide the technical input necessary to prioritize mitigation technologies in line with national circumstances.

Key outcomes of the meeting included the review of a preliminary list (longlist) of 12 technologies for the energy sector and 8 technologies for the agriculture sector. The working groups prioritized these technologies using the standard criteria defined by UNEP and provided feedback to refine and synthesize the longlists into shortlists for the next phase of work.

This meeting marked the first session of the mitigation technology working groups under Thailand’s TNA 2. It aims to identify high-potential and context-appropriate technologies to support Thailand’s climate action agenda, with results to be reported to the Project Steering Committee for Thailand’s Technology Needs Assessment for climate change at its next meeting.

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On Friday, 13 March 2026, a delegation from the Futures Studies Center, National Intelligence Agency (NIA) paid a visit to the executives and staff of the APEC Center for Technology Foresight (APEC CTF). The delegation was led by Ms. Athirat Suwannaloet, Director of the Office of the Secretariat to the Intelligence Advisor (OSIA), and was welcomed by Associate Professor Wongkot Wongapai, Vice President of NXPO and Dr. Kommate Jitvanichphaibool, Deputy Director of APEC CTF. The meeting aimed to explore avenues for cooperation in strategic information exchange, situational analysis, and the development of evidence- and data-informed policy support mechanisms.

In addition, both organizations discussed collaboration under the framework of the Thailand Foresight Alliance (TFA), with the objective of connecting core agencies and relevant partners to enable systematic exchange of data, tools, and knowledge in futures and foresight. The collaboration also seeks to build capacity among personnel in strategic analysis, evidence-based decision-making, and the formulation of policy recommendations aligned with future-oriented challenges and opportunities.

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From 31 January to 2 February 2026, the APEC Center for Technology Foresight (APEC CTF), participated in the APEC 2026 Senior Officials’ Meeting 1 (SOM1) and the 27th Meeting of the Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI), along with related meetings in Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China. The participation aimed to support the advancement of APEC cooperation in science, technology and innovation (STI) and to exchange approaches for developing innovation policies that address regional challenges.

The Thai delegation was led by Dr. Surachai Sathitkunarat, Executive Director of APEC CTF and President of NXPO as Thailand’s representative. On 31 January 2026, Dr. Surachai attended the Mission-Oriented Innovation Policy (MOIP) Committee meeting at the Baiyun International Convention Center. The meeting served as a platform to discuss and exchange views on new policy approaches that emphasize defining clear and ambitious “missions” to tackle complex socio-economic challenges, as well as ways to enhance policy effectiveness and increase tangible outcomes of cooperation under the APEC framework.

On 1 February 2026, NXPO, through APEC CTF, officially participated in the 27th PPSTI meeting at Zhushui Hall, Guangzhou Baiyun International Conference Center. Dr. Surachai presented APEC CTF’s progress and achievements to highlight the Center’s role and importance in promoting the use of “foresight” processes to guide STI policy directions in the APEC region. He also reported on the Center’s work in strengthening cooperation and building the capacities of member economies. During the meeting, APEC CTF shared its experience in the APEC region, particularly the use of foresight to identify key “missions” for sustainable development and to build cooperative networks among economies to promote knowledge exchange and technology transfer necessary to achieve shared missions.

The meeting also discussed key issues related to fostering sustainable cooperation, strengthening linkages with other APEC working groups, and exploring approaches for future joint initiatives between PPSTI and specialized units under the PPSTI framework, with the aim of reinforcing networks and further enhancing STI collaboration across the region.

In addition, APEC CTF, presented progress updates on APEC-endorsed projects under Parallel 3: Enhancing Regional Science and Technology Connectivity. The presentation was delivered by Dr. Kommet Jitvanichphaiboon, Deputy Director of APEC CTF, together with Dr. Srichattra Chaivongvilan, Strategist1. The three projects are:

THA, PPSTI 206 2024A, Comparative Analysis and Foresight of Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs) in APEC

• THA, PPSTI 211 2024A, Identification of Emerging Signals Affecting Carbon Neutrality in APEC Using Foresight
• THA, PPSTI 03 2024S, APEC Energy Transition Towards Net Zero: Foresight Scenarios and Policy Impact

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On 2 December 2025, from 13.00–15.00 hrs, at Wakhor 3 Meeting Room, the Office of the National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO), NXPO and the APEC Center for Technology Foresight (APEC CTF) welcomed a delegation from the APEC Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP), Republic of Korea, led by Prof. Jaehyung Jeon, Executive Director of APCTP. The visit aimed to review the progress of ongoing collaboration under the APEC Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI) framework and to explore opportunities for expanding future cooperation.

On this occasion, NXPO–APEC CTF was represented by Assoc. Prof. Wongkot Wongsapai, Deputy Executive Director of NXPO, and Dr. Kommate Jitvanichphaibool, Deputy Director, APEC CTF, who jointly hosted and held discussions with the APCTP delegation. The two sides exchanged policy perspectives and academic insights on theoretical physics in the context of Thailand and the APEC region.

The discussion focused on linking knowledge in theoretical physics with futures thinking (foresight) and the design of science, technology and innovation (STI) policies to better respond to structural transformations at the regional level. It also explored the development of joint activities such as research projects, workshops, capacity-building programs for early-career researchers, and knowledge-exchange platforms under the APEC framework.

Both parties agreed that strengthened collaboration between APEC CTF and APCTP will help enhance deep-science capabilities alongside systemic futures analysis. This will enable APEC economies to better leverage theoretical physics knowledge in crafting policies that respond effectively to emerging regional challenges, and will support the launch of continued joint initiatives in the future.

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28 November 2025, Bangkok, Thailand – The APEC Center for Technology Foresight (APEC CTF), under the Office of National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO), and the APEC Research Center for Advanced Biohydrogen Technology (APEC-ACABT) held a joint discussion to explore an APEC Centers Joint Project and preparations for the 2026 APEC Young Entrepreneur and Scientist (YES) Challenge.

The meeting took place at the NXPO / APEC-CTF Office. The session aimed to strengthen collaboration between the two APEC centers, align activities under a shared project framework, and enhance youth engagement in science, technology, and innovation across the APEC region.

This was started by a session on the 2026 APEC YES Challenge, presented by APEC-ACABT as an integral component of the joint project. APEC-ACABT shared initial ideas on event planning and budget allocation, emphasizing opportunities to empower young researchers and entrepreneurs, particularly in areas related to advanced biohydrogen technology and green innovation.

This collaboration further builds on APEC CTF’s participation in the signing of the Declaration on APEC Centers Partnership for Science and Innovation on 22 August 2025, alongside three APEC centers of excellence: the Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP), the APEC Mentoring Center for the Gifted in Science (AMGS), and the APEC Research Center for Advanced Biohydrogen Technology (APEC-ACABT). The declaration sets forth a shared commitment to develop joint programs for capacity building, organize co-branded events and knowledge exchange, promote science-based policy engagement, support public lectures and outreach, and explore further mechanisms for enhanced collaboration among APEC centers.

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APEC Center for Technology Foresight (APEC CTF) – the Office of National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO) was invited to speak at the 2025 APEC Industry-Academia Collaboration Workshop: Leveraging Digitalization for Talent Inclusion and Empowerment: Facilitating Economic Transitions by Academia-Industry Partnership. The event was organized by the APEC Institute of Innovation & Education Development and took place on 27–28 August 2025 in Taipei, Chinese Taipei.

The workshop aimed to explore pathways for developing an interdisciplinary workforce to support the digital transition. It brought together insights on higher education and vocational education partnerships with industry, highlighting best practices and successful models that promote inclusive development.

Dr. Srichattra Chaivongvilan, Strategist 1 at APEC CTF and NXPO, delivered a presentation on “Future Skills for Innovation in APEC: Thailand’s Approach to a Digital Talent Ecosystem.” Her talk addressed the crucial question: “What skills will drive APEC innovation by 2035?” She showcased foresight tools and examples of NXPO policy initiatives designed to respond to the Skills Velocity Crisis—a phenomenon where digital skills become obsolete significantly faster than in the past.

This contribution reflects Thailand’s commitment to advancing collaborative strategies across academia and industry, ensuring that the region is equipped with future-ready talent to navigate digital transformation.

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APEC Center for Technology Foresight (APEC CTF) – the Office of National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO), participated in the APEC Basic Science Forum & Symposium, held on 21–22 August 2025 in Pohang, Republic of Korea. The forum served as a platform for knowledge exchange on basic sciences and prospective future technologies, with a focus on strengthening collaboration across APEC economies.

On this occasion, APEC CTF also took part in the signing of the Declaration on APEC Centers Partnership for Science and Innovation, together with other APEC centers of excellence: the Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP), the APEC Mentoring Center for the Gifted in Science (AMGS), and the APEC Research Center for Advanced Biohydrogen Technology (APEC – ACABT). The declaration sets forth a joint commitment to:

1. Develop joint programs for capacity building
2. Organize co-branded events and knowledge exchange
3. Promote science-based policy engagement
4. Support public lectures and outreach
5. Explore further mechanisms for enhanced collaboration

The Thai delegation was led by Dr. Kommate Jitvanichphaibool, Deputy Director of APEC CTF, who represented in this important gathering.

This joint declaration marks a significant milestone for NXPO and APEC CTF in strengthening science, technology, and innovation (STI) collaboration within APEC. It highlights Thailand’s leadership role in fostering international partnerships, advancing scientific knowledge, and shaping forward-looking policies that will drive sustainable growth and resilience in the Asia-Pacific region.

#APECCTF #Foresight

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On March 12-13, 2025, Dr. Surachai Sathitkunarat, Executive Director of the APEC Center for Technology Foresight (APEC CTF), President of Office of National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO), and Thailand’s Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) Coordinator, was invited by the United Nations Environment Programme Copenhagen Climate Centre (UNEP-CCC) to participate in the Global Technology Needs Assessment Workshop at the UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

The workshop aimed to exchange experiences and insights on Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) and Technology Action Plans (TAPs) implementation to accelerate achievement of the Paris Agreement targets, focusing particularly on practical implementation of plans and projects.

Participants included representatives from more than 30 countries involved in TNA Phase 4 and TNA Phase 5, along with representatives from major international financial institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Discussions highlighted the crucial roles of financial mechanisms and collaborative technological investments to combat climate change.

Thailand, represented by Dr. Surachai, shared experiences as one of the countries successfully supported by GEF in both TNA Phase 1 and TNA Phase 5. Dr. Surachai outlined key lessons learned from Thailand’s TNA Phase 1 experience, emphasizing the successful identification of essential technologies, integration of TNA outcomes into national planning, and overcoming implementation challenges. He underscored the critical importance of financial mechanisms to unlock investments in technology transfer and scaling-up, necessary for meeting national and global climate commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.

In TNA Phase 5, Thailand will utilize foresight tools in the TNA process to effectively address long-term technological foresight challenges, particularly related to technology disruption. Dr. Srichattra Chaivongvilan, Strategist 1 at APEC CTF, is the fellow associated with this project.

Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) is a nationally-driven process that countries use to identify and prioritize technologies essential for climate change adaptation and mitigation, with budgetary and technical support from international organizations such as UNEP and UNEP-CCC. TNAs also significantly influence international climate negotiations, such as the UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP), as countries leverage TNA outcomes to strengthen negotiation positions and secure financial and technological support.

Srichattra Chaivongvilan – Correspondant

More information: https://www.unep.org/events/workshop/global-technology-needs-assessment-workshop

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