Summary of the 12th Technology Summit & Technology Platform on 6-7 November , 2006 and the 2nd Meeting of Joint –Committee on Cooperation in Science and Technology between Thailand & India on 8 November 2006 at New Delhi, India
For the 12th Technology Summit & Technology Platform on 6-7 November , 2006 As Indian government invited the Thai government as an ASEAN member to participate in the 12th Technology Summit & Technology Platform on 6-7 November, 2006 in India, Prof. Dr. Yongyuth Yuthavong, Thailand’s Minister of Science and Technology and the group of 15 Thai staffs from Ministry of Science and Technology participated this event at Intercontinental Grand Hotel, New Delhi, India as Thai delegates (Please see Appendix 1 for the list of participants). There were three major activities in the 12th Technology Summit & Technology Platform as follows: 1. Ministerial Panel Discussion on S&T Partnerships between India and all members of ASEAN (H.E. Prof. Dr. Yongyuth Yuthavong, Minister of Science and Technology, Thailand also participated in this discussion) 2. Academic Seminar on 5 major areas that were: Seminar on Biotechnology Seminar on Food& Marine Technologies Seminar on Information &Communication Technologies Seminar on New Materials & Welding Technologies Seminar on Space Sciences & Technology Five Thai speakers, which included 4 speakers from NSTDA and 1 speaker from GISTDA also attended these seminar sessions as Thai delegates. (Please see Appendix 2 for the name of the speakers and speaking topics). 3. Exhibition for Technology Platform There were 28 exhibition booths for various S&T agencies from worldwide. The exhibitors from Thailand, which were National Science &Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) and Geo-Informatics& Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), also participated in this exhibition. The exhibition booth from NSTDA generally illustrated the general information of NSTDA organization and also introduced our centers, which are BIOTEC, MTEC, NECTEC, and NANOTEC by using display board, brochures and some distinctive innovations from NSTDA, such as Nano-necktie, CD of Open Source Software, Kit for shrimp disease diagnosis, and active packaging from MTEC.
In conclusion, all activities were successfully operated. Both Indian and governments of all ASEAN members (including Thai government) plan to organize and participate in such kind of activity like Technology Summit again in the future for maintaining well cooperation between India and ASEAN.
For the 2nd Meeting of Joint –Committee on Cooperation in Science and Technology between Thailand & India on 8 November 2006
In order to establish well cooperation in science and technology between Thailand & India, Ministry of Science and Technology of Thailand and India agreed to arrange the 2nd Meeting of Joint –Committee on Cooperation in Science and Technology between Thailand & India on 8 November 2006, 14.30-17.00 hrs at room 294, Asoke Hotel , New Delhi, India. The meeting agenda from both sides were as follows: 1.Opening Session 2.Adoption of Agenda 3.Business Arrangement 4.Areas of Cooperation: 4.1 Natural rubber and its products 4.2 Metrology 4.3 Biotechnology & Agricultural technology 4.4 Peaceful uses of nuclear technology 4.5 Space science and technology 4.6 Science communication 4.7 Herbal medicine 4.8 Other areas of interest 5. Other matters 6. Date and Venue of the next meeting 7. Adoption of the Agreed minutes 8. Closing Session
There were 12 Indian delegates and 10 Thai delegates participating in this meeting. Dr. T. Rasami acted as the Indian chairman and AVM. Dr. Pian Totarong was Thai chairman on behave of the Permanent Secretary of MOST – Dr. Saksit Tridech.
In the end of meeting, both sides adopted and signed the agreed meeting minute. For the next meeting, Ministry of Science and Technology of Thailand will be the meeting host. MOST of Thailand & India agreed to arrange the 3rd Meeting of Joint –Committee on Cooperation in Science and Technology between Thailand & India in the final quarter of 2007 at Bangkok, Thailand. (Please also see Appendix 3 for the agreed meeting minute and Appendix 4 for the minute with the information on the issues related to NSTDA).
APPENDIX 1 List of Thai participants the 12th Technology Summit & Technology Platform 1. Prof. Dr. Yongyuth Yuthavong Minister of Science and Technology of Thailand 2. Dr. Saksit Tridech. The Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Science and Technology of Thailand 3. Air Vice Marshall Dr. Pian Totarong The Director, National Institute of Metrology (Thailand) 4. Prof. Dr. Sirirurg Sonsivilai Assistant Director, National Science &Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) 5. Dr. Kwan Sitathani Assistant Director, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center(NECTEC) 6. Dr. Pongsuda Pongtanya Researcher, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) 7. Dr. Ekkarut Viyanit Researcher, National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC) 8. Dr. Sutipa Tanapongpipat Researcher, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) 9. Dr. Pitan Singhasaneh Chief of THEOS Group, Geo-Informatics& Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) 10. Mrs. Churdchan Juangbhanich Director of International Cooperation Section, Ministry of Science and Technology 11. Mrs. Thamaporn Apison Foreign Relations Officer, Ministry of Science and Technology 12. Mr. Bolbongse Vangphaen First Secretary, Royal Thai Embassy 13. Mr. Khanin Boonyasopat Third Secretary, Royal Thai Embassy 14. Miss Suteetida Suntornnond International Coordinator, National Science &Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) 15. Mr. Roongrat Upakan Marketing Officer, Geo-Informatics& Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA)
APPENDIX 2
The name of Thai speakers and speaking topics are as follows:
1) Dr. Pongsuda Pongtanya - the speaker on Food Technology Topic title: “Starter Culture Technology of Thai Fermented Foods: From Research to Commercialization”
2) Dr. Pitan Singhasaneh– the speaker on Space Science & Technology Topic title: “ THEOS Satellite Project in Thailand”
3) Dr. Ekkarut Viyanit – the speaker on New Material and Welding Technology Topic title: “Welding and Inspection”
4) Dr. Sutipa Tanapongpipat – the speaker on Biotechnology Topic title: “Enzyme discovery from microbial resources in Thailand”
5) Dr. Kwan Sitathani – the speaker on Information and Communication Technology Topic title: “Open Source: Challenge and Opportunity for New Digital Economy”
APPENDIX 4 The Joint-Committee Thailand-India minute with the issues related to NSTDA Biotechnology 1. India proposed that there should be more collaborative activities between Thailand and India, according to Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) that have been signed since 2003,especially on the mutual interested issues as follows: 1.1 Shrimp genomics 1.2 Shrimp infectious diseases 1.3 Development of vaccines for tuberculosis 1.4 Bioinformatics especially on infectious diseases focusing on TB India also stated that both sides have agreed that there should be a bi-lateral meeting every year. There are two meetings that have been scheduled. These meetings are Agricultural Biotechnology meeting (at the end of 2006) and Medical biotechnology meeting (in 2007). 2. India informed that BIOTEC Center of India has requested to establish collaboration on Bioremediation with Thailand 3. Thai side informed that besides the issues that mentioned above, there are various collaborative projects that were successfully done. These projects are as follows: 3.1 India – Thailand Workshop on Biotechnology on May 31- June2, 2004 at Pune , India 3.2 Training Course on protein structure prediction and modeling during 4-8 September, 2006 at NSTDA, Thailand 3.3 Thai delegation from academia & industries participating in Annual BioAsia Event at Bangalore, India
4. Vice –Chancellor of Teri University ( New Delhi, India ) also proposed that India would like to cooperate with Thailand in some specific issues involving in environmental or industrial biotechnology. There are three major mentioned issues which are: 4.1 Using of micro biotic in order to terminate oily waste in the case of oil spilling 4.2 Health and safety food & natural products 4.3 Bio-based energy crops Thai side also replied that there is a number of projects relating to functional food technology, which are the projects within ASEAN Flagship Project that Thailand is the leading country in this program ( Dr. Rutt of BIOTEC). Dr. Sirirurg – the delegate from NSTDA agreed to inform Dr. Rutt to consider that is he able to be the focal point to collaborate with India on these 3 issues. 5. In addition, India also would like to establish joint projects with Thailand concerning on bio-ethical issues, especially on Nanotech products and Genetic Modified (GM) crops.