March 31, 2004 – Thailand Science Park (TSP) officially opened a new research and development estate, the Innovation Cluster II (INC 2), to boost the development of innovation and research prototypes for commercial.

          Under Bt3-billion investment budget, INC 2 accommodates four connected R&D buildings, the Tower A, B, C and D. Each building was designed to serve all the needs of different research specialties.

          INC 2 was officially opened in the 10th annual conference of the National Science and Technology Development Agency, known as NAC 2014. Constructed on 200 rais of spaces, INC 2 is Thailand Science Park’s largest R&D estate.

          Dr. Janekrishna Kanatharana, the director of Thailand Science Park, said the new R&D estate offered renting spaces for private sector to conduct their R&D business. Private tenants would receive well-equipped infrastructure, a connection to qualified researchers to support their R&D works, as well as privileges to facilitate the establishment of their R&D business.

         “We (TSP) play an important role to encourage, stimulate and accelerate the development of new innovations to leverage the country’s competitiveness,”Dr. Janekrishna said.

U-sarat Bunnag, the senior director of Marketing and Cluster Promotion Division, said in the first phase, the new R&D estate would offer renting spaces in Tower D building.

According to the plan, Tower D is expected to be fully occupied within the next 1-2 years. U-sarat said thanks to good responses from private sector and their increasing awareness to add more product values with R&D, renting spaces at Tower D so far remained less than 20 per cent.

          She said that TSP, therefore, planned to speed up the launch of the second phase by opening the Tower C building before the schedule. It’s expected that by the next five years, TSP would be a place that accommodated over 150 private tenants and no less than 5,000 public and private researchers.

          “We will foster working connection among private sector, government research agencies, and educational institutions to conduct R&D works. We do believe that R&D will offer a great potential to move the country towards the knowledge-based economy and achieve sustainable development,” she said.

 

          At the INC 2’s opening event, Dr. Janekrishna also took the press to visit Meet & Match Zone, an exhibition area in NAC 2014 showing R&D initiatives from private sector. It’s the first year that exhibition from private sector was held at INC 2 – Tower C with more than 150 private companies participated. The exhibition was opened on Apr 1-3, 2014.

          Moreover, tours to visit the new INC 2 also received around 200 requests while in Business Matching Zone, 15 private companies got a chance to make business and research deals with TSP’s private tenants and NSTDA’s national research centers.

          Lastly, Dr. Janekrishna thanked the press to pay attention on private sector’s R&D works and make the public realize the role of Thailand Science Park.