Ministry of Industry promotes Bio Circular Green economy
Global warming and climate change across many parts of the world is one of the global’s top agendas for emergency human actions and to gain sustainable development. Along with such circumstances and Thailand’s strategic visions towards all industries under New Normal trend, the Ministry of Industry has promptly promoted Bio Circular Green economy or so called ‘BCG Model’ being a core model in industrial development of Thailand, said Panuwat Triyangkulasri, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry in the special event hosted by BizConnext.com and 77KhaoDed news websites.
Key concept of BCG Model is to integrate science, technologies, and innovation so that we can upgrade competitiveness in 4 target industries including agribusiness and food-related, energy and materials, health and medical, and tourism and services. These 3 main elements enhance the production efficiencies of the farmers and communities in those related industries as well as to support enterpreneurs in new innovative products and services and higher value-added.
Aiming to push Thailand as Bio Hub of ASEAN by 2027, Panuwat elaborated further in each dimensions starting with Bio economy which focuses on economic activities with use of biological products and expansion of supply chain in agriculture from upstream to downstream and the applications of biotechnology to create values and new innovations such as Bioplasti, Bio chemical and Bio pharmaceutical. In addition, the Ministry is speeding up to reduce restrictions and obstacles in investments and enhancing positive factors such as law amendments to allow agri-products such as sugarcane for other products, rather than sugar, the optimization of land applications in EEC areas. Other areas for improvement include encouraging domestic investments and demands, MOU agreements between the relevant units, learning knowledge centres, partnership with expertises for Bio Economy R&D.
Circular economy aims to adopt new resource productivity efficiently and well-integrated from production, uses, and waste management to achieve sustainable development and in response with social and environment considerations. The Ministry acts as a core supporter in overall ecosystem development to promote Circular Economy.
Green or eco-friendly economy involves the social responsibility. The Ministry takes support roles and encourages private sectors to modify their factories into more green-and-environment friendly ones. Green industrial certificates haves started and issued since 2011, with over 37,000 factories todate.
Panuwat viewed that the transition to BCG Model requires cooperations from various parties, the support from government policies, consumer behaviours’ changes, clear understanding that leads to changes and benefits to Thailand in various dimensions such as employment creation, post-Covid19 economic rehabilitation, self-dependence, sustainable growth, and competitive advantages in global markets.
Supakit Boonsiri, Deputy Director-General of Department of Industrial Works, said that its existing guidelines and policies towards BCG Model have been put in place over the years while the Covid-19 impacts are expediting the government units to re-focus and implement more constructive and practical ways. The Department of Industrial Works has kept pushing the smart factory milestones with advanced technologies such as IoT, automation systems, censors, monitors and innovation to help monitoring the production factories and controlling air pollution and wastewater.
In aspect of Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (‘IEAT’), Prateep Eng-chaun, Deputy Governor of IEAT shared that the driving forces towards industrial cities ecosystem comprise of 5 key indicators 1) Growth business 2) GreenEco/Environment 3) Great services Great people 4) Good governance and 5) Global competitiveness. He proposed the government units and Research Institutes to study and launch more value-added and processed agricultural products in line with market demand and technology innovation while relaxing the green conditions to stimulate activities.
Dr Kanet Wangpaichitr, Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand’s Assistant Secretary-General of Target Industrial Investment Division told that under 3 main themes – Health and Medical, Smart Logistics and Digital 5G whereas BCG Model are incorporated into will then help upgrading the technologies, resources, and personnels. He concluded that adaptation to change is key success factor in driving BCG Model. It includes the technology transfer, educational knowledge and self-awareness in the community over BCG Model in terms of core values, technologies and innovation.
