On 11 May 2025, Professor Dr. Sukit Limpijumnong, NSTDA President, led a delegation of NSTDA executives including Dr. Somboon Sahasithiwat, Executive Vice President for R&D Management; Associate Professor Dr. Toemsak Srikhirin, Executive Director of the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC); and Dr. Uracha Ruktanonchai, Executive Director of the National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), to pay a courtesy visit to Mr. Nattapong Lathapipat, Consul-General of Thailand in Frankfurt, Federal Republic of Germany. The visit took place on the occasion of NSTDA's mission to strengthen relations and foster collaboration with the Institute for Bio- and Geosciences (Plant Science), Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ), and other leading research institutes in Germany.
During the visit, both parties engaged in discussions and exchanged information regarding the ongoing and potential cooperation between Thailand and research institutions in Germany. In addition to the decade-long collaboration between NSTDA and FZJ, NSTDA expressed significant interest in expanding partnerships with Germany’s leading science and technology research organizations, including Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the Max Planck Institutes. NSTDA respectfully requested the support of the Consul-General to serve as a key facilitator in initiating and strengthening these collaborations, particularly in terms of leveraging STI to drive national development, economic transformation, and environmental sustainability. Specific areas of interest included the application of science and innovation to combat global warming, reduce carbon emissions, and advance clean energy technologies.
Furthermore, the Consul-General and NSTDA executives exchanged perspectives on the development and promotion of STEM education. Germany’s comprehensive education system, which is capable of nurturing talent based on individual aptitudes and learning capabilities, serves as a successful model. This system effectively prepares human resources for the workforce spanning from vocational education and universities to advanced research institutes, producing top-level scientists, technologists, and innovators. Thailand recognizes the value in studying this model and aims to adapt such approaches to design curricula and learning methods that align with the Thai context, thereby developing the next generation of talent to meet national needs in science, technology, and innovation.
This visit marks an important step towards deeper cooperation between Thailand and the Federal Republic of Germany in the field of science, technology, and innovation to jointly address global challenges and drive sustainable development.