รัฐบาลไทย-ข่าวทำเนียบรัฐบาล-PM pleased with implementation progress of EEC and EECi
วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 10 สิงหาคม 2566
10/08/2566
PM pleased with implementation progress of EEC and EECi
PM pleased with implementation progress of EEC and EECi
August 9, 2023, at 0930hrs, Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha took a field visit to the Eastern Economic Corridor of Innovation (EECi) in Wangchan District, Rayong province. The Prime Minister’s delegation included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Supattanapong Punmeechaow, Minister of Interior Gen. Anupong Paojinda, Minister of Labor Suchart Chomklin, and Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana. He was welcomed by Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Anek Laothamatas, and Director of the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) Chukit Limpijamnong. Deputy Government Spokesperson Tipanan Sirichana disclosed gist as follows:
The Prime Minister visited the Intelligent Operation Center (IOC) and listened to a briefing on the implementation progress of EECi and the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) from EEC's Secretary-General Chula Sukmanop. During the first 5 years (2018-2022), EEC approved investment promotion worth over 2 trillion Baht, which exceeded the target of 1.5 trillion baht. Promotion certificate issuance value from the year 2018 up until the 2nd quarter of 2023 has amounted to 1,360,349 million Baht, with top 3 targeted industries being petrochemicals and chemical, automotive and parts, and electrical appliances electronics, as well as other related industries, e.g., solar rooftop energy, clean energy, goods distribution centers, properties, logistics, international business centers, among others.
Top 5 investors countries during the year 2018 and Q2/2023 are: Japan, China, Singapore, U.S., and Hong Kong, respectively. EEC also saw progress in the implementation of its megaprojects, i.e., High-Speed Rail Linked 3 Airport Project; EEC-U-Tapao Airport And the eastern aviation city; Map Ta Phut Industrial Port Development Phase 3 Project; the development of Laem Chabang Port Phase 3, and the development of (draft) comprehensive roadmap for EEC development (2023-2027).
The Prime Minister was also reported on the development overview of Wangchan Valley and the EECi, before visiting IOC, EECi Aripolis - Sustainable Manufacturing Center (SMC), and EECi Biopolis - Innovative Agriculture Smart Greenhouse. He, then, commended all concerned sectors for pushing forward EEC and EECi according to plans, and emphasized the importance to create public awareness on the progress of EEC and its promotional zones, i.e., EECi EECh EECd EECmd EECa, as the EEC is aimed to lead the country out of the middle-income trap towards security, prosperity, and sustainability.
The Prime Minister stressed that it is also important to ensure physical and mental wellbeing of local residents, enhance labor skills and develop infrastructure/digital infrastructure to accommodate EEC development, as well as to promote green and low-carbon industries. He also praised Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation and NSTDA for translating the Government’s policy on R&D spin-off to utilize commercial benefit of research
results, innovation, and technology emanated from academic institutions/research institutes, especially the research on synchrotron light.
The Eastern Economic Corridor of Innovation or EECi is an innovation hub located at the heart of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) in Wangchan District, Rayong Province. Its ultimate goal is to support the transformation of Thailand into a country that thrives on innovation and enhances the quality-of-life of its people on a sustainable and self-sufficiency path. In order to meet this goal, EECi positions itself as a hub linking innovation and investment across the country for Thailand’s target industries. Research outputs at the laboratory level can scale up to commercial scale using infrastructure and supporting innovation ecosystem at EECi and the investment that follows thereafter can settle in the EEC or anywhere else. Likewise, investors bringing advanced technology for the target industries into the region can use infrastructure and innovation ecosystem at EECi to adapt the technology to the local conditions before settle the investment in the EEC or elsewhere in Thailand and ASEAN.