Nov 1, 2007: National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) was established in Thailand to bring about research, development and application of biotechnology to support technology development and adoption in both public and private institutions. In an email interview with BioSpectrum, BIOTEC Director Prof Dr Morakot Tanticharoen describes how BIOTEC is steering Thailand’s biotechnology industry.

What role does BIOTEC play in Thailand’s biotechnology industry?
BIOTEC is an autonomous institution under the National Science and Technology development Agency (NSTDA), which is part of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). BIOTEC provides financial support to strengthen the research capacity of Thai scientists in biotechnology, and to develop infrastructure in order to promote R&D in the Thai private sector. As part of BIOTEC overall strategy, the center has formed research partnerships with local and international universities and research institutions. In the private sector, BIOTEC works closely with NSTDA and Technology Management Center (TMC) to implement ‘soft services’ such as providing soft loans and assisting in arranging logistical contact with concerned government agencies responsible for biotechnology industry setup.

How does the Thai government support BIOTEC?
The Thai government has long recognized the potential and importance of biotechnology as a contributor to the national development. Hence, BIOTEC was created to encourage the growth of biotechnology in the country. The 2004–2009 National Biotechnology Policy Framework has formulated the directions for the growth of the biotechnology industry. The National Biotechnology Policy Framework aims to bring about an investment of over $125 million in biotechnology R&D and the establishment of over 100 new companies in the biotechnology business. Also, under this framework, emphasis is being placed on applying core technologies such as genomics, bioinformatics and plant and animal breeding using molecular markers to accelerate development in the areas of agriculture and food processing, medical care and environmental
technologies.

The Thai government has also placed considerable interest and budget into promoting and facilitating the setting up of various research and development infrastructures such as the Thailand Science Park, which is managed by the National Science and Technology development Agency (NSTDA). The Park has been in operation since 2002 and is built to accommodate foreign and local companies of all sizes. Additional budget of $16.5 million has also been allocated to expand the Thailand Science Park to include Thailand’s first BioPark for agro-business and life science research and service. As a result of this expansion, additional biotechnology labs, some of which will meet BSL-3 standard, will be built to accommodate the increasing domestic demand for high quality labs.

The Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) has also introduced incentives to support the biotechnology industry by providing a maximum incentive package comprising an eight-year corporate income tax exemption. Moreover, if the applicants’ facilities are to be located in the science parks, an additional 50 percent corporate income tax break for five years is granted.

What is the budget allocation for BIOTEC’s R&D activities for the year 2007-2008?
The budget allocation to the Ministry of Science and Technology and BIOTEC for the year 2006–2007 has been generous. The total amount allocated for BIOTEC for the year 2006–2007 was $30 million. The allocation for 2007–2008 is yet to be confirmed, however, we do not expect to see any reduction in this budget.

BIOTEC is organizing Thailand’s premier biotechnology event—BioAsia 2007. In what way will this event showcase the country’s biotech industry?
Given Thailand’s status as a key player and exporter of agricultural products to the global market, BioAsia 2007 will provide Thailand an opportunity to showcase to the world its capabilities in the agri-biotech sector. The decision to include the 6th Asian Crop Science Association Conference and the 2nd International Conference on Rice for the Future in BioAsia 2007 reaffirms Thailand’s stance as a regional player in the agri-biotech sector. BioAsia 2007 will also allow Thai researchers and private sector groups to share agri-biotech knowledge with overseas peers and develop possible collaboration and network opportunities. Private sectors can take advantage of the Bio Business Partnering sessions at BioAsia 2007 to schedule one-on-one meetings with counterparts. In addition, BioAsia 2007 will also host a gathering of over 200 exhibitors in the agri-biotech sector. These exhibitors will also have opportunities to utilize the Bio Forum session to publicize their products.

In the biotechnology industry, how is Thailand positioned vis-à-vis other countries in the Asia Pacific region?
In the fourth publication of the Doing Business series, the World Bank in September 2006 ranked Thailand number 18 out of 175 countries for overall ease of doing business (Korea was 23, Malaysia was 25 and Taiwan 47). Thailand bio-industry is considered an upcoming sector. This is because the Thai government has recognized the tremendous value of biotechnology in enhancing economic productivity, especially in the agricultural, food and medical sector. The area that Thailand is taking a leading role is in the area of rice and shrimp biotechnology, diagnostic kits, bio-services and medical sector. For this reason, Thailand acts as a biotechnology-training hub for neighboring countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Recently, Thailand has also attracted countries from the Pacific Islands such as Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Thailand’s medical sector is also flourishing. The growing number of foreigners seeking medical services in Thailand underlines Thailand’s potential of becoming a medical hub in Southeast Asia. The current head count of foreigners seeking medical services in Thailand has climbed to an amazing 1.5 million visitors per year. We anticipate the number of foreign visitors to increase in the forthcoming years.