Mr. Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Industry, is pushing forward with the "ONE MIND" policy, assigning the Department of Industrial Promotion (DIPROM) to accelerate the upgrading of Thai SMEs and community enterprises towards a high-value economy. This will be achieved by connecting technology, innovation, capital, knowledge, and market networks under a proactive approach through regional industrial promotion centers (DIPROM Centers) nationwide. DIPROM will play a central role in the industrial transformation of Thailand, propelling Thai entrepreneurs into a new era of smart and green industries driven by sustainable development. This emphasizes competitiveness, innovation, and sustainability. The focus is on promoting three high-potential industries: high-value creative industries, specifically promoting the development of "Thai textiles," upgrading fiber technology, weaving innovations, and design to increase the value of community products and expand into the fashion and lifestyle markets, while also leveraging Thai Soft Power into the global market. The high-value agricultural industry aims to connect the development of the agricultural industry from upstream, midstream, and downstream through the application of technology, innovation, processing, and biotechnology to add value to agricultural products. This will be further developed into the bio-industry and future industries, particularly the high-value food industry. Thailand has strengths in raw materials, local wisdom, and unique local identities, which can be leveraged to create a high-value economy and generate new income for communities. The push towards high-value food products and future foods will strengthen the Thai economy.

Mr. Varawut further stated that he has instructed the Regional Industrial Promotion Centers (DIPROM Centers) nationwide to work more proactively by conducting on-site analyses of the potential and challenges of entrepreneurs in specific areas. This will allow for the design of development plans tailored to the context of each province, and the connection of knowledge, tools, and support networks to reach entrepreneurs quickly and effectively. Simultaneously, he is accelerating assistance to SMEs and community enterprises to adapt to new global environmental regulations, including CBAM, Carbon Footprint, and Net Zero goals, through support for green technologies, clean energy, and the BCG economic model. This is coupled with efforts to improve access to funding to enhance competitiveness and create sustainable growth for Thailand's grassroots economy in the long term. "Today, the key challenge for Thai industry is not just maintaining competitiveness," he concluded. "However, we must urgently create added value and new opportunities for entrepreneurs at all levels, especially SMEs and community enterprises, which are the crucial foundation of the country's economy. If SMEs continue to face crises or are unable to grow, the grassroots economy and the country's industrial supply chain will be affected. Therefore, the Ministry must work proactively to connect technology, innovation, capital, and markets to entrepreneurs, including adapting to international standards in cybersecurity. This is to ensure the stable growth of Thai industry, build confidence, enhance the competitiveness of entrepreneurs, and achieve long-term sustainability," Mr. Varawut said.

Go To Lead