Suphachai calls for THB100bn university innovation drive

Thailand should consider investing about THB100 billion over five years in university-linked innovation centres to develop artificial intelligence and medical-technology talent, while banks should go beyond lending to help businesses improve productivity and competitiveness, two leading executives have said.

Suphachai Chearavanont, Senior Vice Chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group), proposed the investment as part of a wider drive to position Thailand as a technology hub. Kattiya Indaravijaya, Chief Executive Officer of KASIKORNBANK, said financial institutions must support companies through economic and technological change with services extending beyond access to capital.

They were speaking at the Bangkok Business Summit 2026 during a session titled “Business Building the Future: Winning in Turbulence”, which examined geopolitical tensions, artificial intelligence, domestic constraints, economic growth and the transformation of the financial system.

Suphachai said the present environment was among the most volatile businesses had faced, but argued that geopolitical conflict, AI and Thailand’s domestic challenges could be converted into economic opportunities.

THB100bn proposal links universities with technology

Suphachai said Thailand needed to give about two million people within the education system greater opportunities to demonstrate and develop their abilities.

AI could be used to identify individual potential, while project-based learning could give younger generations practical experience and help them keep pace with technological change.

Thailand should also compete for skilled people from overseas, he said. The country’s quality of life could be used to position it as a destination for international talent, provided it developed the wider environment needed to support them.

Suphachai estimated that innovation centres established jointly with universities could require about THB100 billion over five years. The centres could focus on fields such as AI and medical technology, combining investment in people with research programmes.

Cooperation among five leading universities could be enough to establish an ecosystem for developing high-level talent and supporting Thailand’s ambition to become a technology hub, he said.

“Hardware and talented people must move together,” Suphachai said.

He added that talent development did not have to be treated as a distant objective. Private companies planned investments every year and could begin producing results from workforce and research programmes relatively quickly.

Agriculture and irrigation identified as growth engines

Suphachai also identified agriculture and food as areas in which Thailand held strategic advantages because of its food security, production capacity and medical capabilities.

He said Thailand should invest in research related to longevity and health while responding to demand in global and regional markets.

Fresh durian alone had developed into a market worth about US$4 billion, he said. That figure did not include processed products or frozen exports, which could generate substantial additional value.

Processing opportunities had expanded beyond traditional preservation methods to include products such as durian-derived protein. Rising health awareness could also create new markets for processed durian products, he added.

Suphachai said production and investment plans should begin with an assessment of international demand, followed by targeted investment in agricultural areas.

Better irrigation infrastructure could increase agricultural output by three to five times, he said. Agriculture currently represented about 10% of GDP, and he estimated that increasing its contribution to 30% could add about 3% to GDP.

The agricultural sector would also require utilities, AI, smart-farming systems and cooperation among businesses and public agencies. Smaller companies could benefit from the transformation through new commercial opportunities and job creation.

Digital foundations seen as essential to competition

Suphachai said AI-based marketing, data infrastructure and cloud systems were becoming basic requirements for business transformation at CP Group.

Companies that failed to adopt such technologies would be unable to compete, he said. Digital systems could allow businesses to expand while consuming fewer resources, although stronger infrastructure would be needed to support growing logistics and data flows.

He argued that companies and public agencies should not pursue transformation separately because fragmented development would slow national progress.

Thailand instead needed an interconnected technology system extending from energy infrastructure to data centres, semiconductors and AI models. Suitable incentives would also be required to attract investment, particularly in hardware.

Suphachai said geopolitical conditions, workforce capabilities and the quality of the domestic business ecosystem would all affect Thailand’s ability to capture investment associated with technological change.

AI proposed to support government transparency

Thailand remained caught in the middle-income trap but had an opportunity to change its economic position through AI and better investment in people, Suphachai said.

He raised the prospect of an AI-driven government, saying technology could help public officials work more transparently and allocate funding more effectively.

About four million people working in the public sector could contribute to national transformation if they were equipped to use AI, he said. The technology could support greater transparency and more sustainable public investment.

Suphachai also argued that developing Thailand as a logistics and transport hub for ASEAN could support its emergence as a regional trading and financial centre.

The returns from each baht invested would depend on whether funding was directed towards people and whether government and business could convert policy proposals into practical results, he said.

Investment must support people and sustainability

Suphachai said higher GDP should not be the sole measure of successful investment. Decisions should also consider sustainability and their effects on people’s living conditions.

Capital should be directed towards productive resources, particularly people and education, as well as communities, villages and industries.

He said more than THB100 billion had already been invested in areas including people and education, but the intended purpose and results of such spending needed to be examined.

Suphachai also referred to current annual investment of about THB1 billion and estimated that THB35 billion in combined domestic and foreign investment would be required to increase GDP by 3%.

Climate and human-rights concerns would also eventually translate into economic costs for Thailand, making it necessary to consider environmental and social conditions when evaluating investment, he added.

KASIKORNBANK prepares for financial transition

Kattiya said the financial sector was moving into a new system and that KASIKORNBANK was preparing to support businesses through the transition.

Referring to a World Bank report on commercial banks, she said the bank was ready to provide financial services across industries, but capital alone would not be sufficient.

KASIKORNBANK intended to support sectors capable of contributing to long-term growth by improving productivity and competitiveness.

Companies across many industries would enter the future transition from different starting points, she said. Banks would therefore need to assess individual businesses and determine what assistance each required.

For small and medium-sized enterprises, access to finance was only one element. SMEs also needed better access to markets and technology, improvements to their operations and stronger integration into supply chains.

Financial institutions would have to adapt their services as customers and industries changed, Kattiya said.

KASIKORNBANK had customers across several industries that were ready to transform, and the bank was prepared to support that process. She added that the transition towards sustainable finance was also one of its objectives.