Chula Launches ‘Chula Silicon Square’ Hub to Champion Inclusive Innovation
Located at Chamchuri Square, the new facility brings together secondary pupils, researchers, and diverse communities to build globally competitive startups
- Chulalongkorn University has launched "Chula Silicon Square," a new innovation hub located at Chamchuri Square to foster globally competitive startups.
- Operating under a "Startup for All" policy, the hub aims to provide inclusive access to entrepreneurial resources for individuals of all ages, identities, and abilities.
- The facility serves as an open ecosystem for secondary school students, researchers, and diverse communities to collaborate, learn, and experiment.
- The initiative's broader goal is to transform Thailand into an innovation-driven economy by developing homegrown technologies and creating pathways for startups to enter global markets.
Located at Chamchuri Square, the new facility brings together secondary pupils, researchers, and diverse communities to build globally competitive startups.
Chulalongkorn University (CU) has officially opened “Chula Silicon Square,” a new innovation space designed to democratise entrepreneurship and transform Thailand into an innovation-driven economy.
Operated by the Chulalongkorn University Innovation Hub (CU Innovation Hub) on the 11th floor of Chamchuri Square, the facility was inaugurated on 11 November 2026. Guided by the policy of “Startup for All,” the centre aims to serve as an open ecosystem for learning, experimentation, and cross-sector collaboration—ensuring individuals of all ages, identities, and abilities have equal access to business-building resources.
Presiding over the launch ceremony, CU President Professor Dr Wilert Puriwat delivered a keynote address titled “Beyond the Starting Line: Making Innovation Accessible to All.”
He emphasised that national development requires collective effort across all sectors rather than relying on any single institution.
“Chula’s role today is not merely to produce quality graduates for the labour market but to generate innovation alongside developing innovators,” Prof Dr Wilert said. “Looking ahead, Chula Silicon Square will serve as the innovation hub of the East, much like Silicon Valley is for the West.”
He added that the initiative targets participants starting from the secondary school level through to established entrepreneurs.
By pairing research and development (R&D) with consumer demand analysis, the university seeks to shift Thailand from importing foreign technology to exporting homegrown innovations, helping the nation escape the middle-income trap.
A four-zone ecosystem for creators
During the launch, attendees and members of the media toured the facility, which is divided into four core functional zones:
Workspace: Offers private offices, personal desks, and hot desks for flexible working.
Meeting Room & Event Hall: A large venue accommodating up to 100 participants for seminars and workshops.
Co-Working Space & Specialist Labs: Features a Fabrication Laboratory (Fab Lab) for prototyping alongside a dedicated Live Streaming Room.
Hybrid Space: An adaptable area tailored for exhibitions and networking events.
Even prior to its official opening, the venue had already gained significant traction, having hosted more than 50 activities, welcomed over 700 users, and established a network of more than 20 partner organisations.
Showcasing diversity and youth entrepreneurship
The launch programme highlighted the university’s inclusive ethos through a dedicated Showcase & Exhibition zone.
Alongside booths from resident companies and academic bodies operating within the space—including Think RK, ImpactX, We Tech Consulting, Wealthy Gold Medical, and CU’s School of Integrated Innovation/Faculty of Integrated Agricultural Resources—the exhibition spotlighted ventures curated under the “Startup for All” banner:
All Generation: Youth-led innovations created by pupils from Chulalongkorn University Demonstration Secondary School. All Identities: Initiatives representing gender diversity and the LGBTQ+ community, featuring Pribta Clinic.
All Abilities: Accessible innovations developed through the Art for All project and assistive quality-of-life technologies. Young entrepreneurs also took centre stage during the “GEN C(EO) PITCH” competition.
Student teams from Chulalongkorn University Demonstration Secondary School pitched their business concepts to a panel of industry experts. Notable entries included “Pandifuse,” which upcycles waste materials into eco-friendly products, and “Pinto Scent,” a customisable aromatherapy inhaler.
Building bridges to global markets
To underscore its international ambitions, the event hosted a global panel discussion titled “Chula to DC: Building Global Startup Pathways Through Partnerships".
Assistant Professor Dr Thititip Tippayamontri, director of the CU Innovation Hub, joined international startup ecosystem leaders Sean Makulowich of IdeaFire and Guc Ozenci of the Founder Institute to map out sustainable pathways for Thai ventures entering global markets.
The session also shared key takeaways from CU’s recent delegation to DC Startup & Tech Week in the United States, featuring insights from three participating Thai startups: MUU, LIVVELL, and LOCOL.
Through Chula Silicon Square, Chulalongkorn University aims to provide an enduring launchpad that turns promising ideas into commercially viable innovations, delivering tangible economic and social value for Thailand.
