Innovation agency aims to transform Ari district into Bangkok’s tech hub
Another pilot project will be conducted in and around Ari district as part of the National Innovation Agency (NIA)’s efforts to make Bangkok a more liveable and tech-savvy city, the agency announced on Wednesday.
Chanwit Rattanarasri, the NIA's director of Innovation Infrastructure Department, said the Ari district pilot project aims to stimulate investment in infrastructure crucial for the development of practical technology.
To support this goal, the “ARID [Ari district] Hackathon 2023: Innovation for Well-Being” was held to collect ideas to solve community problems. The winner was PARK D, which presented a “Parking Lot - Sharing” platform as a means to improve transport connectivity. The award-winning idea will be developed further and used for the Ari Innovation District.
The NIA has collaborated with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to develop innovation districts that will make the capital more liveable as well as attract investment. Currently, there are already three innovation districts: Yothi Innovation District for medical services, Punnawithi Innovation District for cybertech, and Ari Innovation District.
The project will be fully supported with tools and funds from the NIA, BMA, and the private sector in the area, Chanwit said.
Previously, the NIA established guidelines for pursuing and disseminating spatial innovation development at the regional, city, and area levels.
The NIA intends to bring Deep Tech to a variety of locations, including the Ari Innovation District. While housing a large number of people, Ari Innovation District is also an excellent economic hub that supports business establishments, facilitates infrastructure usage, and promotes the development of new technologies.
"This year, NIA, BMA, and partners hope to establish Ari Innovation District as a ‘Cognitive City’. As a result, we will work together to accelerate the development or adoption of Deep Tech in order to strengthen Ari Innovation District's strengths and make it shine as a new economic hub for innovative businesses, investments from the public and private sectors, and international tech firms," Chanwit said.
He added that his agency, the BMA, and partners intend to strengthen the innovation ecosystem by developing Ari Innovation District as an innovation sandbox where infrastructure for technology development will be developed and used to solve city problems, increase the value of Ari Innovation District's physical assets, and foster collaboration among relevant organisations.
He expected that this year's project would encourage others to participate in the Hackathon in the future, allowing for two to three projects to be piloted in the Ari Innovation District each year.
"If it works to solve a problem in Ari, then it can apply it to solve problems in other areas around Bangkok," Chanwit said, adding that issues in urban areas share some similarities, such as parking shortages, transportation connection, waste management, security, and public green space.
Sanon Wangsrangboon, deputy governor of Bangkok, said the project will undoubtedly help the BMA in its goal of making the Thai capital a pleasant place to live.
He noted that in order to achieve that goal, it is critical to use innovation to not only ease or solve problems, but also leverage existing resources to enhance liveability and add value.
He believes that Ari can capitalise on its ranking as one of the world's best neighbourhoods as a result of its transformation into a top innovation district on an international scale.
Bangkok will become more than just a tourist or business destination; it will be a capital where everyone can live and enjoy urban growth through the support of innovations, he added.
