Bangkok--30 May--Asian Institute of Technology
Innovation has emerged as a key driver for achieving success, and the spread of innovative practices and processes hinges on effective collaboration. This was the central theme of the two-day event organized at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) on 12-13 May 2016. Organized by AIT Solutions, the event was an AIT endeavor to create a bridge between industry, private sector and business with the academia.
Delivering the inaugural keynote address, Mr. Martin Hart-Hansen, Deputy Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), stated that the word innovation was the most used business buzzword in international online media in 2015. Collaboration was the second most used buzzword; and this makes the AIT event very relevant, he remarked. Informing the participants that he had attended an AIT training course on project management, monitoring and evaluation 14 years ago, Martin stated that partnerships with academic institutions like AIT are an opportunity that UNDP would like to explore.
"UNDP in Thailand has integrated innovation into virtually all our projects, in areas such as sustainable production and consumption, biodiversity and environmental conservation, and disaster risk information," Martin remarked, as he quoted examples of successful instances of UNDP's regional innovation ambassador program from the Asia-Pacific region. These include e-waste disposal program in China, smartphone application on monitoring reconstruction efforts in Nepal, GPS-tracked buses in Bangladesh, citizen monitoring tool for corruption in Papua New Guinea, promoting dialogue between citizens and governments in the Maldives and Bhutan, and two applications in Thailand focusing on Disaster Risk Reduction, and Anti-Corruption efforts.
Ms. Ubonwan Suebyubol, Acting Governor, National Housing Authority (NHA), Thailand spoke about the three-year investment plan of NHA. Key areas of interest to NHA are energy efficiency and low-cost housing, design materials for housing construction, implementation of housing projects and improving the quality of life of people in Thailand.
Prominent speakers on the inaugural day included Ms. Jintana Khumprakob of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand (SME Bank), Ms. Sopitta Chotechauang, Assistant Vice President, BETAGRO, and Dr. Jonathan Shaw, Executive Director, AIT Extension.
Four technical sessions on Affordable Housing, High Impact Talent Management: Strategy for Innovation, Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation/ Transportation and Road Infrastructure, and Food, Agriculture and Cities for Sustainable Future were organized on the first day of the event.