Centre for European Studies
Bangkok, Thailand

25 April 2007

08.30-9.00

Registration

09.00-09.15

Welcome Remarks

Director, CES

09.15-09.30

Opening Remarks

Mr. Attayoot Sinsamoot, Deputy Director-General of Department of International Organisation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Representative from EC Delegation

Session 1: “Innovation and R&D Policies of the European Union”

09.30-10.00

“EU Innovation Strategy”
Mr. Sascha Ruhland, Fraunhofer Institute for System and Innovation Research, Karlsruhe
- What are the EU’s key strategies for promoting innovation and R&D under the Lisbon Agenda?
- What are its key success factors and risks?
- What are the support measures?
 

10.00-10.30

“Promoting Innovation in the UK”
Chief Scientific Advisor to H.M. Government or DTI, United Kingdom (tbc)
- How are these strategies managed and implemented?  
- What are the major challenges and how have they been overcome?
- Is raising awareness a major issue?  
- What has been the impact of these strategies in the EU member states and how are the results evaluated?

10.30-11.00

“Choosing national research priorities in Sweden”
Lena Gustafsson, Deputy Director-General,
VINNOVA, Stockholm
- How are research priorities selected?
- What factors are taken into account?
- How are these research priorities managed in practice?

11.00-11.30

“Innovation Strategy in Thailand”

Director of National Innovation Agency, Thailand
-  What lessons could developing countries, and Thailand in particular, derive from the EU Experience?
-  What are Thailand’s strengths and weakness in innovation? What should be promoted or what needs to be addressed urgently?

11.30-12.00

Q & A

12.00-13.30

Luncheon

Session 2: “Strategic targeting of Innovation and R&D policies in the EU”

13.30-14.00

“Innovation and Research in SMEs”    
Federal Government, Germany
- How is government – business cooperation in innovation and R&D being promoted?
-     What is the strategy in public spending on R&D? For whom and how?

14.00-14.30

“Government and business innovation partnership in Denmark”
Asst. Prof.  Jørgen Lindgaard,
Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen
- How are European governments helping their business to invest in innovation and R&D? (financial and fiscal support/legal and intellectual property protection/information)
- Successful examples?

14.30-15.00

“A market driven approach for innovation in Finland?”
Timo Kekkonen, Director, Innovation, Environment and Competences,
Confederation of Finnish Industries, Helsinki
- How is commercialization of new technologies being encouraged and sustained?
- Successful case studies?

15.00-15.30

“Human Resource Development and Innovation in Thailand”

Mr. Tayat Sriplung, MD Watson Wyatt (Thailand) Ltd.
- What are the reasons of the lack of innovation in Thai workplace?
- What are the ways to improve innovation in Thailand through human resource development?

15.30-16.30

Q & A

18.30-21.00

Dinner & River Cruise

26 April 2007

Session 3:  “Sustaining Innovation: Nurturing Innovators and Entrepreneurs”

09.00-09.30

 “Supporting entrepreneurs and innovators in Finland”
Timo Kekkonen, Director, Innovation, Environment and Competences,
Confederation of Finnish Industries, Helsinki
-  How can governments help nurture innovating and research talent?
-  Is it possible to use education (at secondary and tertiary level) to foster entrepreneurs and innovators?
-  Are there any ‘government-industry revolving door’?

09.30-10.00

 “Universities and innovation in the UK” 
Chief Scientific Advisor to H.M. Government or DTI, United Kingdom(tbc)
-  What roles do universities and academic institutions play in promoting innovation (in the business sector)?
-  What measures are needed to ensure long term R&D and innovative capabilities?
-  How can governments encourage innovation linkages between educational institutions and business?

10.00-10.30

 “Towards closer research collaboration between Thailand and the EU”
Pierrick Fillon-Ashida,
Directorate-General for Research, European Commission, Brussels
- What are the possibilities for cooperation between European and Thai institutions?
- What are the conditions for successful long term cooperation between Thai and EU research institutions?
- What are the existing research collaboration between Thailand and the EU?

10.30-11.00

“People-to-People research collaboration: ASEF platform?”
Asst. Prof. Surat Horachaikul, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University
-     What are the possibilities for research cooperation using ASEF platform?
- What are recommendations for sustainable research collaboration in People-to-People level (independent researchers) between Thailand and EU?

11.00-12.00

Q & A

12.00-13.00

Luncheon

evening

Optional Bangkok excursion