Cyberport scheme taking shape
Hong Kong-inspired project to fuel startups
The government will conclude the main details of Thailand Cyberport development in the next two months before getting the project off the ground by year-end to create a national digital community and one-stop facilitator for startups and entrepreneurs.
The announcement comes after the digital economy and society (DE) minister and his team met the chairman of Hong Kong Cyberport Management Co last week. The two parties agreed to drive development of Thailand Cyberport.
Hong Kong Cyberport is a digital community whose management company is wholly owned by the Hong Kong government.
DE Minister Pichet Durongkaveroj said Thailand Cyberport, through a collaboration with Hong Kong Cyberport, aims to be a national innovative community for multiple sectors and a centre of the startup ecosystem in the region, attracting venture capital firms and global enterprises.
“The existing ecosystem for startup incubation is not enough to drive the government’s Thailand 4.0 roadmap, and thus the government needs a more practical driver of digital ecosystem development,” he said.
Mr Pichet said the existing incubation projects for startups operated by private and state agencies lack the necessary functions for startups from seed-level incubation, connecting them to strategic partners and investors, and driving collaboration with local and international business partners.
“Thailand Cyberport will help incubate startups at all levels seeking angel funds, skills management coaching and venture capital,” he said, adding that the project will embrace areas as diverse as culture, tourism and agriculture.
Thailand Cyberport will be set up in the vicinity of the Digital Park in Chon Buri province under the government’s Eastern Economic Corridor scheme.
The DE Ministry is working with the Science and Technology Ministry, the Industry Ministry and the Board of Investment to finalise major details of the Thailand Cyberport project, Mr Pichet said yesterday on the sidelines of the “Big Change to Big Chance” event celebrating the eighth anniversary of the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA).
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak visited Hong Kong and met the head of Hong Kong Cyberport Management. Mr Somkid initiated the development of Thailand Cyberport along similar lines.
Hong Kong Cyberport is a business park consisting of four office buildings, a hotel and a retail entertainment complex. It describes itself as a “creative digital community” with a cluster of technology and digital content tenants.
According to a statement on the Hong Kong Cyberport website, the park is the flagship of Hong Kong’s digital tech industry, with a committed team of professionals providing value-added services to support the digital community.
Mr Pichet said the government through the DE Ministry is pushing several tasks to fulfil the digital transformation of Thailand.
One highlight is establishing a test base for 5G wireless broadband at the Digital Park in Chon Buri.
The 5G test base was approved yesterday by the National Digital Economy and Society Committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Prajin Juntong.