The second edition of the Thailand RISE Fund Forum: RISE UP THAILAND was held at Mae Fah Luang University (MFU) on 23 February 2026. The forum served as a regional platform to bridge research, creative economy, and regional investment opportunities. Central to the discussion was the evolving role of Thailand Science, Research and Innovation (TSRI) in translating academic research into tangible economic and social impact, while fostering collaboration across government agencies, the private sector, and academic institutions throughout the northern region.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ake Pattaratanakun, Member of the TSRI Executive Board and Chair of the RISE Fund Communications Strategy Subcommittee, emphasised that the regional forum is part of a strategic repositioning of the fund — shifting from a system-based research funding body into a national hub for Thailand’s research and innovation ecosystem. He highlighted the importance of measurable outcomes, funding transparency, and cross-sector collaboration to strengthen trust and regional engagement.
Prof. Dr. Vissanu Meeyoo, Deputy Director of TSRI, added that the Thailand RISE Fund serves as a central mechanism to consolidate the country's research funding and channel it toward real-world innovation, accelerating the translation of research into commercially viable and socially impactful outcomes. By bringing the forum to the regional level, the fund expands access to funding support, co-investment opportunities, and collaborative project development for researchers, entrepreneurs, and local stakeholders, thereby strengthening long-term sustainability in Thailand's research and innovation system.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Matchima Naradisorn, MFU President highlighted that the university's mission is to serve as a connector between knowledge, research, and innovation for the development of northern communities and quality of life. Hosting the forum provided an ideal platform for meaningful dialogue among funding agencies, research networks, universities, industry partners, and local stakeholders to advance research toward concrete economic and social impact.
Key activities included a keynote session on the Thailand RISE Fund, a special talk on collaboration opportunities with TSRI, and a panel discussion on "Research with Impact and Investment Attraction," focusing on the North's strategic sectors such as safe agriculture, health and wellness industries, coffee, and the creative economy.
The event reflected the Thailand RISE Fund's direction of decentralizing its communications and network-building efforts to partner universities in the North, particularly MFU. With its strong research ecosystem—including the Medicinal Plants Innovation Center, Center of Excellence in Natural Products Innovation, Integrative Medicine, the Tea and Coffee Institute, and the Institute for Mekong Basin Civilization, Art and Culture– and in collaboration with community enterprises, farmers, and local entrepreneurs, MFU is uniquely positioned to drive area-based research that generates tangible economic and social impact across priority sectors such as agriculture and food, health, creative tourism, environmental technology, and sustainable regional development.
