From October 27–28, 2025, in Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China, Associate Professor Dr. Toemsak Srikhirin, Director of the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC) under the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), participated in the ‘2025 Jiangsu International Exchange Week on the Cooperation and Integration of Industry, Education, Research, and Application’ and the ‘Agreement Exchange for Cooperation among Universities, National High-tech Zones, and Overseas Institutions.’ Both proceedings were convened at the College of Energy, Soochow University. The Director was accompanied by a delegation comprising Dr. Sitthisuntorn Supothina, Deputy Director of MTEC; Dr. Chanchana Thanachayanont, Director of the Environment Research Group; Dr. Thipjak Na Lampang, Head of the Sustainable Wood Engineering Research Team; and additional MTEC researchers. This academic meeting, conducted under the theme ‘Advanced Materials Forum,’ was attended by over 60 participants, including experts, researchers, faculty members, students, and industry representatives from five countries.
During this occasion, MTEC-NSTDA, in conjunction with Nanjing Forestry University (NJFU) and the Liyang High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, executed a Memorandum of Understanding centered on the Bamboo Charcoal New Energy Materials Industry–University–Research collaboration. The primary objective is to collaboratively engage in R&D activities pertaining to environmentally sustainable materials, facilitate researcher and student exchanges to enhance research capabilities, and establish mechanisms to disseminate international technologies across the entire value chain for industrial applications.
During the proceedings, Associate Professor Dr. Toemsak Srikhirin delivered a presentation titled “Empowering Collaboration through Advanced Materials Innovation: The MTEC Perspective.” In his remarks, he highlighted MTEC’s role as Thailand’s national materials science research organization, dedicated to advancing materials research and innovation to address global challenges through four key research areas focused on the practical application of existing materials technologies. These include: supporting Thailand’s attainment of carbon neutrality and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions through materials technologies (Material Solutions for Net Zero); advancing medical and health materials and device innovations to enhance quality of life (Medical and Health Innovation); developing materials technologies and designs to augment the manufacturing and transportation sectors (Modern Manufacturing and Modern Transport & Road Safety); and transforming biobased materials into high-value and specialty products (High-value/Specialty Biobased Materials). He also reaffirmed MTEC’s commitment to strengthening and expanding collaboration with partner organizations through various mechanisms and activities, underscoring its role as the “technical arm—or a connecting bridge”—supporting the transfer of technologies to end-users across all sectors to generate broad and significant impacts.
