On June 18th, 2025, the “Thailand – China Symposium on Innovation and Sustainability: Technology and Innovation Transfer on Bamboo Processing and Its Applications” was organized as part of the “Thailand Research Expo 2025” in Bangkok, Thailand. The event was co-hosted by the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC), the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), the Program Management Unit on Area Based Development (PMU A), and the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI). To mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China, the event brought together leading experts, local partners (such as provincial farmers' councils and universities), and also entrepreneurs from Thailand and China to share insights on building an effective technological ecosystem to enhance bamboo economies and to provide a platform for networking and potential future collaboration between the two countries. The highlight of the event was the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between MTEC and Nanjing Forestry University (NJFU) to collaborate on R&D and technology transfer related to environmentally friendly bamboo-based construction materials.
Group photo of the organizing team
Ms Tatirose Vijitpan, the Focal Point of Greater Mekong Sub-region Portfolio at UNEP-IEMP, served as a panelist in the discussion session titled: “Building a Technological Ecosystem to Unlock Collective Potential for Community Prosperity”. Drawing on UNEP-IEMP’s past and ongoing projects to facilitate cooperation on bamboo utilization between China and other countries, she highlighted the importance of taking a holistic view of the bamboo value chain to benefit local stakeholders, protect the environment and enhance sustainable bamboo industry. She also emphasized the significance of raising awareness and building capacity for local farmers and entrepreneurs in adapting the technology, as well as the essential role of government in creating enabling environments for bamboo utilization. As UNEP-IEMP played a catalytic role in this Thailand-China bamboo cooperation, she expressed great pleasure in witnessing the growth of this partnership and appreciated the opportunity to be part of this journey.
The panel discussion session
