The Hong Kong Cyberport operator is being urged to set up a similar cyberport in Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) to help incubate and fund Thai startups in the high-tech sector.
Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who visited Hong Kong Cyberport on Thursday and met George Lam, head of Hong Kong Cyberport Management Co, said he asked him to set up a joint venture firm with the Thai government to operate a Thailand Cyberport in the EEC.
Mr Somkid said the government pledged to persuade the private sector and universities to participate in the venture.
"Thailand Cyberport's development model should be like Hong Kong Cyberport, for which development is based on three pillars: educational institutes, financial institutes and state agencies," he said. "The government will consider later which state agency will be tasked with handling the Thailand Cyberport development between the Digital Economy and Society Ministry and the Industry Ministry."
"Startups in high technology and innovation will play a vital role in rapidly boosting the Thai economy," Mr Somkid said. "A cyberport similar to the Hong Kong model is desperately needed."
The Hong Kong Cyberport is an innovative community with 1,000 digital tech companies and is wholly owned by the government there.
Aiming to become a key driver of the digital tech industry and economy of Hong Kong, Cyberport is tasked with nurturing young people, startups and entrepreneurs to flourish in the digital industry by connecting them with strategic partners and investors, driving collaboration with local and international business partners to create new opportunities, and accelerating digital adoption among corporations and SMEs.
Cyberport focuses on building key digital technology clusters, namely fintech, e-commerce, Internet of Things/wearables and big data/AI to foster the development of Hong Kong into a "Smart City".
"With a committed team of professionals providing value-added services to support our digital community and an array of state-of-the-art tech facilities, Cyberport is the flagship for Hong Kong's digital tech industry," said a statement on the Hong Kong Cyberport website.
Mr Somkid said he has tasked the Board of Investment (BoI) and Industry Ministry with discussing the possible establishment of Thailand Cyberport in the EEC with the relevant authorities in Hong Kong.
To position Thailand as a startup hub in Asia by 2020, the government itself has ordered the BoI to spend 10 billion baht of the Competitiveness Fund on the startup community as well as demanding the acceleration of three startup-related laws.
