ส.อ.ท. จัดการประชุมสามัญประจำปี 2567 และเลือกตั้งคณะกรรมการ ส.อ.ท.วาระปี 2567-2569FTI Holds Annual General Meeting 2024 and Elects FTI Board for 2024-2026 Term

On Monday, March 25, 2024, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) held its annual general meeting for 2024 and elected the FTI Board for the 2024-2026 term to summarize the performance of the FTI for the year 2023. The meeting took place in BALLROOM 1 – 2 (1st floor) at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.

During the event, awards were presented to Mr. Sinwatt Santivisat, Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer of Kasikorn Bank, and Mr. Vethit Chokwatana, Vice Chairman of the Executive Board and Managing Director of Sahapat Pibul Public Company Limited, as supporters of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) in various activities. The awards were presented by Mr. Kriangkrai Theeranukul, FTI President.

Additionally, Mr. Monthon Mahaphruekphong, FTI Vice President and Chair of the Economic and Academic Division, organized the 39th FTI CEO Poll on the topic "Perspectives on the Competitiveness of Thai Industries Today" to reflect the opinions of entrepreneurs. The survey results will be published on the FTI website (www.fti.or.th) and the Federation of Thai Industries' Facebook Fan page.

Following that, the regular agenda of the annual general meeting 2024 commenced with Mr. Kriangkrai Theeranukul, FTI President, Mr. Kritsana Imsaeng, FTI Secretary-General, Dr. Piyanuj Malakul Na Ayudhya, FTI Treasurer, and Mr. Weerachai Khunawichayanont, Chair of the FTI Audit Committee, conducting the meeting.

In the event, Mr. Kriangkrai Theeranukul, FTI President, summarized the FTI's performance over the past year, conducted under four key strategies, including:
1) Industry Collaboration: Strengthening the Thai industry by cooperating with external agencies, including partnerships with 12 ministries in the country and 32 countries globally through Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with various government agencies such as the Metal and Material Technology Center (MTEC), the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), the Office of the Competitiveness Enhancement Program, the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT), the Stock Exchange of Thailand, the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), the Board of Investment (BOI), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Department of Industrial Promotion (DIPROM). Private sector collaborations include organizations such as Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited (AIS), IRPC Public Company Limited, and Innospace (Thailand). The establishment of Industry Group 46, the "Petroleum Exploration and Production Industry Group," was aimed at integrating cooperation from all sectors to strengthen Thai businesses in the petroleum exploration and production industry.
2) First2Next-Gen Industry: Driving the industry into the future by implementing initiatives for innovation, such as the Innovation Fund Day project, which supports the matching of innovative startups with SMEs in the FTI network to enhance industrial capacity. This initiative received 1 billion baht in funding from the National Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy Office (NSTDA). Another initiative is the FTI DeepTech Startup Connext, a bridge for bringing technology and innovation from DeepTech Startups to the industrial sector, promoting growth, generating income, and attracting investment through the creation of shared learning and testing spaces, resulting in an increase in entrepreneur income by 2.46 times, totaling 246.3 million baht after participation in the program.
3) Smart SMEs: Elevating SMEs to international standards by FTI offering the K-FTI programs to prepare SMEs/Startups for capital market entry, divided into two courses: short-term (KFTI Incubation Program) and in-depth (KFTI Acceleration Program). There was also an event titled "Unboxing Gifts for SMEs" which provided business knowledge to members and SMEs in various regions, strengthening the provincial industrial councils. In 2023, the FTI had traveled to 20 provinces and successfully recruited 123 new members, showcasing highlight products from 150 member companies in the regions, resulting in a total of 2,688 knowledge and service receptions. Additionally, FTI created the FTI GO GLOBAL program to prepare entrepreneurs by developing strategies and brands to meet the demands of target markets abroad, resulting in 43 entrepreneurs entering five global markets.
4) Smart Service Platform: Enhancing services to uplift the Thai industry. According to the public procurement results in 2022, businesses certified as Made in Thailand (MiT) received procurement contracts totaling 102 billion baht from a total contract value of 695 billion baht. The ten industry sectors certified MiT include construction equipment and others, electronics and telecommunications, steel, air conditioning and refrigeration, cement, plastic, furniture, medical and healthcare equipment manufacturers, pharmaceuticals, and rubber products. For 2023, a total of 5,040 businesses were registered, with 54,792 SKUs certified in the system. Furthermore, the FTI e-Member Card in 2023 offered a total of 82 benefits, an increase from 32 in 2022, and for the health check-up project, 164,220 individuals participated, with 707 establishments involved, reducing operational costs by an average of over 30%.

After summarizing the FTI's performance, the election for the FTI Board for the 2024 – 2026 term took place, with Dr. Nilsuwan Leelarat conducting the election as Chair, explaining the election regulations and procedures along with Ms. Phanrat Petchphakdee, Acting Executive Director of FTI, assisting in the election process.

Moreover, the event featured various activities, including 10 exhibition booths from various FTI departments to promote services offered by FTI, which included: 1) Packaging and Recycling Management Institute for Environment (TIPMSE) 2) Water and Environment Institute for Sustainability 3) Climate Change Institute 4) Energy Institute for Industry 5) Innovation Institute for Industry 6) Small and Medium Enterprises Institute for Manufacturing (SMI) 7) Global Standards Institute (GS1 Thailand) 8) Agricultural Industry Institute 9) Skilled Labor Development for Industrial Sectors (FTI Academy) and 10) Made in Thailand product certification from the Office of Industry Promotion and Support.

In addition to the booths from FTI departments, there were also product display booths from 21 member companies offering privileges under the FTI e-member card.

For photos from the event, click https://photos.app.goo.gl/bmj7bUzNXaWh6mzg7