The Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa) Upper Northern Region and Zu Chiangmai today launched the Nimman Innovation Sandbox at Zu Chiangmai, Nimmanhaemin Soi 15, Chiang Mai. Mr. Pradya Komanee, Manager, Upper Northern Provincial Cluster Office, Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), presided over the ceremony.
Representatives of partner organisations attended the launch, including the National Innovation Agency (NIA) Northern Region, the Northern Digital Enterprise Association (NDEA), Block Mountain and the College of Arts, Media and Technology, Chiang Mai University (CMU CAMT).
Initiated by depa and Zu Chiangmai, Nimman’s international community, the Sandbox gives Thai and international developers, researchers and founders a place to build and test new technology projects together with local institutions, and a channel for Thai-led teams to connect with national innovation programmes.
depa’s vision for the Sandbox is a digital ecosystem that connects developers, researchers, entrepreneurs and digital nomads to exchange ideas, experiment and turn technology into real-world use, creating new businesses and extending Chiang Mai’s digital economy to the wider region.
In its first phase, the Sandbox will focus on three areas that align with Thailand’s national innovation priorities and the strengths of Nimman’s international community:
• AI and digital technology: growing digital talent and startups, and putting AI to work in real products and services.
• Healthy longevity: health and wellness innovation for Thailand’s ageing society, using health data and AI.
• Smart city: testing new urban services in the Nimman district as a real-world setting.
From launch day, Sandbox participants can access information on, and connections to, the partner agencies’ existing support. depa promotes Thailand’s digital industry by supporting startups, entrepreneurs and digital talent through measures such as a 200% tax deduction for SMEs that adopt digital technology (OTOD AI Transformation), the Digital Startup Fund for developing digital technology and businesses, and the Digital Manpower Fund for upskilling the digital workforce. depa also works with the Board of Investment (BOI) on investment privileges and the Thailand Smart Visa to attract international technology investors and entrepreneurs.
NIA Northern Region offers advice on innovation development, both to strengthen competitiveness and to apply innovation for local development, and can connect participants to NIA’s support mechanisms, such as funding and networks, subject to the terms and conditions of each programme.
About Zu Chiangmai
Zu Chiangmai is an international technology and innovation community on Nimmanhaemin Soi 15, Chiang Mai. Through residencies and community programmes, it brings together developers, researchers and founders from Thailand and around the world to build in Chiang Mai.
More information: https://www.zuchiangmai.com/
