On 1 May 2025, the Thai-German Cooperation on Energy, Mobility and Climate (TGC EMC), Transport Component, together with the National Innovation Agency (NIA) Thailand, under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation (MHESI), organised ‘EV-Market Expansion 2025: Business matching on EV Innovations and other related technologies for practical pilots in 4 City Lab areas’ at Club Siam Glowfish, Bangkok. This event invited entrepreneurs, manufacturers and stakeholders in electric vehicles (EV) and innovations to explore opportunities for EV pilot projects in four TGC EMC City Lab areas for EV Integration: Bang Saen beach, Chonburi province; Bang Sue district, Bangkok; Nakhon Ratchasima province; and Phuket province. In this regard, the participants were invited to submit proposals for grants to conduct pilot projects in their City Lab areas of interest.

In her opening remarks, Dr Krithpaka Boonfueng, NIA Executive Director, kickstarted the event by underscoring the roles of EV innovations in mitigating GHG emissions in Thailand’s mobility sector, as well as supporting cooperation with the private sector in piloting and adapting solutions in City Lab areas. Dr Dominika Kalinowska, Director of Transport Projects from GIZ Thailand, then provided additional background on the TGC EMC project and its mission to support Thailand’s climate targets through sector coupling approaches.

Dr Krithpaka Boonfueng (left) and Dr Dominika Kalinowska (right)

Gessarin Gunthawong, TGC EMC Project Advisor, introduced the concept of the TGC EMC City Lab as one of the project’s key outputs. This area of output focuses on testing EV solutions and innovations with the aim of reducing carbon emissions in Thailand’s transport sector, starting with key pilot cities.

During a panel discussion: ‘Real-world Practical Innovations for Advancing Pilot Areas’, representatives from the four pilot cities shared specific contexts, challenges and collaboration opportunities in each target location. The session also facilitated an exchange of project development approaches among the participants.

In the final plenary session, Apiwat Thawornkaew, an innovation developer from the Mandatory Innovation Department, NIA, presented his insights into ‘Mechanisms to Support Innovation Business’ and shared his knowledge on financing and support access from the NIA.

The event concluded with a business matching session, where the participants met and had discussions with representatives from each of the City Lab areas, exchanging and deliberating on the potential to showcase innovations responsive to specific challenges in each area. Moreover, the participants had the opportunity to create a network and connect with key players in Thailand’s EV market.

Funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) under the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), the TGC EMC project supports Thailand’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050. Through its five components – renewable energy, transport, decarbonisation in industry, biomass, and climate finance (ThaiCI), TGC EMC facilitates technology transfer, policy development, and business model innovation through a sector-coupling approach.