Technologies & Policies for a Sustainable World
As the imperative for sustainable development intensifies, Thailand and Southeast Asia stand at the crossroads of challenges and opportunities in fostering effective industry-academic collaboration. The region's diverse ecosystems and economies necessitate a nuanced understanding of the interplay between sectors, urging stakeholders to navigate obstacles, capitalize on synergies, and develop effective policies.
MIT faculty will be joined by MIT-connected startups to facilitate conversations with senior executives from Thailand to foster dialogue, share insights, and cultivate a roadmap for effective collaboration. Through a multifaceted exploration of challenges and opportunities, participants will contribute to shaping a future where industry and academia work together with local government to address pressing sustainability issues, with a focus on how MIT-industry collaboration can accelerate substantial results.
Mr. Todd Glickman joined the Industrial Liaison Program in January 2000, serving as the MIT liaison for companies worldwide, and joined the office's senior management in 2005.
Prior to joining ILP, Todd was Assistant Executive Director of the American Meteorological Society (AMS), the professional society for meteorologists, which is based in Boston. At AMS, Todd's responsibilities included strategic planning for conferences, headquarters liaison with AMS member boards and committees, support to the AMS Council, and public relations. In addition, Todd was Managing Editor for the AMS Glossary of Meteorology (2nd edition).
From 1979 to 1994, Todd held a variety of positions with WSI Corporation of Billerica, MA, including Manager, New Product Development, Media Marketing Manager, and Manager of the Government Program Office. WSI was a pioneer in the development of real-time weather information, providing value-added information and workstations for clients in media, aviation, industry, academia, and government. Some of Todd's projects included development of the weather data/information infrastructure for The Weather Channel; the introduction of digital satellite and radar imagery for television; planning and implementation of a network of weather briefing systems for the Federal Aviation Administration; and serving as liaison with the National Weather Service and professional organizations. In addition, Todd was instrumental in helping to develop the public-private partnership between the weather information industry and the Federal government.
Concurrently, Glickman has had more than 30 years of experience as a radio meteorologist and has been heard on dozens of stations nationwide. Today, he can be heard occasionally on all-news WCBS Newsradio-88 in New York City. He has chaired numerous meteorological conferences and symposia, and served on a number of boards and committees for the American Meteorological Society (AMS). He was awarded the AMS Seal of Approval for Radio Weathercasting in 1979, and was elected a Fellow of the AMS in 1997.
Todd's interests include transportation systems of all types, and he is an officer and past trustee of the Seashore Trolley Museum of Kennebunkport, Maine. At MIT, Todd is an officer and trustee of the Technology Broadcasting Corporation, which oversees the campus radio station WMBR-FM. He also volunteers as the academic advisor to a group of MIT freshmen.
Dr. Tarit Nimmanwudipong is the general manager of True Digital Park, which is Southeast Asia’s largest tech and startup ecosystem in the heart of Bangkok's cybertech district. He is responsible for new business development, product commercialization, and partnerships aiming for building True Digital Park to be a global hub for innovation by bringing startups, multinational companies, incubators, accelerators, venture capital, and the public sector together under one roof to provide the complete innovation-focused ecosystem for all.
Prior to joining True Corp, he worked at Roland Berger, managing digital transformation projects for clients from both the public and private sectors. Tarit is an engineer by training, holding a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California Davis with Postdoctoral training at MIT.
Professor John E. Fernández is a professor in the Department of Architecture at MIT, affiliated with the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, and a practicing architect. Fernández is also Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Environmental Solutions Initiative, enlisting the capacity of the MIT community in the transition to a net zero carbon, biodiverse and equitable future.
Fernández founded and currently directs the MIT Urban Metabolism Group and is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Commission on BiodiverCities by 2030, the Urban Climate Change Research Network, and the Leadership Team of Oceanvisions. He has published on a wide range of subjects, from sustainable cities, urban biodiversity, design, and more, and is the author of two books and numerous articles in scientific and design journals, including Science, the Journal of Industrial Ecology, Building and Environment, Energy Policy and others, and author of nine book chapters. He is formerly Chair of Sustainable Urban Systems for the International Society of Industrial Ecology and Director of the MIT Building Technology Program from 2010 to 2015.
There is enormous concern that we are not on a trajectory that will result in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to avoid catastrophic global warming. The evidence is even beginning to indicate that we may have entered an era of runaway effects – tipping points - that threaten to create a world of harm for humans and most other species on Earth. And yet, there is also a growing awareness that a new global trajectory is emerging in the rapid expansion of decarbonized energy production capacity and an array of low-carbon technologies in latter-stage development and early-stage deployment. Accompanying a range of promising and accelerating technological breakthroughs are unprecedented climate policy actions taken across governance scales, from the local to the international. So, while the mountain of alarming data on the continued rise of global GHG emissions continues to raise alarms, these positive developments are suggesting that we have reached an inflection point beyond which the race to net zero emissions by 2050 is possible. The talk will outline the ways in which we may achieve the challenging but necessary goal of reducing emissions rapidly and deploying carbon capture globally to reach and maintain net zero greenhouse gas emissions by midcentury.
Dr. Sergey Paltsev is a Deputy Director of the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, a Senior Research Scientist at the MIT Energy Initiative and MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEPR), and a Director of the MIT Energy-at-Scale Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA. He is the lead modeler in charge of the MIT Economic Projection and Policy Analysis (EPPA) model of the world economy. Dr. Paltsev is an author of more than 100 peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals and books in the area of energy economics, climate policy, transport, advanced energy technologies, and international trade. Sergey was a Lead Author of the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He is a recipient of the 2012 Pyke Johnson Award (by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, USA, for the best paper in the area of planning and environment). Sergey is an Advisory Board Member for the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) Consortium and a Member of the Scientific Steering Committee of the Integrated Assessment Modeling Consortium. Additional information at:
https://globalchange.mit.edu/about-us/personnel/paltsev-sergey
There is an urgent need to accelerate a transition to low-carbon transportation, where electrification, hydrogen, and biofuels offer a significant potential to reduce carbon emissions if done in a
sustainable way. Light-duty and heavy-duty road transport, shipping, and aviation have their own challenges and opportunities. Technologies and the impacts of their policy support need to be assessed for a better understanding of potential pathways to a net-zero economy, including its competition with alternative decarbonization options (e.g., electrification, biofuels, synthetic fuels, fossil fuels with CCS, demand-side management).
Ian Seiferling (PhD, MSc.) is the CEO of AdaViv. With a background in biology and environmental science, Ian has worked extensively in domains such as plant science, urban agriculture, and climate adaptation. He has developed widely-used computer vision-based tools to measure and monitor the health of urban trees, and has led research on the spatially-explicit modeling of urban agriculture potential to feed urban populations. Ian's entrepreneurial and technological expertise enables him to bridge plant science, sensing, image processing, and data science in order to creatively put into practice cutting-edge methods that better understand crop plants. His research has been published in numerous high-impact academic journals, including Ecology, Conservation Ecology, and Nature Sustainability, and has been featured in media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and The Guardian. Originally from the prairie grain belt provinces of Canada, Ian is passionate about using his skills to make a meaningful impact on the world.
Dr. Ashish Kulkarni, Ph.D., is a successful innovator who has applied his expertise in chemical engineering and materials science to deliver breakthrough products and platforms in various industries. He has been researching how mature organizations can develop an innovation ecosystem to tap into the unique characteristics of start-up companies. Serving as Chairman & CEO of Kebotix , Kulkarni is committed to adopting AI/ML tools in the Chemicals, Materials and Building & Construction industries to drive sustainability & decarbonization. He has held executive positions at companies such as GAF Materials Corporation, a building materials company, Avantor, Inc., and Celanese, where he developed new innovation strategies and infrastructure to drive growth. He also has experience in global engineering and has held several patents and published articles in refereed journals. He serves on the board of directors for several companies, including Evercloak Materials, ConnectM, and Ghost Robotics.
Dr. Ryan Chin is Co-Founder & COO of TRAM Global -- a technology company that incentivizes sustainable actions and consumer behaviors to reduce carbon emissions globally through their digital marketplaces. TRAM computes, accounts, verifies and rewards carbon reduction by empowering people and communities to participate in the carbon reduction economy, enabling companies to directly connect with climate-conscious consumers.
Dr. Chin is also a Co-founder of Optimus Ride – a MIT spinoff autonomous vehicle company. As an entrepreneur he has built world-class engineering teams of AI, Behavioral Change, Blockchain, Design, Business, and Marketing experts. Along with Co-founder, Ramiro Almeida, he has raised over $100M in venture capital from reputable investors like Emerson Collective, Reid Hoffman and Eric Chen. Ryan spent 18 years at MIT inventing the concept of Smart Cities and developing the CityCar -- a foldable, electric, shared, two-passenger vehicle w/ General Motors and the Architect Frank O. Gehry. Time Magazine named the CityCar the “Automotive Invention of the Year” in 2007. Ryan has advised industry and government agencies. He was a member of the White House PCAST’s (President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology) working group in 2015 on “Technology and the Future of Cities.” Ryan received at MIT his Ph.D. and M.S. in Media Arts and Sciences and a M.Arch in Architecture.
Patrick Teyssonneyre is an entrepreneur and accomplished senior executive with over 20 years of global experience in Deep Tech Ventures, Climate Tech, and General Management of Innovation & Technology; Patrick led the development of numerous Technologies, Products, and Applications into successful commercialization in the Chemical and Materials Industries. Patrick holds a B.S. in Materials Engineering and earned an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Alina Truhina is the CEO and Managing Partner of The Radical Fund - an early-stage VC fund dedicated to investing in and supporting entrepreneurs who are rapidly scaling solutions for an inclusive climate transition for a more resilient Southeast Asia.
Alina is also a Co-Founder, and was the Chief Strategy Officer, of Founders Factory Africa - one of the leading early stage venture investors across Africa, headquartered in Johannesburg. Alina has raised over $140million from LPs and investors for the Africa funds, which currently has over 55 companies in its portfolio and over 45 team members across the continent. In 2022, Alina secured the Mastercard Foundation $107 million partnership, which is focused on driving increased investment and support to the early stage ecosystem, create a further 2.7mn plus jobs and ensure over 1500 inspiring entrepreneurs can become fully fledged founders.
Prior to FFA, Alina led corporate partnerships at SPRING, an impact vehicle which scaled over 75 Pre-Seed tech ventures in 9 countries across East Africa and South Asia. Working with a team of 40+ local and global experts, SPRING has reached over 2.5 million adolescent girls and women, which was independently evaluated by Tetra Tech Impact Management.
Before that Alina spent seven years at the World Bank Group, where she built collaborations with governments, corporations, and other multilateral development agencies. Alina began her career in Australia working at two global companies of WPP Group across the Asia Pacific region, with global clients such as BP, Kodak, GE Money, and Fosters Group.
Alina is based in Southeast Asia.
Dr. Singh Intrachooto is a chief advisor to the Research & Innovation for Sustainability Center (RISC) and an associate professor of building innovation at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand. He is also head of the Creative Center for Eco-Design at Kasetsart University, Department of Architecture, where he initiated Scrap lab to address environmental problems and use the disadvantages to regenerate sustainable concepts as design key and value creation in design and architecture.
In another identity, he is the founder, architect, and design principal at OSISU, Thailand’s leading eco-design business known for its “upcycled” handcrafted art, furniture, material, and products from debris left from the construction sites or factories. His approach to sustainable design revolves around Identifying patterns of technological innovation and environmentally responsible architectures. He has received numerous awards for his work. In 2019, the Silpathorn Award, a major national honor from the Ministry of Culture of Thailand, was given to him.
In addition, he is a design innovation ambassador for the Thailand National Innovation Agency (NIA) and an advisory committee member for the Thailand Creative Economy Agency (TCEA). He also finished his Ph.D. in design technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Tim McCaffery, MBA ’06, is the Global Investment Director of Deep Technology and Life Sciences at Siam Cement Group (SCG). He is a global business leader experienced in developing and commercializing new technologies via cross-functional and cross-cultural teams.
His specialties include leading growth initiatives via inorganic (M&A and Venture Investing) and organic growth (direct and channel sales).
Dr. John (JJ) Jiang is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and global head of R&D for Thailand's Charoen Pokphand (C.P.) Group. He is also the Chief Digital Officer for CP Group and Chief of R&D for True Corporation.
Dr. Jiang is an AI Scientist who is a recognized serial entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, contributing to four startups and leading technology initiatives at major companies such as Cingular/ATT, China Mobile, and CP Group.
As the inaugural CDO at CP Group, he focuses on cybersecurity, data privacy, cloud strategy, automation, blockchain, and AI/analytics. Since 2019. He has assumed the role of Group CTO, concentrating on Cleantech, AI Digital Robotics, Biotech, NanoTech, sustainability, Smart retail, farm, factory, home, city, and Supply Chain Management. His expertise extends to molecular and digital health markers, food as medicine, multiomics/gene editing, seed/animal breeding, space farming, microbiome applications, longevity, brain health/EEG, cancer treatment, waste valorization, EM field & wave for rice paddy methane reduction, refrigeration/food storage/processing, CCUS, alternative protein-ingredients-materials-energy, green/turquoise/flash hydrogen, battery, 6G/satellite/Dynamic RIS, quantum computing, perovskite & quantum dot solar cells, nuclear fission/fusion, space solar, graphene, antimicrobial nanomaterials, and AI for crops, fruit & durian protection.
Currently, Dr. Jiang holds the position of President at iFree Group, a Hong Kong-based unicorn conglomerate spanning real estate, restaurants, travel, smart city/retail digital technology, health care, and investment across Asia and Australia. Additionally, I am a Founding Board member of the blockchain-based AI medical startup EVER, a rising unicorn with extensive patient data and global medical tourism partnerships.
With over 200 patents in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and more than 30 publications, I am a founding member of GSMA Steering of Roaming, notably contributing to the industry standard Traffic Steering. My inventions include patent-awarded technologies such as Single/multi-IMSI Multiple MSISDN, CloudSIM, and Figo.
In his role as Cofounder, President & CTO of Airlinq, he is actively involved in building a global connectivity ecosystem on eSIM/softSIM and IoT platforms, incorporating AI/ML/Analytics for applications in connected car/IOT/M2M, LPWA/V2X, Travel, Device OEMs, autonomous driving, Smart City, Smarthome, Drone, and other industries.
Previously, as the former CTO of China Mobile International, Dr. Jiang was responsible for mobile, internet, transmission, data center, IT, and NOC. Prior experiences include leadership roles as President and CTO, co-founder of the Unicorn Mobileum, Head of ATT/Cingular Wireless Information System Division, and Bell Labs Scientist. His achievements include being the 1986 Chinese Youth of the Year and the 1978 Winner of the Beijing Middle School Speed Math Competition.
Dr. Kobsak Pootrakool is an accomplished professional currently holding the position of Director and Senior Executive Vice President at Bangkok Bank. As a Member of the Board of Executive Directors and the Corporate Governance Committee, he plays a crucial role in shaping the bank's strategic direction. Dr. Pootrakool also serves as the Corporate Secretary, contributing to the efficient functioning of the organization.
His impressive academic background includes a Doctorate Degree in Macroeconomics and International Economics from MIT, as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics and Economics from William College, USA.
Dr. Pootrakool's extensive career at Bangkok Bank spans various key roles, including Senior Executive Vice President and Executive Vice President of International Banking. Beyond his banking career, he has held significant positions in the political landscape, such as Secretary and Member of the Council of Economic Ministers, Deputy Secretary-General to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs, Minister at the Office of the Prime Minister, and Vice Minister at the Office of the Prime Minister.
His active involvement in national committees, including the National Reform Steering Assembly and the National Reform Council, highlights his commitment to contributing to broader socio-economic development. Dr. Pootrakool's diverse professional journey showcases a unique blend of financial expertise, leadership in banking, and substantial contributions to the political and economic landscape in Thailand.
Elisabeth Reynolds is a Partner in Unless, an investment firm focused on industrial transformation, and a Lecturer in the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning. She was Special Assistant to the President for Manufacturing and Economic Development at the National Economic Council until October, 2022. During her time at the White House, she helped lead the Administration’s work on supply chain challenges, national manufacturing strategy, regional economic development and the broader industrial policy agenda. Before working in the Biden Administration, Reynolds was the executive director of the MIT Industrial Performance Center and co-led, with Professors David Autor and David Mindell, the MIT Task Force on the Work of the Future. In both roles, she worked on manufacturing-related issues including growing innovative firms to scale and technology adoption by small and large firms.
A confluence of changes in the global landscape has led to profound changes in U.S. economic policy. Most notably, the U.S. has put in place a new industrial strategy that is deploying significant public capital in service of building private industrial capability across three broad sectors – infrastructure, innovation (with a focus on microelectronics), and clean energy. This agenda directly challenges the neoliberal free market paradigm that shaped U.S. policy for decades in support of an industrial strategy that uses the tools of the federal government to build globally competitive industries, technological capabilities, and greater shared prosperity. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) represents the largest investment the U.S. has made to date toward transitioning the economy to clean energy. In the year since its passage, it has already “crowded in” over $200 billion in private-sector investment. This presentation will discuss the mechanics of the IRA, opportunities and challenges with its implementation, and early signs regarding its impact.
Dr. Kirchain received a Ph.D. from MIT. His research focuses on the environmental and economic implications of materials selection. The choice of material potentially has sweeping implications on the realization of a product. Materials affect not only properties but also dictate available production processes and, therefore, the physical constraints within which a designer must work. Similarly, the synergism of design, materials, and process affect the environmental impacts associated with a product's manufacture, its use, and its ultimate disposal. As such, understanding the implications of a material selection decision requires understanding throughout the design and production systems.
To address this, Dr. Kirchain's research deals with two broad topic areas: (1) the development of methods to model the cost of manufacture, using limited design information and (2) the sustainability of current and emerging materials systems. To these ends, Dr. Kirchain has focused on automotive manufacturing systems, including working on projects for all three major automobile manufacturers. These projects include an extensive study of the functioning of the system for reclaiming materials from end-of-life vehicles. The specific focus of this work has been to understand the economic implications of changing vehicle composition and emerging policy strictures on the successful operation of this system.
Dr. Kirchain's teaching responsibilities include ESD.123 - Industrial Ecology and ESD.80 - Seminar in Technology Policy Research.
The built environment is responsible for over 1/3 of global greenhouse gas emissions. While electrification and renewable power generation provide a solution to building operational emissions, there is no single solution to address the next key challenge: reducing the emissions of materials production and construction. This presentation will discuss opportunities for decarbonizing materials and construction by exploring the case of the world’s most used engineering material – concrete. The production of concrete and the cement from which it is fashioned generate around six percent of global GHGs. Reducing that footprint will require changes from the cement kiln to the architect's design studio to the construction site. This presentation will discuss the role of both emerging and existing technologies as well as the importance of policy solutions to achieve net-zero emissions in the construction sector.
Dr. Elisabeth Reynolds is a Partner in Unless, an investment firm focused on industrial transformation and a Lecturer at the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning. She was Special Assistant to the President for Manufacturing and Economic Development at the National Economic Council until October 2022. During her time at the White House, she helped lead the Administration’s work on supply chain challenges, national manufacturing strategy, regional economic development, and the broader industrial policy agenda. Before working in the Biden Administration, Reynolds was the executive director of the MIT Industrial Performance Center and co-led, with Professors David Autor and David Mindell, the MIT Task Force on the Work of the Future. In both roles, she worked on manufacturing-related issues including growing innovative firms to scale and technology adoption by small and large firms.
Mr. Natwut Amornvivat is the Director of the Board of True Corporation PLC.
Mr. Chol Bunnag is a lecturer at Faculty of Economics at Thammasat University. He holds a Master of Science in Economic Development from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom, and a Bachelor of Economics from Thammasat University. Chol has extensive hands-on research experience working with various government agencies, local communities and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
His expertise is in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the economics of natural resources and environment, and agricultural economics & rural development.
Jirawat Panpiemras is the Vice President of Bangkok Bank LTD.