Talent mobility model at the national level: A case study of Industrial Technology Assistance Program in Thailand

Science and technology capability is one of the critical factors in developing the nation´s competitiveness and driving the economic growth as well as the well-being of the people. The mobility of talent between academia and industry contributes significantly to the stock of human resources in science and technology, thus talent mobility at the national level plays an important role in the country´s strategy, especially in the developing country. Since Thailand has limited number of human resources in science and technology, the establishment of appropriate talent mobility policy and measures is necessary. This paper explores one possible model of talent mobility at the national level by using case study analysis of the Industrial Technology Assistance Program (iTAP) which facilitates the linkage between academia and industry via the intermediary process that provides university professors and/or researchers to help solving technical problems for small and medium enterprises in Thailand. The paper discusses multiple cases of talent mobility in Thailand from different sectors to show the appropriateness of iTAP model as one of possible talent mobility schemes for Thailand.