Thammasat University has joined hands with state and private organisations to build a "Medical Valley" in Pattaya under the Eastern Economic Corridor for the medical hub scheme (EECmd).
Projects under EECmd, including a medical centre, smart city and smart campus, will be located on Thammasat University's Pattaya campus, covering 585 rai of land, said Thammasat University rector Gasinee Witoonchart.
"This scheme aims to support digital innovations for the healthcare and wellness sectors under the concept of 'Better Future Beyond Boundaries'," she said on Tuesday.
Ms Gasinee was speaking at a signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding, which marks the cooperation between her university and 25 organisations, including the EEC Office, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, and Japan-based Denso Corporation, a global auto component manufacturer.
EECmd is also looking for cooperation with startups, as well as local and foreign investors who want to invest in healthcare technology and a digital hospital, said Kammal Kuma Pawa, Thammasat University's vice-rector for administration at the Pattaya campus.
The university has started building a hospital with 300 beds to treat local people and investors in the EEC area, with construction scheduled to be completed between 2023-24.
Other facilities will be also developed in the EECmd area, including a residential zone and a sports complex.
The university is currently in talks with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Chicago, and private hospital associations in Thailand to encourage them to make investments under EECmd.
Kanit Sangsubhan, secretary-general of the EEC Office, said EECmd has a high potential for attracting investors in the healthcare and wellness areas, which are part of the S-curve industries being promoted by the government.
EECmd is part of the EEC, a new high-tech Thai industrial hub, covering parts of Chon Buri, Rayong and Chachoengsao.
Up to 2.2 trillion baht is expected to be spent to support investment projects in the EEC area over the next five years.
