BGI Group Chairman and Co-Founder Wang Jian recently visited Thailand where he met with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and other officials and business partners. The two sides discussed expanding BGI Group’s research and development cooperation in genomics with the Thai Government as well as local partners in support of Thailand’s 4.0 Strategy and the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).

BGI Group Chairman and co-founder, Wang Jian (left), met with Prime Minister of Thailand, Prayut Chan-o-cha (right).

BGI’s Huo-Yan laboratory has helped to support Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health in its fight against COVID-19 variants and other diseases. In the meeting with Wang Jian, Thai Prime Minister Prayut thanked BGI Group for its support and hoped that BGI will continue to strengthen cooperation with the Thai Ministry of Public Health and the EEC in fields such as genomic medicine. 

Wang Jian reaffirmed BGI Group’s commitment of Omics for All, to utilize its genomic technology and expertise to benefit mankind, and said BGI Group has had a long and cooperative relationship with Thailand.  He expressed willingness to further strengthen genome research, disease prevention and control, precision medicine, agriculture, and joint talent training, in order to improve the health and well-being of the Thai people.

In meetings with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Minister of Public Health Satit Pitutacha, Secretary General of the EEC Kanit Sangsubhan, the Thailand Medical Council and a number of leading universities, Wang Jian discussed the power of spatio-temporal omics research, disease screening and Thailand’s 5-year plan for national genomics development which is focused on whole genome sequencing to support research in disease identification, prevention and treatment. Two MGI DNBSEQ-T7RS ultra-high-throughput sequencers have been installed at Burapha University in Thailand to support this scheme.

Wang Jian and his team met with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul （fifth from right）.

Wang Jian and Secretary General of the EEC, Kanit Sangsubhan（right）.

Cooperation in agriculture was an important part of the visit. Wang Jian met with Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Chalermchai Sri-on, and discussed potential areas of cooperation.

Wang Jian and his team met with Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand, Chalermchai Sri-on（second from left）.

Wang Jian also visited Bangkok Genomics Innovation Public Company Limited, BGI’s joint venture company in Thailand.

Wang Jian and his team visited Bangkok Genomics Innovation Public Company Limited.