The Ministry of Industry has kicked off an international conference aimed at raising the competitiveness of fashion-related businesses in Thailand.

Industry Minister Atchaka Sibunruang presided over the launch of the conference entitled “International Fashion Co-Design : Ride the Power of Asia”, which began today and will continue through tomorrow at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. It is the ministry’s collaboration with the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion, the Department of Industrial Promotion and the Thailand Textile Institute.

The event is hoped to develop the potential of Thai entrepreneurs in the textile and garment, shoe and leatherware, and gem and jewelry industries, both SMEs and well-established brands, adding value to their products and enabling them to compete with others in the global arena.

As part of the conference, Ms Atchaka has given a special lecture under the topic “Thailand Industrial Design Policy”. She said Thai fashion products currently account for 700 billion baht a year in export revenue, whereas a target has been set to increase their export value to at least 1 trillion baht a year in the next five years. Several designers and influential figures in the industry, both Thai and foreign, have also passed on their knowledge and experience to participants.