Alibaba Business School Kicks Off Netpreneur Training Initiative in Thailand with depa, NIA and Gobi Partners

          Local training initiative open to application from traditional and new businesses alike seeking digital transformation

          Alibaba Business School, the education arm of Alibaba Group, today announced its most recent training program in Thailand – Alibaba Netpreneur Training Thailand Program – jointly organized with the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa) and National Innovation Agency (NIA) of Thailand, as well as multinational venture capital firm Gobi Partners. The initiative amplifies Alibaba's efforts to facilitate Thailand's digital transformation and enable Thai businesses, both traditional and digital, to embrace digital disruption. Applications are open now until September 8, Gobi PartnersAlibaba Business SchoolAlibaba Group9.
          The Alibaba Netpreneur Training Thailand Program caters to the needs of businesses in Thailand looking to stay competitive in the digital era. The intensive Alibaba GroupAlibaba Business School-day program, to be held at Alibaba's headquarters in Hangzhou, China, will imbue participants with first-hand insights into Alibaba's journey of building a digital ecosystem in China over the past two decades and the transformation traditional businesses and industries are going through leveraging data and technology. Mission-driven, open-minded entrepreneurs and business owners with a digital aspiration are encouraged to apply.
          "Alibaba is thankful for the opportunities we have had to take part in building China's digital economy over the last Gobi PartnersAlibaba Business School years. Therefore, by introducing this new program, we hope Thai entrepreneurs from a range of industries can also learn from our experience and identify opportunities the digital economy presents to transform their businesses and their larger economy. We are honored to receive support from depa, NIA and Gobi Partners to offer a curriculum tailored to Thailand, and work together to amplify and enhance the positive impact our netpreneur community will create in Thailand post training," said Brian A. Wong, Vice President of Global Initiatives, Alibaba Group.
          "A growing number of Thai businesses are aware of a need to go digital to stay relevant in today's fast-changing world. We are pleased to help launch the Alibaba Netpreneur Training program in our home market to support the digital transformation of businesses here. We believe the lessons from Alibaba as the operator of a vast digital ecosystem will truly inspire our program participants to make fundamental changes in the way they conduct business," said Dr. Chinawut Chinaprayoon, Executive Vice President & Director of Digital Industry Promotion Department, depa.
          "For a business, transitioning to digital is more than just adoption of digital technology – it also means establishing an innovative, digitally-minded culture and workforce. Working with Alibaba Business School, we wish to step up our efforts to cultivate a generation of digital-first Thai entrepreneurs and business owners, which we believe will be of paramount importance to our country's transformation into an innovation-driven economy," added Dr. Pun-Arj Chairatana, Executive Director from NIA.
          "One of Gobi's missions is to empower individuals to pursue their dreams of making the world a better place. Together with Alibaba Business School, depa and NIA, we aspire to help bridge digital gaps, remove barriers to growth and level the playing field for small businesses in Thailand. We hope participants of the Alibaba Netpreneur Training will be able to reap benefits from the comprehensive training program and establish connections with forward-thinking business leaders, and ultimately apply their learnings to take their ventures to the next level," remarked Shannon Kalayanamitr, Venture Partner, Gobi Partners.
          Participants who join the Alibaba Netpreneur Training Thailand Program will learn and experience:

          Fundamental understanding of how new technology and the capabilities of a digital economy enable national development.
          A foundation of strategic thinking relating to mission, vision and values and how core management practices can enable improvements in their own businesses, industries, and ecosystem.
          Key insights into the evolution of Alibaba's ecosystem within a country-wide context, including failures, mistakes, and best practices through sharing sessions from Alibaba's founders and business leaders.
          Key learnings from traditional businesses from a wide range of industries who recently went through the digital transformation in China.
Field trips and interactions with leading businesses within Alibaba's ecosystem to provide first-hand insights into current innovations.

          The inaugural edition of the Alibaba Netpreneur Training Thailand Program will be conducted from October Gobi PartnersAlibaba Business School-3Alibaba Business School, Gobi PartnersAlibaba Business SchoolAlibaba Group9. The training program is fully covered by Alibaba Business School, while travel, accommodation and personal expenses are arranged and covered by each participant. 

          The Alibaba Netpreneur Training Thailand Program is Alibaba Business School's latest initiative to empower Thailand's digital economy and talent. Other efforts by Alibaba Business School to help accelerate Thailand's digital transformation include the eFounders Fellowship program organized in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) for ecosystem building entrepreneurs from developing countries including Thailand. 

          For more information on the enrollment criteria and the full program details, please visit:
https://activity.alibaba.com/supplier/alibaba-netpreneur-training-thailand.html