The BIOTEC International Cooperation Program aims to capitalize on international linkages to make BIOTEC and Thailand a regional leader in this field. In doing so, the Center has developed close linkages with overseas organizations at the bilateral, multilateral and regional levels. These include compatible research laboratories and academic institutes, as well as private sector partnerships.

BIOTEC is an active participant in regional and global activities. At the regional level, the most prominent inter-government body is the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), whose members are made up of 10 countries, namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. BIOTEC is the national focal point for the ASEAN Sub Committee on Biotechnology, the ASEAN Sub Committee on Food Science and Technology and the UNESCO Regional Network for Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology in Southeast Asia.

In line with its mandate to pursue excellence in research and technical programs, BIOTEC participates in a number of international consortia, all with the goal of exposing Thai researchers to international collaboration and to build up the nation’s capability through sharing of information and expertise in respective fields. Under the theme of crop improvement, BIOTEC is a member of the Generation Challenge Programme (GCP), a non-profit program under the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), aiming to utilize advances in molecular biology to harness the rich global heritage of plant genetic resources and create a new generation of crops.  As a leading institute in bioresources study and utilization in the region, BIOTEC became a member of the Asian Consortium for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Microbial Resources (ACM) in 2004. 

BIOTEC bilateral cooperation is driven by research as well as corporate activities, to facilitate research and business collaboration. Our partners include research and academic institutes, as well as scientific and business associations in various countries, with collaborative activities ranging from joint seminars to promote information exchange and collaboration to joint research.

Although the majority of research funding is provided by the Thai Government, BIOTEC also obtains research support from international funding agencies such as The World Health Organization, Medicine for Malaria Venture (MMV), Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), the Generation Challenge Program (GCP), The Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council (MRC), UNESCO-L'OREAL for Women in Science Program, UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) Program, and the Swedish Research Council, demonstrating that the quality of our research is on a par with international standards.

Apart from striving for research excellence, BIOTEC also attempts to utilize its expertise and research facilities to build up research and technical capacity for neighboring countries.  The Thai - French Trilateral Cooperation on Food Safety, Molecular Rice Breeding Program for Mekong Regionand HRD Program for Neighboring Countries are examples of this initiative.