Bangkok--13 Jun--ministry of science and technology
Ministry of Science and Technology accelerates Food Innopolis by inviting 9 public organizations, 13 companies, 12 leading universities and 1 association to sign the MOU and plans to expand Food Innopolis to regional locations.
Ministry of Science and Technology as a key ministry assigned by the cabinet on May 16th, 2016 together with Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation, Board of Investment, National Food Institute and other related organizations have recently launched one of the "Super Clusters"- Food Innopolis project to attract world-class food companies to invest in R&D activities in Thailand and to drive Thailand as an innovation hub for food industry.
On May 27th 2016, Ministry of Science and Technology has signed the MOU with 13 Thai leading food companies, 9 public organizations and 12 research universities together with Thailand Management Association (TMA) at the Food Innopolis Program Management Office located within the Ministry. The MOU signing ceremony was chaired and witnessed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Dr.Somkid Jatusripitak.
The companies joining in this MOU include Green Innovative Biotechnology Co., Ltd., CPF PCL, Thai Beverage PCL, Thai President Foods PCL, Thai Union Group PCL, Mitr Phol Co., Ltd., Thai Vegetable Oil PCL, Betagro PCL, Malee Group PCL, Medifoods Co., Ltd., Universal Food PCL, SCG Packaging PCL, Bangchak Petroleum PCL (R&D Units in Food Industry).
All 9 public organizations are from both Ministry of Science and Technology including National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Office, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Department of Science Services, Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research, National Innovation Agency, National Institute of Metrology (Thailand), Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Public Organization), Office of Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Science and Technology by Science Park Promotion Agency, and the National Food Institute of Ministry of Industry.
Research universities who have signed the MOU were Kasetsart University, Chulalongkorn University, Mahidol University, King Mongkut University of Technology Thonburi, Chiang Mai University, Khon Kaen University, Prince of Songkla University, King Mongkut Institute of Technology Lad Krabang, Thammasat University, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok University and Maejo University which present in all regions of Thailand. The aim is to extend Food Innopolis to a nation-wide program which will help not only the boost of economy but also the increase of agricultural products' value, the new development of plant and animal varieties for food processing and the use of science, technology and innovation for solving the oversupply problem of agricultural commodities.
Dr.Pichet Durongkaveroj, Minister of Science and Technology, said that focus areas in Food Innopolis include (1) health and functional food e.g. functional food & nutraceuticals, healthy fat and oils, etc., (2) high value added food products, e.g. premium seafood and aquaculture, fruits and vegetable, food additives and food ingredients, etc., and (3) supporting business for food innovation, e.g. packaging, design, IT, food safety, traceability, testing and certification, technology consultancy, etc.
Dr.Pichet Durongkaveroj, also said that the first tri-partite collaboration among government, private sector and university will greatly help driving Thailand's food innovation ecosystem. The minister also mentioned that the MOU signing ceremony will soon be followed by the action plan to move Food Innopolis project forward according to the objectives.
Beside the MOU signing ceremony, Food Innopolis will exhibit selected innovation products and services from public and private sectors as well as from research universities. It also invited the world renown speaker from Cornell University, Prof. Rendy Worobo, to give a special seminar on "Directions and Global Trend in Food Technology" in order to kick-off the joint meeting of the experts from private companies, government agencies and universities on topic of food innovation development.