Technopolis, Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand
“Services for the food industry”
Addressing gaps in the product development pathway for food industries by leveraging the services and ecosystems, it is underpinned by two distinct mechanisms: the inside-out and outside-in, which support the local community with knowledge and technologies and enhance the university's research and technological capabilities.
Purpose of the solution
Thailand's agricultural sector is a crucial source of employment and income for its citizens, due to its rich natural resources and diverse food production capabilities. However, the sector's lack of adequate enhancement and upgrading efforts has resulted in significant missed opportunities for the country's economy and workforce. To address this challenge, Technopolis has collaborated with Suranaree University of Technology and other public and private sector partners to develop a range of services focused on supporting the local community. These services provide knowledge, research, technology, and facilities to enhance the entire food industry value chain from ideation to commercialization. Technopolis has four specialized divisions designed to address specific customer needs and industry gaps: Business & Innovation Incubation (BID), Industry Competitiveness Support (ICD), Academic Service and Community Engagement (ASCT), and Innovation & Intellectual Property Management (IIPM). By leveraging the latest research and technology from its university and industry partners, Technopolis aims to bridge gaps in the food industry value chain, with services that support idea creation, product development, technology transfer, commercialization, and business sustainability. Technopolis' offerings not only drive local progress but also identify new research directions for the university.
Impact
Since 2007, there have been over 70 companies, 50 enterprises, 10 start-ups, and spin-off companies, as well as 100 students and researchers, utilizing our services and ecosystems.
These services also create social impact: this is evident in the solution’s contribution to increasing the employment rate and improving the quality of life, with over 30 new job opportunities annually. It also has an economic impact by increasing investments in research and development, resulting in an improvement of over 10 million baht per year, while also reducing trade barriers for over 20 companies through the achievement of standard products. And its environmental impact reduces waste and pollution while also ensuring sustainable sourcing of raw ingredients for food and agriculture for over 20 companies and enterprises annually.
What is innovative about it?
Our solution is innovative in that it takes a comprehensive and customer-centric approach to bridging gaps in the food industry value chain. Rather than simply providing solutions to customers, we analyze their requirements and focus on their specific problems. We then develop tailored services to meet their needs while integrating intellectual property as an integral component of our offerings.
Our approach includes both inside-out and outside-in mechanisms. Previously, we primarily focused on the inside-out approach, utilizing our knowledge and technology resources to solve customer problems. However, we have now added the outside-in dimension to transfer customer problems and requirements to the university. This approach enables us to investigate new knowledge and develop innovative technologies under the supervision of our intellectual property division, creating a more sustainable and mutually beneficial service.
In summary, our innovative solution offers a more comprehensive approach to problem-solving in the food industry, with a focus on the customer's specific requirements. We integrate intellectual property into our services and incorporate both inside-out and outside-in mechanisms, creating a more sustainable and mutually beneficial service.