Tuesday December 19, 2023 – the Research and Graduate Study Section under collaboration with the Research Institute for Food, Energy and Water Security in the Me Kong Sub-Region and the Cannabis Research Center of Khon Kaen University, held an official opening ceremony of the Laboratory Platform for Manufacturing Plant-Based Products from Agricultural Raw Materials, with an aim to develop products from plants and herbs. Dr. Narongchai Akrasanee, Chairman of Khon Kaen University Council delivered the opening address, while Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University, gave the reporting speech. Among distinguished attendants were Prof. Monchai Duangchinda, Ph.D., Vice President for Research and Graduate Study and KKU administrators. The event took place at the Research and Development Institute (RDI), Khon Kaen University.
Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University said that Khon Kaen University is under the Global and Frontier Research University Group that holds the policy and strategy in being a research university. The University is thus dedicated to carrying out research studies in accordance with the needs of users or with the national demand side in order to answer the key issue with great impact. The end results would be the added values in economy and increase of national revenue.
“Khon Kaen University has developed various platforms to accommodate research services in all fields and to create collaboration in research into manufacturing of agricultural products, indigenous vegetables, local herbs, and local livestock. And, as a result, the Platform for Manufacturing Plant-Based Products from Agricultural Raw Materials is opened today.”
Dr. Narongchai Akrasanee, Chairman of Khon Kaen University Council said that the University sees the importance of promotion of outstanding research works that benefit the people, the society, and the country. Therefore, the Platform for Manufacturing Plant-Based Products from Agricultural Raw Materials has been founded as a big prototype laboratory with standard certified by FDA. For the next step, the platform will be applying for the international standard.
“The pain point in Thailand’s competition in agricultural products is that the solution must be at the right point. That is, from doing research. Khon Kaen University today has attempted to build products that are based on raw materials in agriculture in Isan. It is believed that the technology today will allow manufacturing of plant-based products that are useful for the society and the community, and at the same time, upgrading the competitive competency both at the national and international level.
Prof. Monchai Duangchinda, Ph.D., Vice President for Research and Graduate Study, added that the Laboratory Platform for Manufacturing Plant-Based Products from Agricultural Raw Materials is the service space for farmers to add values to their products, especially those in the herbal and health food groups. Many products could be roasted and ground here with GMP standard. This means we are upgrading the products of farmers. At the same time, the platform is also ready to serve researchers in their work. For new entrepreneurs, they can also come for new information and knowledge as well as learning how to use different equipment.
Meanwhile, this laboratory is ready to link and integrate works of all faculties of the University in provision of services in different areas such as production in capsules, production of supplementary foods and provision of specific tools and equipment.
The event today featured opening of the Name Plate of the Research Institute for Food, Energy and Water Security in the Me Kong Sub-Region by Dr. Narongchai Akrasanee, Chairman of Khon Kaen University Council. Next, Assoc. Prof. Kittipong Lalun, Acting Deputy Director of the Research Institute for Food, Energy and Water Security in the Me Kong Sub-Region, the Research and Strategy Implementation Section, led the administrators around to see Laboratory Platform for Manufacturing Plant-Based Products from Agricultural Raw Materials.
News: Rawiporn Saisaengthong