U2T

____On Monday, May 13, 2024, the Faculty of Technology, Khon Kaen University, led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Amporn Sae-iew, Deputy Dean for Academic Services and Social Innovation, along with Dr. Phongwipa Loesomboon, Chairwoman of the Circular Economy Group Plan, the National Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Management and Administration Unit (BPP) in the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), led a team of officials to inspect the research project “Increasing economic value in the fish sauce industry supply chain with fish sauce waste value-creating technology (Phase 2).” ___This project focuses on utilizing fish sauce waste, which is a waste in the production process of bottled fish sauce. Currently, Thailand has at least 680 tons of fish sauce waste per year, which is disposed of by landfilling. This may cause the salty and strong-smelling fish sauce waste to leak into the soil and the environment, causing environmental problems. Therefore, the research team of Khon Kaen University has conducted research to create added value for waste in the production process. By creating a new product line that adds calcium from fish bone powder obtained by improving the quality of fermented fish sauce with technology invented by researchers, and further developing into the establishment of standard requirements to increase the calcium content of fish sauce and have higher nutritional value than general fish sauce in the market, allowing entrepreneurs to claim the properties of fish sauce with added fish bone powder as a high calcium product. In addition, there is additional research to prevent fish bone powder from settling at the bottom of the bottle, which makes it convenient for consumers to use the product without having to shake the bottle every time before use, which will help create a marketing advantage for entrepreneurs. ___ Which was conducted by Asst. Prof. Dr. Somsamon Kaewborisut, a lecturer at the Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, the project leader, under the financial support from the NRCT in collaboration with Petchdam Foods Co., Ltd., which is the largest producer of bottled seasoned fish sauce in Thailand. ___ The second sub-research project led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Amporn Sae-Eaw in using fermented fish sauce to create a versatile fish sauce sauce from roasted rice residue, which is the leftover from the production process.

Recently, the Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Yaowapha Treekamol, Assistant Dean for Innovation and Enterprise, and Ms. Kanokorn Tangjitcharoenkit, U2T for BCG project coordinator, joined the marketing promotion project to publicize and introduce U2T for BCG products organized by the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MOHE) at Kalasin University to further develop products resulting from the U2T for BCG project into concrete forms by integrating cooperation between universities, technology clinics, regional science parks, etc., and listening to the needs of entrepreneurs. The Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, was coordinated by Ms. Waraporn Phiwpaen-ngam, Deputy Director of the Technology and Innovation Management Center, Innovation and Enterprise Division, Khon Kaen University, to participate in the project. There were 2 representative sub-districts from Kalasin Province: Phon Thong Sub-district and Huai Pho Sub-district, which are outstanding in developing a variety of sedge and cotton handicraft products by applying design technology, including processing Napier grass into fermented grass, with a process to measure the appropriate moisture content according to scientific principles, allowing for long-term packaging and storage. It can be sold nationwide. The innovations of both sub-districts can add value to local products, allowing new graduates to have income and continuous purchase orders from various places. Dr. Danuch Tanthathetit, Secretary to the Minister of Higher Education

On September 11, 2022, the Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University organized a training lecture on “Marketing and Distribution Channels” to enable people in the community to plan production and create appropriate distribution channels for silk and banana chips products under the project to drive the grassroots economy and society after COVID with the BCG Circular Economy (U2T for BCG) in Tambon Pa Manao, Amphoe Ban Fang, Khon Kaen Province. The project aims to increase the potential and competitiveness of the BCG production and service sector in developing and expanding the products and services in the community by using knowledge of technology and innovation to add value to products in the community sustainably and environmentally friendly. This training course included lectures on (1) Production planning within the community (2) Modern marketing (3) Asking questions about your own and competitors' products and services, such as who are the customers and why do customers buy from us? (4) Clearly define your target audience (5) Setting the right selling price (6) Principles of online marketing and there was group activity by having people in the handwoven silk and banana chips groups help each other (1) plan marketing according to the 4P principle (Marketing mix) or principles of marketing by considering price, distribution channels and promotion that are appropriate for each product, (2) setting a clear target group for the product in order to be able to market it in a consistent manner, with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phanupong Hongphakdee and Asst. Prof. Dr. Suphachaya