Global Foodture’s European delegation receives warm welcome from Thailand Management Association and FoodInnopolis
Global Foodture’s activities, with the support of the European Commission, include a system of travel vouchers to support European SMEs in international innovation collaboration. The system of vouchers allows the selected SMEs to partly finance their participation in the international missions to one of the target countries: Thailand or Singapore.
The missions to Thailand and Singapore are part of the Global Foodture project. Global Foodture is a project designed to boost the sustainable transition of the food system worldwide through collaboration and innovation. It develops and implements a joint internationalisation strategy that facilitates international collaboration outside Europe for European SMEs. With this approach, Global Foodture will help strengthen participants’ capabilities to adapt to food sustainability challenges.
The first mission taking place was from 22nd to 26th of May 2023, with a group of 11 SMEs that had the opportunity to discover the Thai food ecosystem, specially in the fields of plant-based, agriculture and aquaculture, health, reducing food waste, and sustainable packaging.
What was in the agenda?
The European delegation arrived in Thailand on May 22 to a gracious reception by the Thailand Management Association-TMA and FoodInnopolis. This collaborative effort between Thai and European companies promises to foster innovation and create opportunities for a better and more sustainable food industry. The event witnessed inspiring speakers and the active participation of companies from both Thailand and Europe, with a product display area and networking spaces.
Continuing the Thai mission on May 23, the delegation embarked on a journey of discovery at the esteemed Foodinnopolis facilities and research centers of the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA). Later in the day, the agenda progressed as the delegation proceeded to visit the state-of-the-art facilities of Betagro Group. Phontakorn Wongcharoen and the entire Betagro team graciously shared their valuable insights on food innovation, contributing to a stimulating exchange of ideas.
On May 24, 2023, the delegation seized the chance to visit the renowned THAIFEX – Anuga Asia and actively participated in the agenda of the Future Food Experience, where one of the delegation’ SME, Alimentos Sanygran, represented by its General Manager, Roselyne Chane, took part of a round table about “How Can We Co-Create A Sustainable Food System?”. Afterwards, a Future Food Experience Tour was provided to all the delegation.
Thai Union Group’s Global Innovation Center (GIC) in Bangkok was the destination for the delegation on May 25, 2023. Witnessing firsthand how innovation and sustainability are managed through new initiatives, collaborations, and exploration, the delegation was inspired by the exemplary work showcased.
GIC’s R&D facility works closely with startups of the ecosystem through their acceleration program. During the visit, the delegation received valuable contributions and innovative solutions from The Leaf Protein Company and Jaikla.
The journey continued with the Thai-Dutch session titled “Redefine and Challenge of Future Food System.” Organized by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Thailand and the Netherlands Agricultural Network, this session provided a platform for the delegation to present their companies and solutions to an eager audience.
Last day, May 26, was reserved for those one-to-one meetings that could not happen the days before due to the busy agenda and to visit different food markets. At noon, part of the delegation participated at the Innovation Conference France & Thailand organised by the Alliance Française where they had once more the chance to introduce themselves and their innovative products to the audience, and some others attended the Future Food System Conference hosted by Taste Bud Lab.
The European delegation’s mission in Thailand serves as a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation in the food industry. As they forge new partnerships and explore groundbreaking ideas, the impact of their endeavors will be felt far and wide.
All this agenda would not have been possible without the primordial collaboration of our project partners Thailand Management Association (TMA) and FoodInnopolis who helped the consortium building the agenda, dealing with logistic issues, and joined the delegation during the visits; and without all the participating SMEs: Colipi, DunavNET, Eagle Genomics, Innovad, Kleen Hub, Kytos, Mioum, ODS Protein, PuBaBeer, Sanygran, and Ynsect.
Join our next mission!
During the mission in Thailand, the next one to Singapore was announced. Those who missed out on this opportunity need not despair, as the next Global Foodture mission awaits them. Scheduled to take place in Singapore from October 30 to November 2, 2023, during the Singapore International Agrifood Week (SIAW), this event promises an array of enriching experiences. Participants can look forward to company visits, networking opportunities, connections with Singaporean companies, and more, all thanks to the support of our project partner, Enterprise Singapore. The application period is now open, from June 5 to June 25. More info here!
