Thailand targets becoming next “food-tech silicon valley” to bolster Asian food security

26 Sep 2022 — The Nationwide Innovation Company (NIA) in Thailand is pushing for Bangkok to develop into the “food-tech silicon valley.” The company has invested in food-tech start-ups within the space as part of its “House-F” mission. 

The mission encourages an inflow of funding for the Thai meals sector in mild of the worldwide meals safety disaster – which has been exacerbated by a number of components of local weather change, inflation and the continuing warfare in Ukraine. 

NIA is proposing using “deep tech” as the first approach to get Bangkok on the map as a food-tech capital. 

The mission has been working for about three years, with a deal with funding start-ups, whereas offering help and mentorship. They achieve this for native and abroad start-ups, shifting them to construct companies in Bangkok. 

The expansion of food-tech
The worldwide food-tech trade has grown from US$220.32 billion in 2019 and is projected to achieve US$342.52 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 6.0%, in keeping with Emergen Analysis. This may be linked to the worldwide meals crises, with the heightened want for innovation in meals safety. 

“In line with the State of Meals Safety and Vitamin within the World 2022 report by the UN, greater than 800 million of the world inhabitants, or round 10%, are actually affected by starvation within the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, financial disaster, scarcity of uncooked materials and the decline of meals security,” warns Dr. Pun-Arj Chairatana, govt director at NIA.

S“House-F” mentors start-ups with a goal of positioning Bangkok as the following “silicon valley” of food-tech. tempo F creating improvements
House F covers 9 key food-tech tendencies: well being and wellness, different proteins, sensible manufacturing, packaging options, novel meals and components, biomaterials and chemical compounds, restaurant tech, meals security and high quality and clever meals companies.

All of those classes wish to be improved by NIA in Thailand to construct financial success and meals safety in its nation and globally. 

“House-F” supplies a distinguished platform to encourage entrepreneurial start-ups to embrace deep tech and innovation to deliver development to their enterprise and the meals trade. Chosen startups then might be mentored to tackle Southeast Asian and international markets,” says Pun-Arj. 

The NIA govt director is assured that deep tech enterprise in meals and agriculture continues to have equal progress as e-commerce and fintech worldwide. This helps the meals corporations in Thailand additionally relish strong provide chains. 

“By the top of 2025, the food-tech trade is predicted to be price 7.76 trillion baht (US$205 trillion),” says Pun-Arj.

“Because the world’s inhabitants is rising quickly, coupled with local weather change, the decline of agricultural labor, and meals waste ensuing from mass consumption, international meals safety is now a critical concern that must be solved,” he concludes.

The way forward for food-tech
Many Asian nations have been actively spearheading food-tech advances lately. In line with the Thai Ministry of Commerce, Thailand has one of many greatest markets within the APAC (Asian-Pacific) area, reporting gross sales of US$3.5 billion throughout the nutraceuticals trade in 2019.

Shoppers in Thailand, Singapore, South Korea and Japan are additionally rising accustomed to plant-based and cultivated seafood from cells, with regulatory pathways in these nations opening up.

Common ingredient manufacturing in Asia has additionally been on the rise. Final yr, Corbion launched an initiative to extend its capability for producing lactic acid and lactic-acid derivatives forward of its beforehand introduced enlargement in Thailand, scheduled for subsequent yr. 

Edited by Sabine Waldeck

To contact our editorial group please e-mail us at
editorial@cnsmedia.com