Thailand Aims To Be World's Food Innovation Hub Through 'Food Innopolis'

By Mohd Haikal Mohd Isa BANGKOK, March 30 (Bernama) -- Thailand hopes to become the world's food innovation hub with "Food Innopolis". "Food Innopolis will leverage on the country's strength in agriculture and the food industry by innovating and adding value to products," said Food Innopolis' Chief Executive Officer, Dr Akkharawit Kanjana-Opas at a recent briefing here. Food Innopolis he said, focused on sectors involving health and functional foods and high value added food products. Thailand is one of the largest food producer and exporter in the world, with the industry contributing more than 10 per cent to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Last year, the country exported more than US$30 billion in food products and now wants to multiply that figure via Food Innopolis. To ensure its success, 35 organisations comprising private companies, public universities and associations inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation. Located at the Thailand Science Park in Khlong Luang district, north of Bangkok, Food Innopolis was officially launched in May last year with the government pumping Baht 3 billion (about RM380 million) in initial investment. Its "plug and play" facilities at Khlong Luan is fully equipped with full-fledged and modular laboratories as well as qualified personnel, ready to do cutting edge research and development on food innovation. The government has in addition, also offered incentives involving tax and non-tax incentives such as an eight-year corporate tax exemption, import duty exemption on machinery, exemption of personal income tax for foreign specialists and permission to own land to encourage investors to set up base at Food Innopolis. Food Innopolis is part of another ambitious project by the government called "Thailand 4.0", to push the country to high income economy status, while escaping the "middle income trap". Since it was launched in May last year, Food Innopolis said Akkharawit has attracted more than 100 companies, a majority of them foreign-based entities, to set up operations at its hub at the Thailand Science Centre. "Another 20 other companies are in the process of following suit at Food Innopolis and with the overwhelming response, existing vacant space is running low," he added. The authorities he said, have started on an expansion plan of Food Innopolis, barely a year after its inception. According to Akkharawit, not only the facilities at Thailand Science Centre would be undergoing an expansion to meet future demand, Food Innopolis will also set up operations in North, Northeast and South of the country. "In north Thailand, it would be located at Chiangmai, for the northeast at Khon Kaen and Songkla in the south. "Each centre will focus on its own strength, for instance Chiangmai on rice, meat and poultry and Songkla on halal food and seafood, " he said. Food Innopolis will eventually be spread throughout the country, instilling innovation and adding value to food and agriculture products. -- BERNAMA