On November 15, 2023, delegations comprising high-level officials from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, and Korea, selected participants of the Mekong Institute Structured Learning Visit (SLV), visited BIOTEC. Leading the delegation was Mr. Madhurjya Kumar Dutta, Director of Trade & Investment Facilitation and Coordinator of the Mekong-Republic of Korea Cooperation Fund (MKCF). The delegate was welcomed by Dr. Kuakoon Piyachomkwan, Deputy Executive Director of BIOTEC.
BIOTEC served as the implementation agency for the “Capacity Building on Circular Economy, Resource, and Energy Efficiency for Productivity and Sustainability of Cassava Chain to High-Value Products: Cassava Root, Native Starch, and Biogas in Mekong Countries” (abbreviated as CCC). This initiative was funded by the Mekong-Republic of Korea Cooperation Fund, totaling THB 12,960,105 (USD 394,005) from 2020-2022. Dr. Warinthorn Songkasiri, Director of the Biochemical Engineering and Systems Biology Research Group, and her team led the successful implementation of the CCC project.
The MI and MKCF specifically chose BIOTEC as a destination to showcase the CCC project’s successful execution and to foster an exchange of ideas among delegates regarding its implementation.
Along with the CCC Project, BIOTEC also showcased our successful regional projects and our policy studies.
Dr. Nataporn Chanvarasuth, Deputy Executive Director of BIOTEC presented “Policy Study: In Support Advocacy and Influencing Work on Biotechnology”. Dr. Theerayut Toojinda, Deputy Executive Director of BIOTEC provided a briefing on the “Community of Practices” Community outreach in Mekong region: Dissemination of new improved Mekong rice varieties to farmers via farmer participatory selection and sustainable farmer seed production.
Dr. Alongkorn Amnuaykanjanasin, Team Leader, Biocontrol Technology Research Team, Biorefinery and Bioproduct Technology Research Group presented biocontrol technology for pest and disease management. Emphasis is placed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for integrated pest management in durian orchards developed by the team.
On this occasion, they also visited Food and Feed Innovation Center, Dr. Atikorn Panya, Team Leader, Food Biotechnology Research Team, Functional Ingredients and Food Innovation Research Group provided a briefing on Food and Feed Innovation Center Research and Development.
