Page 26 - FoodFocusThailand No.167 February 2020

SPECIAL FOCUS

เพื่่�อให้้เกิิดกิารแลกิเปล่�ยนองค์์ค์วามร้้ร่วมกิัน และนำาไปสู่้่กิารพื่ัฒนาอุตสู่าห้กิรรม ให้้กิับอุตสู่าห้กิรรมอ้อยและนำ�าตาล และขัับเค์ล่�อนประเทศูไทยสู่้่อุตสู่าห้กิรรม
อ้อยและนำ�าตาลไทยอย่างยั�งย่น” ฐานชี่วภาพื่ท่�ม่ค์วามยั�งย่น สู่อดรับกิับเป้าห้มายกิารพื่ัฒนาท่�ยั�งย่นขัอง
ทั�งน่� กิลุ่มมิตรผลจะยังค์งเดินห้น้าผลักิดันกิารวิจัย และพื่ัฒนาอย่างต่อเน่�อง ประชีาค์มโลกิ
ผ่านศู้นย์นวัตกิรรมและกิารวิจัยมิตรผล เพื่่�อเป็นสู่่วนห้น่�งในกิารต่อยอดค์ุณค์่า

Mitr Phol Showcases Innovations

and Champion Thai Bio Economy

in Response to Global Sustainability Trend

Thailand is gearing up in full throttle for the optimization of its competitiveness to become a bio-economy
country in response to the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs). Based on such vision, the R&D efforts
for know-how, which can be further expanded to create technological novelties that can address the needs of
the industrial sector, are thus of utmost importance.

The statistical data from the National Science Technology and Mitr Phol Group thus organized the RDI Open House 2019 in which
Innovation Policy Office (STI) reveals that in 2018 Thailand’s value of the fruits of the company’s research projects during the past 22 years
R&D investment went up to 1% of the GDP and is expected to reach were showcased so that affiliated companies, government entities,
1.5% within 2021, with the private sector funding 80% of the investment universities, and trade partners can exchange their knowledge and
and the remaining 20% chipped in by the government. The data reflects opinions in Mitr Phol Innovation & Research Center.
the enthusiasm of both major sectors in refining Thailand’s ability to Mr.Isara Vongkusolkit, Chairman of Mitr Phol Group, comments
steadily compete on the global level playing field through R&D efforts, “At present, sustainability has become a topic of importance that
an approach considered more sustainable than other traditional people around the world are paying more attention to. Thailand’s
strategies such as raw material and labor price wars. national development strategies are also based on such concept,
The R&D can bring about knowledge that contributes to the nation’s with research and innovations being a vital contributing factor. Under
development through broad implementation, especially the know-how the concept “Creation of Value, Creation of Sustainable Future”, Mitr
concerning sugarcane which is one of Thailand’s main economic plants Phol Group, through its innovative technologies, is strongly committed
whose potential can be further enhanced to create additional commercial to lending its support to the government to amplify productivity and
values in various aspects. As a company that realizes in such important value of sugarcanes while prepping for the expansion into bio
notion, Mitr Phol Group thus set up Mitr Phol Innovation & Research business as a response to the integrated BCG Economy model
Center in Phu Khiao district, Chaiyaphum, in 1997 to carry out R&D on (Bio-Circular-Green Economy) toward which Thailand is headed in
innovations that can add value to sugar and sugarcane as well as to hope of creating stability and sustainability for Thai farmers, economy,
invent new bio products which, according to Mitr Phol Group, are believed society, and environment”.
to be a key to creating higher values for the company, industry, farmers, Assoc. Prof.Klanarong Sriroth, Head of Innovation and Research
and many other sectors in a sustainable manner. Development Institute of Mitr Phol Group, adds “Today’s RDI Open
To show its commitment to developing innovations and research House emphasizes on our commitment in implementing the
projects for the betterment of Thai sugar and sugarcane industry, innovations and research outcomes for the sake of economic, social,

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