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Thailand's BiodiversityThailand's BiodiversityThailand's BiodiversityThailand's BiodiversityThailand's BiodiversityThailand's BiodiversityThailand's BiodiversityThailand's BiodiversityThailand's BiodiversityThailand's Biodiversity:Thailand's Competitive Advantage

Biological diversity, also called biodiversity, is fundamental for human life, as well as being vital for creatingenvironmental balance. Mankind has benefited from biodiversity, as it provides natural services such as freshwater and clean air, biological resources such as medicinal plants and food, as well as socio-economicbenefits of tourism. Increasingly, countries are recognising the importance of biodiversity as an asset thatcan be developed to add value to their economies. These countries are making it a priority to preserve their"natural capital" and foster sustainable development. Thailand is one such country.

Biodiversity in ThailandBiodiversity in ThailandBiodiversity in ThailandBiodiversity in ThailandBiodiversity in Thailand

Thailand is situated in "Indo-Burma" – a biodiversity hotspot that is ranked as the eighth most bio-diverseregion in the world. The country itself has one of the world's highest biodiversity per unit area. Hostingseveral forest types and aquatic habitats, Thailand supports up to 10,000 species of plants, 980 species ofbirds, 300 species of mammals, 490 species of reptiles and amphibians, 2,800 species of fishes and 150,000species of microbes – accounting for about 10% of all species of living organisms in the world. This rich naturalenvironment enables Thailand to generate economic value from its biological resources and enhance itscompetitiveness in emerging fields such as green and clean technologies.

Tapping into Thailand's BiodiversityTapping into Thailand's BiodiversityTapping into Thailand's BiodiversityTapping into Thailand's BiodiversityTapping into Thailand's Biodiversity

Thailand has long benefited from its wealth of biological resources. Traditionally, Thai people have made useof these resources in many areas such as the preparation of medicine from herbs and the preservation of foodthrough fermentation e.g. pickled fish, fermented pork, etc. Such traditional knowledge and practices can becombined with modern technologies to create many economic opportunities. For example, research intopure starter culture for fermented pork production and new enzymes for fish sauce fermentation haveshortened production times and produced higher quality products. There are other instances of suchdevelopments which have created opportunities for Thai companies in various sectors. The following are someexamples.

AgricultureAgricultureAgricultureAgricultureAgriculture

Thailand is a major agricultural country. Its native plant and animal species have been used to breedcommercial crops and livestock that are tolerant to warm climates or resistant to diseases. Biologicalsubstances from certain herbs as well as specific microbes have also been found to be effective againstagricultural pests. Thailand imports no less than 10 billion baht's worth of pest-killing chemicals each year,which represents a sizeable market. Thai companies such as Applied Chem Co., Ltd., TFI Green Bio-TechCo., Ltd. and Agro Bio Mate Co., Ltd, have developed and are now selling more environmentally-friendly pestcontrol products that are made from biological substances derived from plants and microbes found inThailand.

Thailand is also a main producer and exporter of aquaculture products such as prawns. It used to import over500 million baht of Artemia (brine shrimp) each year to be used as feed for prawn larvae and fishes.However, the local discovery of a new species of Thai Fairy Shrimp Streptocephalus sirindhornae, which canbe used as a substitute for Artemia, led to the development and growth of Fairy Shrimp culture in Thailand.Thai Fairy Shrimp culture has become a major community business, providing farmers on average withapproximately 8,000 baht of monthly income.

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Biodiversity OK 7/29/18, 7:07 AM13

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FoodFoodFoodFoodFood

Thailand's fermented food industry is valued at around18 billion baht per year and is growing at 10% annually. Theuse of pure starter culture in the fermented food industryensures that products have consistent quality and are safe.It also shortens the fermentation time.Fish sauce is considered an important Thai export product –in 2010, the export value of fish sauce was approximatelyone billion baht. Using enzymes derived from microbes infish sauce fermentation can reduce the fermentation timefrom 18 months to 11 months, thereby bringing downproduction costs and raising productivity. Similarly, when purestarter culture is used in fermented pork production, it helpsimprove product quality consistency. It also improves foodsafety because of the reduced chance of microbial contami-nation of the food ingredients.

Animal FoodAnimal FoodAnimal FoodAnimal FoodAnimal Food

Animal food manufacturers have turned to mixing microbesand enzymes into their food products for livestock such aspigs, diary cows, chickens and aquatic animals, in order tobuild up the animals' immunity without using antibiotics. Withthis approach, animals tend to consume more food, resultingin higher meat yield per animal.

In 2007, the Association of Animal Health Products estimatedthat the local biological supplements market for commercial

livestock was worth about 3.5 billion baht annually. Of this,approximately 1.5 billion baht were attributed to biologicalsupplementary products for pigs. In comparison, Thailandimported 1.1 billion baht of enzymes in 2008, whichindicates a relatively underserved local market. Thaicompanies that are capable of developing enzymes that arecomparable to commercially-available ones are starting toemerge. These promising players include Asia Star AnimalHealth Co., Ltd. and Micro Innovate Co., Ltd.

Traditional MedicinesTraditional MedicinesTraditional MedicinesTraditional MedicinesTraditional Medicines

Thai people have a long history of using herbs as medicines.The use of herbs is not only associated with healthcare, butit also has cultural values because it represents wisdom thathas been inherited from earlier generations.

The annual market value of herbs and herbal products inThailand is approximately 48 billion baht. This is smallcompared with the value of the global herbal productsmarket, which is worth about 4.4 trillion baht. Given Thailand'srich biodiversity, the number of herb plant species here thatcan potentially be used in the production of health andmedicinal products has been estimated to be over 13,000.Herbal products are set to be one of the fastest growingagriculture product segments in Thailand. Thailandtherefore has the opportunity to become Asia's herbalproduct manufacturing hub and could take on an importantrole as the world's top ranking herbal product exporter.

Environment and TourismEnvironment and TourismEnvironment and TourismEnvironment and TourismEnvironment and Tourism

Thailand has forest and marine protected areas ofapproximately 88,450 km2 and 6,231 km2 respectively.These areas conserve significant biological resourcesincluding plants, animals and microbes. They are also hometo some of the world's best known tourist attractions.For example, the island archipelago along the Andaman coasthas abundant and beautiful coral reefs that attract localvisitors and international tourists alike. Given that tourism isa major industry in Thailand, one which generates about 720billion baht in 2010, these attractions are important sourcesof income for many communities in these areas.

Furthermore, marine and coastal resources contributesignificantly to the fishery sector and coastal aquaculture.In 2008, the total production from marine fishery wasapproximately 1.6 million tons, while the total production fromcoastal aquaculture was approximately 0.8 million tons. Thecombined value of these two sources of production was about97 billion baht.

Thailand's Biodiversity StrengthThailand's Biodiversity StrengthThailand's Biodiversity StrengthThailand's Biodiversity StrengthThailand's Biodiversity Strength

The National Science and Technology Development Agency(NSTDA) understands the importance of Thailand'sbiodiversity and has continually funded research in this fieldsince 1996, expanding the body of knowledge in this area.These efforts have resulted in almost 800 publications ininternational academic journals, the development of dedicatedresearch infrastructure and resources, and the training of over

Biodiversity OK 7/29/18, 7:07 AM14

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600 research scientists, benefiting both public and privatesectors. Furthermore, over 650 new species of organismshave since been discovered. This is almost equivalent todiscovering one new species every week – an indication ofthe rich biodiversity in Thailand. These discoveries createnew business and economic opportunities. For instance, anew species of Thai Fairy Shrimp that was first discovered inThailand in 1998 has been developed commercially for saleand export overseas.

The National Center for Genetic Engineering andBiotechnology (BIOTEC) has set up dedicated infrastructure,and developed specialised capabilities and technologies thathave enabled more efficient and better utilization ofbiological resources. For instance, the BIOTEC CultureCollection (BCC) houses the largest collection of microbes inThailand – comprising over 40,000 cultures collected between1996 and 2010. These are made available to researchersand industry partners conducting R&D projects. For moredownstream projects, BIOTEC has set up its FermentationCore Facilities to support production process developmentup to pilot scale.

Over the years, research units within BIOTEC have alsodeveloped strong capabilities across specific domains. Forexample, the Bioresources Technology Unit focuses onmicrobial research and has expertise in areas like microbialsurvey, microbial sampling, microbe classification andpurification, as well as biological assays and fermentation.Its researchers also work with the industry to identify novelmicrobial enzymes suitable for industrial processes or todevelop biological activity tests on novel compoundssuitable for drug development. BIOTEC scientists have alsodeveloped new technologies that aid in the utilisation ofThailand's biodiversity. For instance, they have establishedhighly effective metagenomic technology platforms toextract DNA from environmental samples collected fromvarious types of ecosystems like hot springs, swamps andeven termite guts and buffalo stomachs.

Thailand's Policy on BiodiversityThailand's Policy on BiodiversityThailand's Policy on BiodiversityThailand's Policy on BiodiversityThailand's Policy on Biodiversity

Thailand is a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity –the international convention that aims to conservebiodiversity, ensure its sustainable utilisation, as well asensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising fromgenetic resources. Following the principles laid down in theconvention, Thailand enacted two pieces of legislation, namelythe Plant Varieties Protection Act, B.E. 2542 and theProtection and Promotion of Traditional Thai MedicinalIntelligence Act, B.E. 2542. Thailand, thereafter, ratified thisimportant convention on 31 October 2003.

At the organisational level, institutes such as BIOTEC havealso put relevant policies in place to ensure proper andeffective management of biological resources. At BIOTEC,there are clear policies and rules that BIOTEC personnel mustadhere and there are processes and tools to ensure the properprocedures are followed. For example, the two main legaldocuments that BIOTEC uses to control the movement ofimportant biological resources – the Material AcquisitionAgreement (MAA) and Material Transfer Agreement (MTA),have become the standard for many research institutes inThailand.

Guiding Business DevelopmentGuiding Business DevelopmentGuiding Business DevelopmentGuiding Business DevelopmentGuiding Business Development

To ensure sustainable utilisation of Thailand's bioresources,NSTDA supports research, builds up networks and engagesrelevant players at all levels, starting at the local communitylevel. It provides guidance aimed at conserving forestedareas and water sources as well as promote goodmanagement practices among businesses and companies thatare making use of bioresources. It has encouraged theformation of SMEs involved in the culture and developmentof native seeds, animals and microbes, such as Thai FairyShrimp farms which produce eggs and frozen Fairy Shrimpfor export, and earthworm farms which producebio-fertilizers. NSTDA has also collaborated with largerbusinesses in the private sector, through joint research andtechnology development. Such collaborative projects arediverse and range from the production of unsaturated fattyacids for food supplement manufacturing to the productionof enzymes for use in animal food manufacturing.

To promote networking and exchanges with tops scientistselsewhere, NSTDA actively collaborates in research with otherworld leading research institutes. This fosters transfer of skillsand know-how among the research community. And lastly,NSTDA's consistent investment in infrastructure encouragesgreater cooperation between public research institutions andthe private sector. One recent example is its investment inthe construction of a microbial fermentation plant for theproduction of animal feed together with private companies,with the aim of strengthening the industry's overallcapabilities.

The above measures taken as a whole will help Thailand makesignificant advancements in promoting biodiversity, toenhance its economic development in a sustainable manner.

Rungsima TanthalakhaCPMO, NSTDA

Biodiversity OK 7/29/18, 7:08 AM15

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Exclusive Interview

Committed to Support

the Industry

Interview with

Dr. KanyawimDr. KanyawimDr. KanyawimDr. KanyawimDr. KanyawimKirtikaraKirtikaraKirtikaraKirtikaraKirtikara

Executive Director

BIOTEC

Can you briefly tell us the role of BIOTEC?Can you briefly tell us the role of BIOTEC?Can you briefly tell us the role of BIOTEC?Can you briefly tell us the role of BIOTEC?Can you briefly tell us the role of BIOTEC?

BIOTEC is a leading research institute in Thailand that focuses on

biotechnology. It operates research units located at the Thailand

Science Park and specialised laboratories hosted at various

universities. Our research covers a wide spectrum from agricultural

science to biomedical science and environmental science. Apart from

research laboratories, our activities also include policy research,

an outreach programme, training and international relations

development.

How does NSTDA/BIOTEC support theHow does NSTDA/BIOTEC support theHow does NSTDA/BIOTEC support theHow does NSTDA/BIOTEC support theHow does NSTDA/BIOTEC support the

private sector?private sector?private sector?private sector?private sector?

We support the private sector by making science and technology

accessible to companies. This allows them to enhance their capabilities,

enabling them to create innovative products and services, and helping

them become more competitive.

There are various ways that we work with companies. For example,

if they have a well-defined problem and a budget, we can support

them through contract research services. Some problems can be

complicated and risky, but solving them may potentially bring benefits

to the industry or country. In such cases, we may participate directly

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Kanyawim 2 7/29/18, 7:23 AM16

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by making funds, manpower and other research resources available to the company.

If the project is successful, a deal may be made for the company to obtain the IP

associated with the project.

Occasionally, we will also license some of the technologies in our portfolio directly

to companies that are capable of commercialising them. This can be done either

exclusively or non-exclusively.

What are some areas of research that are relevantWhat are some areas of research that are relevantWhat are some areas of research that are relevantWhat are some areas of research that are relevantWhat are some areas of research that are relevant

to Thailand at this time?to Thailand at this time?to Thailand at this time?to Thailand at this time?to Thailand at this time?

We are very active in research in agriculture because Thailand is an agricultural

country. For instance, we have been conducting genetic studies on crops to make

them more productive and tolerant to adverse climate conditions like floods and

droughts. Currently, Thailand allows for genetically-modified crops to be tested in

the greenhouse, and we use the knowledge gained from such work to improve the

characteristics of crops, through modern breeding techniques like marker-assisted

breeding.

Another area is medicine and Thailand is especially active in infectious disease

research. For example, our researchers have been successful in developing new

diagnostics and potential drug-like compounds for diseases like Dengue and

Malaria, respectively.

Biorefinery is another area which is relevant to Thailand because our agricultural

base provides the raw materials needed for production of building blocks.

Furthermore, based on our rich biodiversity, we have access to a variety of novel

microbes and useful enzymes for the biorefinery process. If we can leverage upon

Thailand's biodiversity and make good use of biotechnology, I think our biorefinery

industry is in a strong position to grow.

What is the research manpower situation inWhat is the research manpower situation inWhat is the research manpower situation inWhat is the research manpower situation inWhat is the research manpower situation in

Thailand?Thailand?Thailand?Thailand?Thailand?

Thailand has a shortage of scientists and researchers. The government is well

aware of this problem and has consistently tried to groom more researchers by

providing necessary funding through the Ministry of Science and Technology,

as well as setting up dedicated manpower development initiatives, such as the

Royal Golden Jubilee PhD Programme which is managed by the Thailand Research

Fund and provides financial grants to graduate students.

At present, many of our research talents are in the public sector. In my opinion,

this will change as companies in the private sector expand their science and technology

activities. In doing so, the private sector will create more jobs for our future

scientists and researchers. Already, we see companies such as Betagro Group,

Mitr Phol Sugar Group, East West Seed Co. Ltd. building up their own teams of

researchers. I hope to see other companies following suit in the future. Increasing

investment in research and development from the private sector will play a very

pivotal role in advancing biotechnology in Thailand.

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Kanyawim 2 7/29/18, 7:24 AM17

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Furthermore, our locally-developed kits tend to be more cost-effective. More importantly,

there are some types of pathogens in Asia that our kits can detect, which cannot

be picked up by imported kits.

The antibodies that we produce are sold to many public organisations. Scientists

in research institutes or companies can use them to conduct R&D. Some agencies

also use our antibodies as the basis for the development of new products.

What exciting future developments do you seeWhat exciting future developments do you seeWhat exciting future developments do you seeWhat exciting future developments do you seeWhat exciting future developments do you see

in the pipeline?in the pipeline?in the pipeline?in the pipeline?in the pipeline?

One area that we are looking into is the development of multiplex detection such

as multiplex strip test kits. Such kits can detect a number of pathogens at

a single go. This is important because crops are usually vulnerable to a number of

pathogens. For example, plants from the Cucurbitaceae family are vulnerable to

infection caused by a variety of pathogens including Topovirus, Geminivirus, Potyvirus

and the Acidovorax citrulli bacteria. A multiplex strip test that can detect these

pathogens will allow the Department of Agriculture or any agricultural bio-business

companies to more quickly identify affected crops and take the necessary actions.

Furthermore, there are still many pathogens that need to be identified and studied.

So, there are some companies that want to work with us to study and produce

antibodies against these pathogens. Eventually, we will need to develop a more

comprehensive antibody catalogue as well as a standardised system and approach

to analyse economically important pathogens.

"Our team has also started to produce antibodies and develop diagnosis

methods targeting bacteria that contaminate food. We have started with

Listeria monocytogenes and will do a lot more in the future since these

developments will strongly boost the Thai food industry."

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Exclusive Interview

Oraprapai 7/29/18, 7:25 AM19

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2020

Exclusive Interview

Innovate, Grow andMake the Worlda Greener Place

Interview with

Mr. PaijitMr. PaijitMr. PaijitMr. PaijitMr. PaijitSangchaiSangchaiSangchaiSangchaiSangchaiManaging Director of

Flexo Research Group Co., Ltd.

Please te l l us a b i t about yourse l f and your company.P lease te l l us a b i t about yourse l f and your company.P lease te l l us a b i t about yourse l f and your company.P lease te l l us a b i t about yourse l f and your company.P lease te l l us a b i t about yourse l f and your company.

I studied paper production engineering in America. I came back and

started my career as a product engineer with a large paper

company. I worked there for over 10 years. Then one day, I came

across a tremendous opportunity and decided to start my own

business.

It was in America that I first learnt about decomposition enzyme

technology for paper. This was something novel in Thailand and

many other countries at that time. Using enzymes in the paper

recycling process was more energy efficient compared to other

conventional methods. We first developed our decomposition

enzyme for regular paper, which brought the cost of paper recycling

down for our customers. Using our enzymes, they only needed to

use half the amount of energy to breakdown the paper compared to

using paper grinding machines.

Te l l us more about your award w inn ing product .Te l l us more about your award w inn ing product .Te l l us more about your award w inn ing product .Te l l us more about your award w inn ing product .Te l l us more about your award w inn ing product .

The first enzyme we developed received positive feedback from the

industry. Encouraged by this, we started work on enzymes that can

break down laminated paper. Recycling of laminated paper is

difficult because of the need to separate the paper from the

laminated material. Therefore laminated paper waste is usually burned

2020

Paijit 7/29/18, 7:34 AM20

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or incinerated. Using enzymes to try and break down the laminated had not been

attempted before and there was a real industrial demand for it.

After we successfully developed our special blend of enzymes that could recover

pulp and fibre from laminated paper waste, we won national recognition for the

work. We were awarded the 2009 National Innovation Award given out by the

National Innovation Agency. Abroad, we also won other accolades including the

silver medal at the 2008 Taipei International Invention Show and Technomart and

the gold medal in the environmental category at the 2009 International Invention,

Innovation and Technology Exhibition in Malaysia.

How do you th ink Tha i land's industr ies shou ld approach R&D?How do you th ink Tha i land's industr ies shou ld approach R&D?How do you th ink Tha i land's industr ies shou ld approach R&D?How do you th ink Tha i land's industr ies shou ld approach R&D?How do you th ink Tha i land's industr ies shou ld approach R&D?

Research that gets commercialised can generate income for a country. I think we

should strive to become technology creators and sellers, rather than product

manufacturers. This is because when we manufacture products for export, we

tend to cause pollution in our country. However, when we come up with ideas,

create technologies from those ideas and sell the associated intellectual property,

we can also generate income. I think the government should also consider looking

into this approach to grow our economy.

What do you th ink Tha i researchers shou ld do to work better w ithWhat do you th ink Tha i researchers shou ld do to work better w ithWhat do you th ink Tha i researchers shou ld do to work better w ithWhat do you th ink Tha i researchers shou ld do to work better w ithWhat do you th ink Tha i researchers shou ld do to work better w ith

the indust ry?the indust ry?the indust ry?the indust ry?the indust ry?

I think researchers that are interested to work with the industry should develop

their business skills. Currently, researchers and business people often have

opposing views because they cannot appreciate each other's view points. I would

like to see more researchers becoming interested in the commercial aspects of

their work and be able to assess objectively whether their research can become

successful marketable products. That way when something does not work out,

they can move on to focus on something new and not waste their research efforts

and time.

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Paijit 7/29/18, 7:33 AM21

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2222

Exclusive Interview

Making Public-Private

R&D Collaborations Work

Interview with

Mr.Watson AriyaphuttaratMr.Watson AriyaphuttaratMr.Watson AriyaphuttaratMr.Watson AriyaphuttaratMr.Watson AriyaphuttaratProject DirectorHi-Grimm Environmental and Research Co., Ltd.

Dr. Somkiet TechkarnjanarukDr. Somkiet TechkarnjanarukDr. Somkiet TechkarnjanarukDr. Somkiet TechkarnjanarukDr. Somkiet TechkarnjanarukSenior ResearcherExcellent Center of Waste Utilization and Management (ECoWaste)King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT)

and

Dr Somkiet , p lease te l l us a b i t about yourDr Somkiet , p lease te l l us a b i t about yourDr Somkiet , p lease te l l us a b i t about yourDr Somkiet , p lease te l l us a b i t about yourDr Somkiet , p lease te l l us a b i t about your

research background.research background.research background.research background.research background.

ST: I graduated with a degree in Medical Technology

and went on to complete my Masters and Doctorate in

Molecular Genetics in Australia under a scholarship. I came

back to Thailand and started working in BIOTEC, where

my work revolves around waste water treatment.

In particular, I focus on anaerobic waste water

treatment systems, where I am able to use

my knowledge in DNA techniques to study

the microbes used in such systems.

How d i d y ou ge t i n vo l v ed w i t hHow d i d y ou ge t i n vo l v ed w i t hHow d i d y ou ge t i n vo l v ed w i t hHow d i d y ou ge t i n vo l v ed w i t hHow d i d y ou ge t i n vo l v ed w i t h

pr ivate sector R&D?pr ivate sector R&D?pr ivate sector R&D?pr ivate sector R&D?pr ivate sector R&D?

ST: I was first involved in private sector R&D

when PTT Public Co., Ltd. approached me

looking for a way to address the erosion of

pipelines caused by microbes. The company

had previously relied on imported analytical

kits to detect the presence of microbes in

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Somkiet + Wasant 7/29/18, 7:35 AM22

COMPANY LISTINGS

23

pipelines. I was able to work with the company's researchers to

produce their own analytical kits and this allowed the company to

save money.

With the success of the PTT project, other requests from

companies started coming in. One day, Hi-Grimm came to me with

a specific request to develop a product that can remove petroleum

contaminants using bioremediation. I worked with other BIOTEC

specialists and we were able to identify, isolate and grow a number

of microbes that were able to do the job. We then had to work with

other experts to scale up the production of these microbes.

Hi-Grimm appreciated the technology that was being developed and

was willing to make the investment.

M r W a t s o n , w h a t i s a m a j o r c h a l l e n g e f o r S M E sM r W a t s o n , w h a t i s a m a j o r c h a l l e n g e f o r S M E sM r W a t s o n , w h a t i s a m a j o r c h a l l e n g e f o r S M E sM r W a t s o n , w h a t i s a m a j o r c h a l l e n g e f o r S M E sM r W a t s o n , w h a t i s a m a j o r c h a l l e n g e f o r S M E s

conduct ing R&D in Tha i land?conduct ing R&D in Tha i land?conduct ing R&D in Tha i land?conduct ing R&D in Tha i land?conduct ing R&D in Tha i land?

WA: Our company has been around for over 10 years and has had

success developing innovative products with the support of

scientists like Dr Somkiet. However, turning research work into an

actual product is not simple and involves a lot of hard work and

adapting to situations. This process of commercialisation, which

involves taking a technology from bench to market, is something

which most SMEs are still not familiar.

I think another challenge is for SMEs to understand and be willing to

take the risk of investing in R&D. Without R&D, you cannot come up

with innovative new products. At Hi-Grimm, we are committed to

invest in R&D. We take on the risk but manage it by intensively

studying the technology that we are interested in and working with

reliable partners like Dr Somkiet and his colleagues at NSTDA.

How did Hi-Grimm work successfully with the government?How did Hi-Grimm work successfully with the government?How did Hi-Grimm work successfully with the government?How did Hi-Grimm work successfully with the government?How did Hi-Grimm work successfully with the government?

ST: The government and the company shared the risk associated

with this project. The project was actually delayed by half a year, as

we had to do additional work to ensure that standards were met,

safety issues were addressed and quality controls were in place.

However, both parties were fully committed and very flexible,

allowing us to adapt to the changing requirements.

WA: This project involved sharing investment, efforts and risks. The

NSTDA and BIOTEC were responsible for upstream research, while

we took care of downstream product testing and development, and

eventually full scale manufacturing. Later on, NSTDA transferred

the product patent to us in return for royalty payments. Obviously,

both parties have benefited from this working relationship.

More importantly, during the process, we were able to create a new

innovative product, enhance our company's competitiveness, bring

environmental benefits to the society and create returns for the

government.

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Exclusive Interview

What is Hi-Gr imm's product ion development advantage?What is Hi-Gr imm's product ion development advantage?What is Hi-Gr imm's product ion development advantage?What is Hi-Gr imm's product ion development advantage?What is Hi-Gr imm's product ion development advantage?

WA: We try to understand and respond specifically to the needs of

the industries that we serve. We have a range of products that

include surface cleaners, fog digesting cleaner, oil spill control agents,

bio-sanitizers and waste water treatment solutions, which cater

specifically to the requirements of our Thai customers. Our products

are more suitable for the local environment compared to imported

products, and they are also more competitively priced because they

are made locally.

What are your future p lans?What are your future p lans?What are your future p lans?What are your future p lans?What are your future p lans?

ST: Currently, there is strong market demand for environmentally-

friendly products that can be used to treat hydrogen sulphide found

in waste water from industrial plants. Hydrogen sulphide can give

rise to issues in production processes and operations in various types

of industrial plants. Finding a good and environmentally-friendly

solution to address this may open up new opportunities for our

researchers.

Somkiet + Wasant 7/29/18, 7:35 AM23

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2424

Exclusive Interview

Working with Companies

to Create Innovations

Interview with

Dr. WonnopDr. WonnopDr. WonnopDr. WonnopDr. Wonnop

Visessanguan Visessanguan Visessanguan Visessanguan VisessanguanResearcher, BIOTEC

Can you tell me about some ofCan you tell me about some ofCan you tell me about some ofCan you tell me about some ofCan you tell me about some of

the projects you have worked on?the projects you have worked on?the projects you have worked on?the projects you have worked on?the projects you have worked on?

We worked with the Thai Fishsauce Factory Squid Brand

Co., Ltd. to help them reduce the length of time needed to ferment

their fish sauce. This had to be done in such a way that the

quality of the fish sauce remained the same, in terms of taste and

smell. We developed an enzyme process that could reduce the

usual 18 months of fermentation needed to make fish sauce to

about 9 months. However, the new process produced a fish sauce

that had a less intense odor and higher protein content. This

presented the company with an opportunity to develop a product

that is more suitable for the foreign market, where consumers

prefer a milder version of the fish sauce.

We also worked with Microinnovate Co., Ltd. to incorporate some

beneficial microbes into their animal feed for pigs. The company

approached BIOTEC, looking for a suitable microbe. Eventually, we

selected Bacillus subtilis after we found that animals fed with the

improved feed were growing faster, were sick less often and saw

lower mortality rate. This project also resulted in BIOTEC and the

company forming a joint venture to set up a fermentation plant for

animal feed production.

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What is the best way for companies to approachWhat is the best way for companies to approachWhat is the best way for companies to approachWhat is the best way for companies to approachWhat is the best way for companies to approach

BIOTEC for research support?BIOTEC for research support?BIOTEC for research support?BIOTEC for research support?BIOTEC for research support?

When a company needs assistance from us, we will need to understand fully and

specifically what they want to achieve. Internally, we will look to see if we have the

capabilities and resources to help. The discussion process starts early so that we

can clearly set out the goal and also let the client know whether we can meet their

requirements. We must ensure that the client understands our expertise and what

we can achieve with the know-how and resources we have available.

For smaller companies, they usually have limited funds and their goals tend to

focus on saving costs and getting good research work done. For larger companies,

they tend to have deeper pockets and usually come to us with greater

expectations. We have to clearly communicate the potential outcome of the

research and ensure that expectations are realistic. I always go straight to the

point when I speak to the client because I feel that they should also know the

potential of failure as well.

How do you see the private sector developingHow do you see the private sector developingHow do you see the private sector developingHow do you see the private sector developingHow do you see the private sector developing

in the area of biotechnology?in the area of biotechnology?in the area of biotechnology?in the area of biotechnology?in the area of biotechnology?

In the future, I think biotechnology is going to be more widely used within the

industry. Companies that have been using imported microbes or enzymes are

starting to realise that we have the capabilities to develop good quality

alternatives locally. It makes business sense for our companies to use locally

developed high quality microbes and enzymes because they tend to be cheaper.

Furthermore, since these are usually developed according to the specific

requirements of local companies, they are better able to meet the needs of the

Thai industry. I think such demand from our local industry will increase and help

drive the use of biotechnology in Thailand. In this way, biotechnology is helping to

develop the Thai economy.

What do you feel are important characteristicsWhat do you feel are important characteristicsWhat do you feel are important characteristicsWhat do you feel are important characteristicsWhat do you feel are important characteristics

of the Thai biotechnology industry?of the Thai biotechnology industry?of the Thai biotechnology industry?of the Thai biotechnology industry?of the Thai biotechnology industry?

On the plus side, I think Thailand's rich biodiversity has given us tremendous

opportunities to conduct bio-research. We are always discovering new microbes or

new enzymes which may have great commercial value. On the minus side, I feel

that our industry is constraint by the limited number of biotechnology experts who

are available to support companies in their research. If we are able to address this

manpower shortage, our industry will grow even faster.

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Exclusive Interview

Wonnop 2 7/29/18, 7:39 AM25

COMPANY LISTINGS

2626

Exclusive Interview

Bringing Technology to

Traditional Medicine

Interview with

Mr. WatcharapongMr. WatcharapongMr. WatcharapongMr. WatcharapongMr. WatcharapongPongboriboonPongboriboonPongboriboonPongboriboonPongboriboon

Managing Director

Khaolaor Laboratories Co., Ltd.

What does your company do?What does your company do?What does your company do?What does your company do?What does your company do?

My company, Khaolaor Laboratories, develops

herbal products that are based on traditional Thai

medicine, but manufactured to modern standards.

Our production processes follow international

manufacturing standards such as GMP. We believe

that there are big opportunities in bringing

effective traditional treatments and medicines to the

market, using modern scientific approaches.

How do you modernise traditionalHow do you modernise traditionalHow do you modernise traditionalHow do you modernise traditionalHow do you modernise traditional

Thai medicine?Thai medicine?Thai medicine?Thai medicine?Thai medicine?

Basically, we have to take sound scientific approaches when

conducting research on traditional Thai medicine and use modern

manufacturing practices when producing the final product. Although

traditional Thai medicine has been in use for hundreds of years, we

still have to carefully analyse their efficacy and be able to verify

their effectiveness with the support of scientific data. Similarly,

the use of modern manufacturing techniques allows us to better

control the quality and assure the safety of our products.

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Watcharapong 2 7/29/18, 7:10 AM26

COMPANY LISTINGS

27

There are about 1,100 companies that make products related to traditional

Thai medicine. However, currently only around 30 companies have attained GMP

standards of production. Although the rest of the companies are not GMP-

certified, some of them are in the process of upgrading themselves to either

Thai Traditional Medicine GMP or ASEAN GMP in order to assure the quality of their

products. Nevertheless, I think the situation is slowly improving and will get better

in the next 5-10 years.

Wha t i s t h e po ten t i a l ma r ke t f o r h e r ba lWha t i s t h e po ten t i a l ma r ke t f o r h e r ba lWha t i s t h e po ten t i a l ma r ke t f o r h e r ba lWha t i s t h e po ten t i a l ma r ke t f o r h e r ba lWha t i s t h e po ten t i a l ma r ke t f o r h e r ba l

medicine and traditional Thai medicine?medicine and traditional Thai medicine?medicine and traditional Thai medicine?medicine and traditional Thai medicine?medicine and traditional Thai medicine?

Consumers worldwide are "going back to nature". This will have a big impact on

their lifestyle. For example, natural products, including herbal and traditional

medicine are gaining widespread popularity in the developed markets. This trend

will help drive the growth of traditional Thai medicine. Furthermore, the expected

harmonization of traditional medicine in the ASEAN region in 2015 will help expand

the market for traditional Thai medicine as we sell to other ASEAN countries.

Thailand has rich biodiversity and we have many quality herbs that have a role to

play in our traditional medicine. I think the opportunity is now open for

entrepreneurs who want to enter the market. However, they must adapt to the

requirements of GMP and adopt modern quality management systems. As an

industry, we need to develop and improve our products, our organisations and our

production processes. This will help us to bring our products abroad and become

successful in the global market.

Do you have any advice for Thai businesses?Do you have any advice for Thai businesses?Do you have any advice for Thai businesses?Do you have any advice for Thai businesses?Do you have any advice for Thai businesses?

We should focus on quality rather than quantity. For instance, my company used

to produce garlic powder and we were quite happy with the business. However,

when we started extracting specific compounds from the garlic and sold the

processed extract, we found that we could make more profits than selling garlic

powder. The lesson for us was that rather than focusing on cheap commodity

products, we should apply technology to create value-added products from our

raw materials.

To be successful, we should not stop when our products make good profits.

Instead, we should continue to find ways to add value to our products to make

them more valuable to our customers.

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Exclusive Interview

Watcharapong 2 7/29/18, 7:41 AM27