SPACE-F, the first food-tech incubator and accelerator program in Thailand, has announced that the leading Thai beverage company, Thai Beverage PLC (ThaiBev), Betagro Group and Deloitte have joined the program this year.

thaiunion.com

SPACE-F was founded in 2019 by the National Innovation Agency (NIA), Thai Union Group PCL (Thai Union) and Mahidol University and aims to create future economic warriors who are dedicated to increasing access to better, safer and more nutritious foods, and to future-proofing the global food supply chain by engaging deep tech as a tool for sustainable businesses. ThaiBev will work to ensure that startups benefit from working with leading corporates along the food supply chain. The mentorship, network, commercial and investment possibilities offered by the Company will ensure that participants in the program gain the best possible start to their operations.

Dr. Pun-Arj Chairatana, Executive Director, National Innovation Agency, said, “Innovation is more important than ever to grow and strengthen the food industry, particularly in Thailand, often called the ‘kitchen of the world.’ Through working closely with the private sector and these new partners, we intend to continue to develop the startup ecosystem and help young companies reach the market and commercialize their products and ideas. The new partners will complement the program with their resources and networks to create Thailand’s food-tech Silicon Valley.”

Thapana Sirivadnabhakdi, President and CEO, Thai Beverage PLC, said, “SPACE-F provides a platform for established companies to share their knowledge, expertise, technology and financial support. We’re very pleased to begin working with the incubator and continue to push the food and beverage industry forward. ThaiBev has adopted UN Sustainability Goals number three, Good Health and Well-being, and 17, Partnerships for the Goals, as being particularly important to our business and SPACE-F provides a great opportunity to work with a number of other stakeholders to strengthen our commitments to these goals.”

Thiraphong Chansiri, CEO, Thai Union Group PCL, said, “This is the second year of SPACE-F and the second year of our work with the program. It’s clear that the food industry must work to meet a number of challenges, including continuing to feed the growing global population in a sustainable manner and adapting and innovating to adjust to the new normal created by the current pandemic. Innovation and developing new methods of food production are more important than ever before and the relationship between established companies and young, agile start-ups is crucial to this. We’re proud to be one of the founders of SPACE-F and are looking forward to continuing this journey with our new and existing partners as we build a FoodTech ecosystem in Thailand.”

Prof. Banchong Mahaisavariya, President of Mahidol University, said, “The collaboration between the private and public sectors gives us the opportunity to accelerate our vision of creating Thailand’s FoodTech silicon valley by supporting deep-tech and innovative start-ups. SPACE-F is the perfect vehicle for this, providing support and mutual benefits to all its participants. The incubator is well-suited to achieving Mahidol University’s strategic goals, which emphasize Global Research and Innovation, combined with academic and entrepreneurial education to create a demand-driven value chain. We provide access to cutting-edge research facilities and experts in various disciplines to help the start-ups achieve their goals. SPACE-F is a unifying force for science and technology and business, creating successful entrepreneurs for the global food industry.”

The second cohort of SPACE-F companies will begin their involvement in the program on in October 2020.