To promote academic and industrial cooperation between Taiwan and Thailand in the field of functional foods, the Functional Food Hub of Talent for Competitive Advantage of Thailand visited National Formosa University (NFU) on March 17th, 2025. Led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Pomthong Malakul Na Ayudhaya, Secretary-General of the Council of University Presidents of Thailand (CUPT), a delegation of 30 members engaged in research exchanges on the development of biotechnology in both countries.
The Functional Food Hub of Thailand, under CUPT, is dedicated to linking Thailand’s public and private sectors to drive research and development in functional foods and indigenous raw materials. The visiting delegation included representatives from the Thai Parliament, the Food and Drug Administration of the Ministry of Public Health, the National Science and Technology Development Agency, the Thai Biotechnology Association, Chulalongkorn University, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, the Thai Functional Food Innovation Center, and leading Thai agricultural and food enterprises. Their mission is to advance global functional food innovation, nurture talent, and build an expert database to enhance industry competitiveness.
During the visit, NFU President Dr. Hsin-Liang Chang engaged in discussions with Thai biotechnology leaders on Taiwan and Thailand’s unique raw materials and technologies. By integrating NFU’s strengths in biological research and industry-academic collaboration, they explored possibilities for joint research and the development of new functional food products, with aspirations for future innovation partnerships.
The Thai functional food experts also toured NFU’s Biotechnology Pilot Plant and Agricultural Product Testing Center to gain firsthand insights into the university’s product innovation, testing technologies, and biotechnological process integration. They also learned about NFU’s expertise in food safety testing and agricultural product quality control. Both sides expressed enthusiasm for continued exchanges to jointly shape new prospects for the functional food industry.
