Pitch perfect – The Starch Value Chain Conference: a #thaiRAIN success story
RAIN forecast across the region
The USDA-funded Thailand Regional Agriculture Innovation Network (#thaiRAIN) has started building a reputation for its innovative methods. For example, to achieve the goal of promoting climate-smart innovation to 30,000 farmers, #thaiRAIN is focused on building effective business models and encouraging early adoption through existing supply chain actors. While it might have been easier to give the technology directly to the farmers, #thaiRAIN’s approach promises to have a more lasting impact.
As part of its outreach efforts, #thaiRAIN is working to build regional connections for CSi (climate-smart innovation) dissemination as part of its fifth activity, Share. In August 2023, #thaiRAIN collaborated with the USDA-funded Creating Linkages for Expanded Agricultural Network (CLEAN) project to introduce a Thai CSi for early detection of cassava mosaic disease to the cassava sector in Lao PDR. This initial collaboration paved the way for discussions on how #thaiRAIN can introduce more cassava-focused CSi to Laos and across the Greater Mekong Subregion.
Two USDA projects unite
Following this collaboration in August 2023, the two USDA-funded projects identified an opportunity for international exposure at the 12th Annual Starch Value Chain Asia Conference, held in February 2024 in Vientiane, Laos. This event will bring together industry leaders, researchers, and stakeholders in cassava and other starch value chains. Notable conference attendees include Thai Wah (Thailand’s largest exporter of tapioca), CGIAR (a global research institution for agriculture), and Emlands Group (Germany’s largest producer of potato starch and other refined starch products).
CLEAN and #thaiRAIN collaborated with the event organizer, Center for Management Technology, to support and shape the agenda. As a result, USDA Food for Progress and the two projects were highlighted as official sponsors and were responsible for organizing key components of the event. CLEAN facilitated a field trip to enable participants to see innovations at Lao’s National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute and a high-quality starch factory facility. #thaiRAIN hosted an AgTech Pitch Event and Partner Roundtables for eight CSi innovators from Thailand.
Linking research to the private sector
Two #thaiRAIN partners came to showcase their CSi. The National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), a Thai think tank with a renowned capacity for developing technology for industry, agriculture, natural resources, and the environment, and Kasetsart University, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, have produced generations of agricultural practitioners and policymakers focused on researching innovations for agriculture.
In #thaiRAIN’s session, each innovator from NSTDA and KU had the opportunity to present a five-minute overview (“pitch”) of their CSi technology. After the presentations, RAIN hosted business roundtables for private sector partners to discuss opportunities for CSi scaling with the innovators.
To ensure that the presentations were concise and straightforward, #thaiRAIN worked with the researchers to prepare their pitches, making sure that each five-minute presentation was crisp and delivered a clear message. They explained why industrial leaders should be interested in their technologies, both scientifically and economically. During their sessions, the researchers captured the audience’s attention with their presentations. This was evident in the Q&A sessions for each presentation, which covered a range of topics from costs to practical use to sustainability impacts.
“NSTDA has many innovations, but we rarely have as a great an opportunity to communicate directly to potential users,”
– Dr. Alongkorn Amnuaykanjanasin, Principal Researcher.
#thaiRAIN used Slido, an interactive app, to enhance participant engagement with live questions and ranking. This, along with the short tech pitches and the subsequent business roundtable session, provided an enhancement over the traditional conference format. The result was improved interaction among the participants, resulting in great feedback from business leaders to the researchers.
Leaving a mark as #thaiRAIN
The organizer expressed gratitude that the #thaiRAIN and CLEAN projects added new energy and interactivity to the dynamics of the conference.
“The Thai RAIN and CLEAN projects injected new energy and interactivity into the dynamics of the conference.”
– Li Ming, Regional Conference Director, Centre for Management Technology
This event provided an opportunity to gain experience in sharing relevant technologies with an international audience. As a result, #thaiRAIN and partner researchers are now recognized actors in the cassava sector in the region. These events can contribute significantly to the final goal of the #thaiRAIN project: establishing a regional hub for climate-smart innovations.
Fast Facts
RAIN is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food for Progress Program, with a period of performance from 2022 – 2027. The 12th Starch Value Chain Conference 2024 was organized by the Centre for Management Technology Pte. Ltd. (CMT). The event boasts over 100 participants from over 20 countries. Notable attendees include:
- Laos: Ministry of Industry and Commerce, CGIAR Research Center, National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute, LS Tapioca Starch Factory 1, the Laos Cassava Association, Lao Development Bank, Sky Vision, KT Agriculture, Greenfeed Lao.
- Thailand: Mitr Phol Group, Biotrix Asia, Control Union, Thai Wah PLC, Ingredion, SMS Corporation.
- International: G. Larsson Starch Technology AB, Commoditia, Shivangan Food & Pharma Products, Newcastle University International Singapore, Sino German Technology, Bosida Starch Technology Development.
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