Dr. Kritphaka Boonfuang, Director of the National Innovation Agency (Public Organization) or NIA, said they partnered with three main network allies: Maejo University (agriculture and food), the Thai Health Tech Trade Association (medical and health), and the Eastern Science Park at Burapha University (smart electronics, artificial intelligence, robotics, and IoT) to organize the Thailand Innovation Hub: Demo Day event.
This is Thailand’s first national platform to gather, showcase, and connect high-potential innovation-based entrepreneurs from all regions across three target industries. Over the four months of participating in the program, clear development progress was demonstrated—including approaches to development, novel problem-solving using technology and innovation, business expansion strategies, and scaling product and service usage, with prospects to grow user bases and achieve average revenue growth exceeding 20%.
The event reflects the results of close collaboration between NIA and the three main regional network partners. Throughout the project, 61 innovation-based entrepreneurs were supported via two main activities:
• Incubation Program (30 participants) – an intensive incubation program to develop business models, marketing strategies, and prepare for investment.
• Sandbox Program (31 participants) – a market expansion acceleration program for businesses with ready products/services, focusing on business matchmaking and real-world testing in designated areas to collect user data and accelerate commercial scaling.
Notably, 39 high-potential innovation-based entrepreneurs were selected to present at Demo Day before a panel of experts from government, industry, retail, and venture capital, including the Federation of Thai Industries, Central Food Retail (Tops), ADB Ventures, TVCA, BDMS, the Department of Disease Control, InnoSpace, A2D Ventures, and TPG X.
Evaluation criteria aligned with international standards, covering industry challenge relevance (Pain Points), readiness and real-world technology performance, market opportunities and business scalability, as well as the founding teams’ potential and preparedness to enhance commercial and investment opportunities. The judges’ decisions were as follows:
1. Agriculture and Food group from Incubation: Grand SP Siam Co., Ltd.: effervescent beads extending the shelf life of cut flowers and reducing food spoilage; from Sandbox: Nine Bio Group Co., Ltd.: POWBIO, a microbial inoculant generating biofloc that effectively reduces ammonia and nitrites.
2. Medical and Health group from Incubation: Wisian (Thailand) Co., Ltd.: a self-test dengue fever kit with a real-time recording system, enabling faster and more accurate screening; from Sandbox: Femme Work Co., Ltd.: NPI, an automatic mattress to prevent bedsores.
3. Smart Electronics, AI, Robotics, and IoT group from Incubation: ACI Software Co., Ltd.: Kyube Hypercode, an AI-powered app development platform that assists coding with drag-and-drop and flowchart logic, connecting real-time organizational databases via Peer Handshake; from Sandbox: Cleantech and Beyond Co., Ltd.: Digital Temperature Indicator (DTI), a battery-free smart temperature sticker using a permanent state-change material, enhancing factory safety.
Additionally, the Popular Vote award, decided by attendees and online viewers recognizing outstanding technology and innovation with real problem-solving impact, was awarded to Nine Bio Group Co., Ltd. for POWBIO, their microbial inoculant biofloc product.
The Thailand Innovation Hub project has demonstrated tangible success from sustained cooperation among partner agencies, effectively translating into actual sales growth and expanded customer bases across the three target industries. This reflects the capability of innovation-based entrepreneurs to develop commercial business models and bring innovations to market concretely, including:
• Agriculture and Food: Maejo University linked efforts with the Maejo Agricultural and Food Innovation District, chefs, restaurants, and major agricultural companies for collaborative trials. A key example is the collaboration between Oh Kajhu restaurant and White Tiger King Co., Ltd., a producer of plant-based milk from Mae Hong Son tiger nut, to create new innovative food products.
Automatic solar-powered insect traps from Nabu Technology Co., Ltd. were tested across 20 units in 150 rai and 500 greenhouses, providing a chemical-free pest control alternative. Agricultural and food innovation products have increased sales and user numbers.
• Medical and Health: The Thai Health Tech Trade Association connected with medical innovation districts and public and private hospitals nationwide to test systems and solutions, generating total sales of 21,099,900 baht and expanding users or customer groups by 16,301. Notably, Phyathai-PAOLO Hospital continuously uses the NPI automatic anti-bedsore mattress from Femme Work Co., Ltd.
• Smart Electronics, AI, Robotics, and IoT: The Eastern Science Park at Burapha University connected industry and manufacturing sectors and integrated technologies to expand joint usage. Success examples include Cleantech and Beyond Co., Ltd.’s Digital Temperature Indicator (DTI) sticker for battery-free machine temperature monitoring, enhancing factory safety with Precise Co., Ltd. They also incubated Innovity Tech Co., Ltd., a spin-off from Burapha University, developing highly precise autonomous navigation robots, which have begun receiving orders from organizations in the eastern region.
Dr. Kritphaka emphasized that the Thailand Innovation Hub is not merely an innovation development project but a new national innovation infrastructure connecting people, knowledge, infrastructure, and real-world testing sites to rapidly build Thai entrepreneurs’ capabilities for sustainable growth and readiness for international investment platforms.
Chinese New Year at Big C
Big C Supercenter welcomes the new year by launching its first campaign of the year, "Bustling and Prosperous Chinese New Year at Big C," to stimulate consumer spending during the festival. Highlights include a special buy-one-get-one-free promotion covering a wide range of products, including offerings for worship, daily necessities, and consumables. The retailer is confident it will drive sales growth exceeding one billion baht. The grand opening features an impressive lion dance performance by Yi Quan Thailand to bring good fortune throughout 2026 at Big C Place, Ratchadaphisek branch.
Building New Brands Sahapat Pibul (SPC) is strengthening its leadership role in distributing and marketing Thai consumer goods, announcing a partnership with Petch Saharat Industry Co., Ltd., a quality food and beverage manufacturer. They aim to promote two promising brands: canned food and seasoning powder under the "Mam Zaap" brand, and malt extract under the "DaliDuch" brand, to consumers nationwide through Sahapat Pibul’s comprehensive distribution and marketing strategies.
ADFEEST 2026 ADFest, the Asia-Pacific advertising and creativity festival, officially announced its 2026 theme: "Human+." It invites the creative industry across the region to question and explore how humanity will progress amid unprecedented technological advancement, without losing heart, meaning, and human values. Tickets are available here.
