On 3 September 2026, at Siam@Siam Design Hotel Bangkok, NSTDA’s Food Innopolis, NXPO, and AIT hosted the ASEAN Plant-Based Foods Research and Policy Forum 2026. The forum brought together government agencies and universities from across ASEAN to exchange policy insights, research findings, technologies, and innovations in plant-based foods, with the aim of creating opportunities for regional collaboration to advance the industry.
Dr. Chularat Tanprasert, Deputy Executive Director and Executive Director of the Science and Technology Infrastructure Services (STIS) at NSTDA, and Professor Pai-Chi Li, President of AIT, jointly opened the event and welcomed participants.
Professor Anil Kumar Anal, Dean of the Faculty of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (F-FANR) at AIT, delivered a keynote presentation on “ASEAN Consumer and Market Trends: Opportunities for Plant-Based Food Products.” This was followed by perspectives on public policy for supporting research and product development in plant-based foods from Dr. Mercy Sombilla, Director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Philippines, and Dr. Sirinya Lim, Senior Director of the Bioeconomy Policy Division at NXPO.
In the afternoon, Dr. Taufik Hidayat, Director at Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), presented an overview of technologies and product development for plant-based foods. He highlighted the need for integrated efforts encompassing diverse plant raw materials, the application of science and technology, standards, and regulations to develop market-ready products, particularly for the ASEAN region.
The forum then featured presentations on technologies for developing plant-based food products by academics and researchers from leading Thai institutions. Dr. Sandi Darniadi of AIT presented cold plasma technology, which can improve the structure of plant-based raw materials for product development. Dr.Nispa Seetapan of MTEC, NSTDA, discussed plant-based food product-development technologies focused on improving texture and better meeting consumer expectations, including extrusion and 3D-printing technologies. Assoc.Prof. Pitiya Kamonpatana from the Faculty of Agro-Industry, Kasetsart University, shared perspectives on the advancement and safety of technologies for plant-based foods, particularly ohmic heating. The session concluded with Assoc.Prof. Niramon Utama-ang from the Faculty of Agro-Industry, Chiang Mai University, who presented research on applying protein hydrolysate technology in plant-based foods to deliver beneficial functions for consumers.
The final session featured a panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities of bringing plant-based foods from research to market. The panel brought together representatives from both large and small businesses: Dr. Phonthakorn Wongcharoen, Chief Executive Officer of Betagro Indonesia; Khun Wiwat Hemmondharop, Founder of Tonkla Fahsai Food Care Center Co., Ltd.; Khun Panchaya Raksakul, Co-Founder and COO of Future Food Asia Co., Ltd.; and Assoc. Prof. Pitiya Kamonpatana, Kasetsart University.
The speakers shared perspectives on the current landscape, challenges, and opportunities in the plant-based food business. They emphasized that success depends not only on applying the best technology or research, but also on achieving acceptance among target consumers and ensuring commercial feasibility and long-term business sustainability.
On 4 September 2026, at Siam@Siam Design Hotel Bangkok, NSTDA’s Food Innopolis, NXPO, and AIT invited representatives from government agencies and universities across ASEAN to discuss approaches and opportunities for integrating efforts in plant-based foods. Participants also began planning a regional cooperation roadmap, which will support the development of shared policies for plant-based food development in the future.