Inspiring innovators
This year’s winners of the ‘New Gen Inventor Award’ showcase solutions from art and agriculture to nutrition and sustainability Mu Te Lai Faith Based Art Activities To Promote Appreciation Of Local Culture For Sustainable Tourism The Faculty of Education,
FIRST PRIZE IN THE TOURISM CATEGORY
Organised by the National Research Council of Thailand each year, the “Thailand New Gen Inventor Award: I-New Gen Award 2024” finds young minds with creative ideas to help propel innovative developments.
Three outstanding projects — Mu Te Lai (art activities to promote local culture) created by Chulalongkorn University; ProEn (kale innovation) created by Thammasat University; and De-Bugs Organic Plus (biopesticide from eggshells) created by Kasetsart University Kamphaeng Saen Campus — each won the first prize in different categories among over 1,000 creations from 330 educational establishments.
Inspired by his Nan heritage, Suchart Imsamraan, a PhD student in art education at Chulalongkorn University, collaborated with Nutcha Charoenchanakit, a fellow student, to create Mu Te Lai. Under the guidance of Asst Prof Soamshine Boonyananta, they aimed to rekindle appreciation for local fabrics among younger generations through interactive art activities.
Born in Nan province, Suchart has a deep affection for his local culture. He observed with concern that young people were increasingly losing interest in local textiles.
“Some young people consider local fabrics outdated and do not want to wear them while others wear them without understanding their significance,” Suchart said.
The project title Mu Te Lai comes from the words mu te lu (superstition) and lai (pattern). Through Mu Te Lai, he sought to bridge this gap by combining traditional fabric patterns and their symbolic meanings into engaging art activities.
The team designed fabric patterns in modern graphics and created packages for three interactive art activities: decorating notebook covers with fabric patterns, crafting keychains and painting custom bag tags. These activities were designed to spark creativity and reduce stress. They also provide a fun and accessible way for participants to engage with Nan’s traditional fabrics.
“If participants can remember one or two patterns, we would consider it a success. After experiments with 30 participants, most participants recognised three patterns: nam lai [river flow], nok kin nam ruam ton [birds drinking water together] and dok chan
pad kleep [eight-petalled star anise],” said Suchart.
The Chulalongkorn team registered three product patents for their graphic designs and characters. They hope their projects can inspire other provinces to create similar activities to promote local culture.
“They can incorporate fabric patterns or other elements of their cultural heritage into attractive products. Products like our keychains and stickers can be produced for sale or use in events. Additionally, we want to see our fabric patterns used by Nan’s government organisations in media campaigns. We will present this project to them,” Suchart concluded.
FIRST PRIZE IN THE AGRICULTURE CATEGORY
De-Bugs Organic Plus The Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University Kamphaeng Saen Campus
The idea of De-Bugs Organic Plus was inspired when researchers and lecturers from the Faculty of Agriculture Kasetsart University visited a hatchery and discovered discarded egg shells.
Naphanut Usungnoen, a researcher at the Faculty of Agriculture, explained that Thailand generates a significant amount of eggshell waste from the frozen chicken and food industries, which exceeds 8 million tonnes annually. Due to the massive quantity, transporting this waste to landfills and finding suitable disposal sites can be time-consuming.
To reduce discarded eggshells, the team from Kasetsart University Kamphaeng Saen invented a pesticide using eggshells as the main component. The first solution, which was a chemical formula, won the golden medal at Japan Design, Idea and Invention Expo 2023. Following this success, the team developed two other biopesticides — one of which mixes burnt eggshell powder and calcium hydroxide while the other contains eggshell powder and wood ash.
Todsaphon Sae-tang, an undergraduate student of the Faculty of Engineering, explained that the formula with burnt eggshell powder requires high energy which makes it suitable for industrial production.
“The formula with wood ash is appropriate for household use because ash is easy to find. I collected ash from
moo krata barbecue restaurants.” Although there are numerous biopesticides in the market, the team insists that De-Bugs Organic Plus is unique because it can dissolve the protective wax of mealybugs and lead to their demise.
“Chemical pesticides need to be mixed with water and sprayed on plants. These pesticides cannot break down the wax of mealybugs, but they are absorbed into plants. After mealybugs consume the chemical pesticide in plants, it causes their death. However, the chemical pesticides still remain in the plants and can be harmful to humans, while De-Bugs Organic Plus is safe,” explained Naphanut.
Experiments in Loei and Chon Buri revealed that De-Bugs Organic Plus is effective in getting rid of mealybugs, fruit flies, worms, ants, mites and other insects. The biopesticide can be used with vegetables, flowers, fruits and field crops.
De-Bugs Organic Plus is currently undergoing the process of being certified according to organic agriculture standards.
Kale is known as the king of vegetables for its exceptional nutritional content and health benefits. Recognising its outstanding quality, Assoc Prof Dusit Athinuwat, a lecturer at the Faculty of Science and Technology, has been actively promoting kale cultivation among farmers. However, its high price has limited customers to the high-end group. Driven by the desire to support farmers and expand the market for kale, Assoc Prof Dusit, along with his team, developed and launched ProEn.
Krittidetch Anan, alumni of the Faculty of Science and Technology, explained that the demand for kale has increased since it has been proven to contain essential nutrients, including vitamin A, C, K, amino acids and antioxidants. The Thammasat team aimed to make kale consumption more convenient and add value to it.
“ProEn, conveniently presented in powder form, allows for easy consumption and longer shelf life without the need for frequent visits to the market, unlike fresh kale. Recognising the growing trend of consuming whey protein for muscle building, our team innovatively combined kale with whey protein. This allows consumers to reap the advantages of both ingredients in a single product.”
ProEn utilises a cutting-edge microwave extraction technique, setting it apart from traditional methods. This innovative approach boasts significant advantages in terms of both efficiency and environmental impact.
“Traditional extraction methods typically require 15 days and involve the use of solvents. These solvents can leave residue in the final product and pose environmental risks. In contrast, microwave extraction is solvent-free and takes only one day while extracting vital compounds, including antioxidants, five times more efficiently than conventional methods,” explained Krittidetch.
ProEn’s rich composition of vitamins, amino acids and antioxidants contributes to a strengthened immune system. Additionally, the inclusion of raw banana powder — a natural prebiotic — promotes gut health and digestive well-being.
ProEn has earned certification from the Food and Drug Administration and has passed Good Hygiene Practices and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point standards for its product.
At the Thailand Inventors’ Day 2024, ProEn received positive feedback from visitors.
“ProEn gained positive feedback from visitors at the Thailand Inventors’ Day 2024. Customers who have purchased the product reach out to us through our Facebook page and even repurchase it. We aim to participate in more health-related events to reach a wider consumer base. Additionally, we have plans to create new products with various formulas and flavours to cater to diverse preferences,” concluded Krittidetch.