Percentage of the biotech companies by size

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Sharlene Richard
6 years ago
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PRIVATE SECTOR R&D IN THAILANDûS BIOINDUSTRY One of the major goals under Thailandûs National Biotechnology Policy Framework (2004-2009) was to see the establishment of over 100 new biotech companies.

In 2006, the private sector accounted for approximately 41% of the total national R&D expenditure or 0.25% of GDP 2.

1 PRIVATE SECTOR R&D IN THAILANDûS BIOINDUSTRY One of the major goals under Thailandûs National Biotechnology Policy Framework ( ) was to see the establishment of over 100 new biotech companies. In addition, the government actively promoted and encouraged more private sector R&D investments in the biotechnology industry 1. In 2006, the private sector accounted for approximately 41% of the total national R&D expenditure or 0.25% of GDP 2. The governmentûs aim was to raise the total national R&D expenditure and increase the proportion of R&D investments from the private sector. The majority of the biotech companies in Thailand are small firms with registered capital of less than 50 million baht. Those considered medium-sized firms, with registered capital of between 50 to 200 million baht, make up 21% of the market. Large firms, with over 200 million in registered capital, make up 7% of the market; however, their registered capital is about 3.3 times the size of the combined registered capital of all small and medium sized firms. Biotech Companies in Thailand There are now approximately 165 biotech companies in Thailand. Of these, over 80 were founded between 2000 and 2009 (as of February 2009) 3. These companies conduct their own R&D activities and/or have joint research activities with other companies or research institutes. Percentage of the biotech companies by size Small Medium Large Thailand Science and Technology Profile 2008, NSTDA 3 Kanyawim Kirtikara, Biotechnology: achieving our national goals, The Nation, Thursday May 14, 2009 page 8A

2 Perceatage of the biotech companies by segment 4% 10% 51% 35% Agriculture/Food Medical/Health Environmental Others Thailandûs biotech market is divided into four segments, namely, agriculture/food (agro-business), medical/health, environmental, and others. With Thailand being one of the world's major agricultural producers and exporters, its agro-business segment is the largest and accounts for 51% of the total market. The medical/health segment is the next largest and has seen growth in the past several years, driven by factors including the growth of the medical tourism industry and development of the diagnostic manufacturing sector The environmental 80 segment is an emerging 70 sector and the third 60 largest segment. With 50 development and 40 application of new 30 technologies in areas such as waste management 0 and bio-energy, the sector is poised to become an important segment within the local biotechnology industry. Lastly, in the smallest segment of the industry, classified as çothersé, there are companies, including those providing R&D support services like laboratory analysis, and media preparation. The following graph show the accumulated number of biotech companies over years. Each segment has more details as following. Accumulated Number of Biotech Companies over Years < Agri Med Env Other

Agro-business Segment One of Thailandûs goals under the National Biotechnology Policy Framework (2004-2009) was to become the çkitchen of the Worldé through the application of biotechnology in

Currently, more than 80 agro-businesses have invested and are utilizing biotechnology to upgrade their productivity, strengthen their R&D capabilities and raise their companyûs competitiveness.

3 Agro-business Segment One of Thailandûs goals under the National Biotechnology Policy Framework ( ) was to become the çkitchen of the Worldé through the application of biotechnology in agricultural and food research, as well as production. Currently, more than 80 agro-businesses have invested and are utilizing biotechnology to upgrade their productivity, strengthen their R&D capabilities and raise their companyûs competitiveness. These companies are improving plant and animal varieties, developing new nutraceuticals and food supplements, and setting up new laboratory services that conform with international standards, just to name a few. The following table shows some of the leading companies in the agro-business segment. Name of the agro-business TÜV SÜD PSB (Thailand) Limited IQA Laboratory Co., Ltd. Specialty Biotech Co., Ltd. Seafresh Chitosan (Lab) Co., Ltd. Purac Thailand Co., Ltd. Chote Thana Chote Co., Ltd. Asia Star Animal Health Co., Ltd. Advance Asian Co., Ltd. Phuket Abalone Farm Thai Dairy Development Co., Ltd. Medical/Health Advances in biotechnology have had a great impact on the improvement of the quality of healthcare. The development of new diagnostics and therapies has made the detection and treatment of many diseases possible. Thai scientists have also made tremendous strides in these areas, especially in the development of new diagnostic tools. For instance, to help combat the recent threat of the potential H1N1 flu pandemic, Thai scientists led by Dr. Wasun Chantratita, Chief of Virology and Molecular Biology at Ramathibodi Hospital, had in a short time developed an çall In One Influenza A diagnostic kité. Investigators can use this kit to tell whether patients are infected with the seasonal Flu, the Swine Flu (H1N1) or the Avian Flu. The kit allows for rapid detection (within 4 hours) and is cost effective (500 baht per patient), making it possible for widespread adoption. Laboratory services for food, drink, and biological products Laboratory services for food, agricultural, and environment Research and production of yeast and yeast extract Research and production of chitin & chitosan for various industrial applications Production of lactic acid and related products such as lactates, gluconates, polylactides Production of food ingredients such as tapioca starch, cassava flour and enzymes including bromelain and papain Research and production of enzymes for feed additives Manufacturing of pulp and paper, research to improve crops such as eucalyptus, oil palm, cassava, jatropha, rice, rubber and other potential energy crops. Farming of Abalone In vitro fertilization in dairy cow

4 Biotech businesses in the medical/health area in Thailand include companies that have manufacturing and research activities in the areas of diagnostics, stem cells, pharmaceuticals and vaccines. In addition, there are companies that provide supporting services including contract research (clinical trials) and laboratory services. Some of these companies are listed in the table below. Environment In Thailand, biotech companies in the environmental segment are focusing their business and research activities in areas such as bio-control, bio-materials, bio-energy, waste treatment and bio-remediation. As the society at large is becoming more environmentally-conscious over the past few years, this segment of the industry has received increasing public interest as well as attention from companies in other sectors. Name of medical/health company Innova Biotechnology Co., Ltd. I-Med Laboratory Co., Ltd. Heart Genetics Co., Ltd. Delphi Health Co., Ltd. Superior A.R.T Co., Ltd. Theravite Co., Ltd. Thai Stem Life Co., Ltd. Stem Cell for Life Co., Ltd. Cryoviva Thailand Bionet-Asia Co., Ltd. GPO-Merieux Biologicals Co., Ltd. International Bio Services Co., Ltd. Aclires Bangkok Clinical Research Unit Asia-Pacific IATEC CRO Co., Ltd. Asia Medical and Agricultural Laboratory and Research Center: AMARC Diagnostic kits Diagnostic kits Genetic testing Genetic testing IVF with preimplantation genetic testing or diagnosis (PGD) for genetic diseases Vaccine Vaccine Clinical research Clinical research Clinical research Laboratory services

5 In Thailand, approximately 2,300 firms in the agricultural sector have invested resources in anaerobic wastewater treatment and biogas production. 82% of these companies are the animal farms, 6% are starch and cassava factories, and remaining are factories producing foodstuff such as beer and canned food. Among these companies, a small number has started selling their surplus bio-energy back to the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) and Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). For instance, the North Eastern Starch (NES) Co. Ltd., produces 200 tons of starch per day. NES invested 40 million baht in a bioreactor system for the treatment of wastewater resulting from its manufacturing processes. This system solved the odor problem associated with its previous wastewater treatment system and also generates 20,000 m 3 of bio-gas a day. NES uses the bio-gas to power its manufacturing operations, saving the equivalent of 100,000 bahtûs worth of LPG a day. Some of the biotech companies in the environmental segment are shown in the following table. Name of environmental and energy company Hi-Grimm Environmental and Research Co., Ltd. K.M.P. Biotech Co., Ltd. BioWish Group Ag-Gro (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Q.M. Bioplast Co., Ltd. Application of microbes for water treatment and management Application of microbes for water treatment Development of water treatment and bio-remediation solutions Development of bio-control Development and manufacturing of bio-plastic R&D Support Aside from biotech companies in the agro-business, medical/health and environmental segments, there are also a number biotech companies in Thailand that provide critical support to companies and research institutes conducting biotech R&D activities. These companies provide important R&D support services or products that enable researchers to advance their work in the biotech field. Examples of such companies are shown in the following table. Name of R&D support company RPD (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Bio Design Co., Ltd. Bio Excellence Co., Ltd. Culture media and reagent for microbiology laboratory Reagent and oligonucliotide Standard DNA, reagent, buffer

6 Private R&D Centers Lastly, Thailand is also home to the corporate R&D centers of leading local and foreign companies. These private sector research centers conduct both internal research activities and joint research projects with Thai universities and public research institutes. Some of these R&D centers are listed in the following table. Name of R&D Center Alltech Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Shiseido Southeast Asia Research Center Air Product Asia (Technology center) Co., Ltd. Ecolab southeast Asia Technical Research Center Mead Johnson Nutritionals Bayer CropScience East West Seed Co., Ltd. Betagro Science Center Co. Ltd. Animal Feed additive Cosmetic Science from biodiversity Frozen food Food safety hygiene, sanitation & cleaning process Dairy Product Rice variety Vegetable seed Animal variety, feed, and food Increasingly, biotech companies are collaborating more closely with the universities and public institutes. Some of them seek out technology transfer opportunities, while others look to the public research institutes for technical assistance. This growing interaction between the private sector and the public research institutes is a clear signal of the maturing development of the biotech industry in Thailand. Contributed by: Dr. Nataporn Chanvarasuth Policy Study and Biosafety Division, BIOTEC

Thailand s Policy for Increasing Cassava Supply

1 Thailand s Policy for Increasing Cassava Supply 1. Production Situation During 2002 2006, the cassava production in Thailand has been quite unstable. Although high yield varieties of cassava roots have