Khon Kaen University hosted its 13th annual “Research to Market” (R2M) competition on October 11, 2025, an event designed to transform academic research into viable business ventures. Organized by the university’s Science Park, the competition encourages students to develop commercialization plans for existing university research projects.
The event, held at the Northeastern Science Park building, brought together undergraduate and graduate students from diverse fields, including management, science, business, engineering, law, nursing, and international studies.
Prof. Thidarut Boonmars, D.V.M., Ph.D. Vice President for Enterprise and Societal Sustainability , stated that the program’s goal is to push university research and innovation toward commercial application. “The R2M project aims to foster an entrepreneurial mindset among students and researchers, leveraging the Science Park’s resources to help establish Khon Kaen University as a hub for startups,” she said during her opening remarks.
The winning team, “Soken,” comprised of students from the Faculty of Economics and the College of Graduate Study in Management, received a 10,000 baht prize for their business plan. Their project focused on a powdered milk formula enriched with extracts from Vietnamese coriander (phak phraew) and mulberry leaves, a research product originally developed by the university’s Faculty of Medicine.
Laphon Boonsanong, a fourth-year international economics student and a member of Team Soken, explained their strategy. “We saw an opportunity in the growing aging society, both in Thailand and globally, and the rising demand for plant-based functional foods,” he said. “We believe this product has export potential that could also boost the local economy.”
He added that the competition taught his team invaluable lessons beyond the classroom. “We learned that academic knowledge isn’t enough. We had to conduct market tests, talk to real customers, and learn to handle harsh feedback and pressure,” Boonsanong noted. “Collaborating with students from different faculties brought diverse perspectives, helping us identify weaknesses in our plan.”
The top five teams from this university-level round will now advance to a regional boot camp to further refine their business feasibility studies. They will then represent Khon Kaen University at the Northeastern regional competition scheduled for November 13-14, 2025, in Nakhon Ratchasima.
Other winning teams included:
- First Runner-up: Team “Por Krub Pom Yak Pen Miss Grand” for their plan for a bio-fertilizer.
- Second Runner-up: Team “O2H” for their strategy for a topical muscle pain relief formula.
- Honorable Mentions: Team “Songkhram Song Duan” for a liquid toothpaste concept and Team “Maybe not yet” for a pineapple-infused kombucha drink.
