Khon Kaen, 1 August 2024 – Mekong Institute (MI)’s 10th Mekong Forum continues to prove itself as a landmark event, with tech-savvy exhibit displays and cultural performances taking center stage at the two-day forum.
A standout feature of this year’s event, the exhibit hosted nearly 30 tech organizations, startups, and research institutions showcasing their latest digital innovations, transforming sectors such as agriculture, trade, energy, and the environment. MI Executive Director Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn and MI Steering Committee Chair Dr. Narongchai Akrasanee, alongside other guests of honor, led the unveiling ceremony for the exhibit. Mr. Suriyan then guided a tour of the exhibition hall, engaging with exhibitors and providing an overview of their innovative technologies and informational displays. The exhibitors included organizations involved in healthcare, e-commerce, smart farming management, e-sports, and metaverse and virtual reality content development, among others.
On the second day of the forum and exhibit, MI hosted a tech demonstration featuring five exhibitors. Among them was the Khon Kaen University Phenome Center, introducing their phenomics services that promote personalized healthcare based on individual health and body trait changes over time.
ListenField and Greenovator, agri-tech companies championing sustainable agriculture through smart farming management, also demonstrated their innovations. ListenField employs mobile tools and equipment for analyzing farm, weather, and soil data, while Greenovator developed a digital application guiding farmers step-by-step in the proper application of implements.
In the field of e-commerce, Agrimono, a wholesale seller of fertilizers, medicines, seeds, livestock, and agricultural equipment, presented its application catering to all stakeholders along the agriculture value chain.
Meanwhile, Focus Arena and Squid Esports are enhancing the public perception of online gaming in Thailand, starting with the opening of Focus Arena’s first official esports venue in Northeast Thailand. Aligning with the Khon Kaen Smart City ambition, the partnership offers youth and esports enthusiasts a premier platform to showcase their skills and elevate the region’s esports scene. Their booth, equipped with gaming computers, aimed to demonstrate how esports can be integrated into education by providing internationally accredited programs to Thai schools, helping them set up their own esports clubs and preparing students for careers in the billion-dollar esports industry.
Other standout exhibitors included the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), which featured a creative activity where participants took photos that generated AI-animated versions of themselves. The Mitr Phol Innovation and Research Center offered bakery samples made with Vallex’s V-FOS, a prebiotic dietary fiber derived from natural sugarcane serving as a healthy, sustainable alternative to synthetic sweeteners. Khon Kaen University Library’s booth provided a VR experience, allowing participants to explore a simulated exhibition room and create content in the metaverse, featuring images, videos, and various information.
In between the two-day program, MI treated Mekong Forum participants to a reception dinner that put a spotlight on musical performances including a metaverse showcase set to the vibrant tunes of modernized Mo Lam folk music and dance. In his welcome remarks for the reception dinner, H.E. Mr. Chea Chantum, MI Council Chair and Secretary-General of Cambodia’s General Secretariat for Population and Development at the Ministry of Planning, thanked and congratulated everyone for the exceptional work. Meanwhile, Dr. Narongchai led a toast to commemorate the 10th edition of the Mekong Forum and celebrate the success of this year’s event.
