Apply Now: Social Innovation-Led Enterprise Project (Thailand)

To promote the potential of researchers and such research, the Office of Research Administration has organized the “Social Innovation-Led Enterprise” project, which is a project to incubate potential research groups to be able to develop and extend research to the level of actual use in the market through incubation from expert speakers and a consultation process (Incubation and Mentoring Session) to allow researchers to learn guidelines for developing products or services that are appropriate for market needs and can create wide social impacts.

Goals

• This project focuses on supporting and driving research with potential to be developed into social innovations that have positive impacts on society and the environment. The main goals are as follows:
  • Promote and support research groups in developing research from the concept level to practical application through the process of incubation and consultation from experts
  • Increase the management and business development capabilities of researchers to be able to design business models and bring research into the market sustainably
  • Support research funds to help projects develop efficiently divided into 2 types:
    • Prototype Fund
      • Support research projects in the concept development stage to be able to explore and experiment
      • Initial concepts as innovation prototypes
    • Seed Fund
      • Support projects with ready-to-use prototypes and want to upgrade to enter the market Create a network of cooperation between researchers and the private sector through the B2B Matching process to allow research groups to exchange perspectives and develop projects that are appropriate for the needs of the business sector (For Seed Fund recipients only)

Themes

• Climate Change
  • Innovations that help reduce greenhouse gases, such as clean energy businesses
  • Innovations in disaster management in areas due to climate change, such as using technology to help prepare for and reduce the impact of natural disasters
• Circular Economy
  • Local circular economy, such as promoting recycling businesses, using natural materials and reducing waste at the community level
  • Designing environmentally friendly packaging
  • Innovations in industrial waste management
  • Waste and pollution management
• Biodiversity
  • Nature restoration with tourism, such as developing projects that allow communities to participate in conservation and generate income from tourism
  • Conservation of headwater forests through community career creation
• Health & Well-Being
  • Health technology for all, such as developing smart devices for home healthcare
  • Accessible healthy food, such as developing healthy and affordable food products
  • Health knowledge platforms, such as creating channels for the public to access health information and self-care advice
• Soft Power & Culture Inclusivity Society
  • Revitalizing local art, such as promoting and preserving folk art to create identity and economic opportunities
  • Creative storytelling, such as using film or documentaries to reflect social and cultural values
  • Sustainable fashion, such as using environmentally friendly materials to promote ethical consumption
  • Society for all, such as designing community and city spaces to support the lifestyles of all ages

Benefits

• Incubation and Mentoring Process (Incubation & Mentoring)
  • 4 classes for innovation and business development from experts
  • Mentoring Session throughout the project to strengthen innovations to be ready to grow into commercial markets (3 Sessions for Prototype Fund recipients and 4 Sessions for Seed Fund recipients)
• Future opportunities to develop research into sustainable businesses (Business Opportunities)
  • Understand business perspectives from private sector networks ready to provide insights to develop innovations that meet social needs
  • Seed Fund recipients will be able to talk to B2B representatives to interview Insights in the Industry and perspectives on the recipients’ research or innovations

Funding Information

• Research funding from the Social Innovation Center of Chulalongkorn University
• Divided into 2 types
  • Prototype Fund (Prototype Development Fund) worth 100,000 baht/project, 10 grants
  • Seed Fund (Seedling Fund) worth 500,000 baht/project, 5 grants

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be lecturers and researchers at Chulalongkorn University only.
• In the case of applying for the Prototype Fund:
  • Research projects that are in the initial stage or in the concept development stage
  • Projects with new ideas to solve social or environmental problems
  • Demonstrating the potential to develop into businesses or social enterprises in the future
  • In the case of applying for the Seed Fund:
    • Projects with ready-to-use prototypes that have undergone testing or initial evaluation
    • Projects with clear approaches to solving social or environmental problems
    • Projects that require funding to prepare for market entry
  • Collaboration with partners and intellectual property development
  • Able to participate in not less than 80% of the activities

For more information, visit Chulalongkorn University Social Innovation Hub.