With the hope of pushing the results of local research and development into commercial use, the National Innovation Agency (NIA) has linked up with the Department of Science Service to license three research projects to private companies.

The projects - research into the technology behind producing goats' milk soap, the technology to produce a form of lime powder, and technology needed for making ceramic flowers - have been licensed to Kovic Kate International (Thailand), Thai Pure Agriculture Foods and CeraLampang, respectively.

The move is part of NIA's attempts to work with research institutions to bring local research projects into commercial practice. Six months ago the agency set up a new unit called Intellectual Property Management, to oversee matching local research work with business potential with private companies for further business development through technology licensing models.

The Science Ministry's permanent secretary Saksit Tridech, who is also a member of NIA's committee, said the three projects showed local research work could be turned into practical innovative businesses.

Under the plan the department will transfer technology to private companies so they can adopt the ideas from research for use in mass production for the commercial market.

Nahkan Foorangseerot, managing director of Kovic Kate International (Thailand), said the company had received a technology transfer from the Department of Science Service and is in the process of mass producing goats' milk soap. The product is expected to hit the market within the next two months.

As the milk offers anti-bacterial properties and moisture balance, it's used as a key ingredient to develop skin-care products.

Nahkan said the technology licensing in this project covered a method to give more value to the product. The company has also worked with the department to get the team to conduct more research on using the goat colostrum as another key ingredient in the soap.

Colostrum is the first milk gathered from a goat's mother, seven days after it gives birth. It is a special milk and many medical and clinical studies have found immune factors in colostrum to fight viruses, bacteria, yeast, fungus, allergens and other toxins. It is also suitable for use in cosmetics products.

Nahkan said the team also adopted nanotechnology to develop nano-based colostrum soap. This would help the soap deliver the active ingredients deeper into the skin.

The team is completing the development of the nano soap and the company hopes the products will also be on the market within the next two months.

Using this technology, Nahkah said the company also plans to develop more goats' milk skin-care products such as shower gel, lotion, and moisturiser.

Nahkah added that as president of Thai Herbal Industry Association he has also talked to the department about transferring the concept from this project to other companies that are members of the association, in order to help other local companies with new products.

Under the agreement, Kovic Kate has to pay the department a technology licensing fee, plus a further 3 per cent from its total revenue as a loyalty fee for a five-year period. He said the department would not charge for this. Instead, companies that adopt the technology transfer would just pay the loyalty fee to the department.

However, to support future research work, Nahkah said the association plans to continue to pay the loyalty fee after the first five-year period.

In addition to the soap, the department has licensed technology to produce lime powder for Thai Pure Agriculture Foods. It is hoped this project will solve the oversupply of limes and add more value to the country's lime products.

The last project, licensed to CeraLampang, a local ceramic manufacturer, studied the technological process of making natural-looking ceramic flowers. It is hoped this project will give more value to local ceramic products, especially when it comes to exports.

Pongpen Sutharoj

The Nation