The APEC Center for Technology Foresight (APEC CTF), hosted by NXPO, in collaboration with the APEC Research Center for Advanced Biohydrogen Technology (APEC ACABT), hosted by Chinese Taipei, organized “APEC Young Futurists 2026: Frontier Technologies and Solutions for Future Food” from 28 September to 1 October 2026 in Kanchanaburi Province. The program aimed to strengthen strategic foresight skills among young researchers from APEC economies and provide a platform for developing solutions to future food challenges in the APEC region.
Dr. Kommate Jitvanichphaibool, Assistant to the President of NXPO and Deputy Director of APEC CTF, delivered the opening remarks, while Prof. Dr. Shu-Yii Stein Wu, Chief Executive Officer of APEC ACABT, welcomed participants from seven APEC economies: Brunei Darussalam, China, Malaysia, Peru, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
The program was organized with the endorsement of the APEC Partnership for Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI). Participants learned to identify signals of change and analyze trends, drivers, and emerging technologies that could play a role in addressing future challenges. They also developed practical solutions to future food challenges linked to food security issues across the APEC region. The outcomes of the program will contribute to the development of policy recommendations for PPSTI.
Throughout the four-day program, participants learned the principles and tools of foresight, including the analysis of signals, trends, drivers of change, and uncertainties within food systems. They then applied their knowledge through the Future Food Change Agent Canvas under the guidance of Dr. Porramate Chumyim, Senior Consultant at the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA). Each team identified a regional food challenge based on foresight insights and then designed the value they sought to deliver, identified partners and mechanisms for scaling up, developed financing models, and assessed impacts across three dimensions: People, Planet, and Price.
In addition, participants received guidance through a Mentor Clinic, with representatives from APEC CTF and APEC ACABT serving as mentors for each group. The mentors provided advice and feedback to help participants develop and refine their concepts before preparing their pitch decks and presenting their work to a judging panel. This process was designed to enable participants to employ foresight to develop practical solutions and identify opportunities for collaboration across the APEC region.
Through this process, participants jointly developed four project concepts addressing food challenges in the APEC region:
Through this process, participants jointly developed four project concepts addressing
- Gene-Edited Seeds for Urban Agriculture aims to use gene-editing technology to develop heat-tolerant, high-yielding soybean seeds, enabling low-income urban households to access an affordable source of protein. The project plans to pilot the initiative in Taling Chan District, Bangkok.
- An Agricultural Residue Data and Reference Pricing Platform aims to develop a data system and standards for agricultural residues, such as cassava pulp and bagasse, to establish a standardized trading mechanism. This would help reduce open burning and PM2.5 pollution while creating income opportunities for smallholder farmers.
- A Local Protein Processing Center for Malnourished Children aims to develop shared production facilities for SMEs, together with technical, nutritional, and standards support, to produce high-quality protein foods at affordable prices. The project plans to pilot the initiative in schools in Kuala Lumpur.
- Low-Cost Fermentation aims to utilize by-products from the agricultural and food industries through fermentation to produce high-value food products at prices accessible to low-income populations. The project plans to pilot the initiative in collaboration with SMEs in Henan Province before expanding it through a regional network.
The judging panel comprised five experts: 1. Prof. Dr. Shu-Yii Stein Wu from Chinese Taipei (APEC ACABT); 2. Mr. Felipe Donato Valentín Rojas from Peru (CONCYTEC); 3. Dr. Tan Shu Ying from Malaysia (MIGHT); 4. Dr. Kommate Jitvanichphaibool from Thailand (APEC CTF); and 5. Dr. Porramate Chumyim from Thailand (NSTDA).
The outcomes of the program will contribute to the preparation of a policy brief and a project report for submission to PPSTI. The collaboration will also be further developed through the APEC Young Futurists Network to promote knowledge exchange, collaboration, and networking among young researchers working in foresight and STI across the APEC region.
The APEC Young Futurists 2026 program demonstrates APEC CTF’s use of foresight as a tool to build capacity and connect representatives from APEC economies. It aims to enable participants to identify potential changes, systematically analyze challenges, and translate future visions into practical development and collaboration pathways at both the economy and regional levels.
List of Participants
| Team | Name | Economy – Affiliation |
| 1 | Ming-Yan Shen | Chinese Taipei -National Taiwan University |
| Noppasorn Keaworrasarn | Thailand – National Intelligence Agency (NIA) | |
| Pasavut Leelahapinij | Thailand -TIME Labs, Mahidol University | |
| Siti Zulkiflee | Malaysia – CG Health | |
| 2 | An-Jie Luan | Chinese Taipei – Feng Chia University |
| Fatin Amanina Azis | Brunei Darussalam – Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) | |
| Na Pan | China -Chongqing University | |
| Smithi Skunnawat | Thailand -TIME Labs, Mahidol University | |
| 3 | Mohd Azrin Abdullah | Malaysia – Bioeconomy Corporation |
| Supawan Klungphukieow | Thailand -Futures Study Center / National Intelligence Agency (NIA) | |
| Tan Nguyen Hai Duc | Viet Nam – Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT) | |
| 4 | Hao Chang | China – Chongqing University |
| Kanatat Paosawatyanyong | Thailand – TIME Labs, Mahidol University | |
| Nguyen Ngoc Mai | Viet Nam – Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) |
List of Mentors
| Name | Economy – Affiliation |
| Cheng-Han Michael Liu | Chinese Taipei – APEC Research Center for Advanced Biohydrogen Technology (APEC ACABT) |
| Natharat Mongkolsinh | Thailand – NXPO |
| Natthamon Suwannaprom | Thailand – APEC CTF |
| Jirapan Christian Linares | Thailand – APEC CTF |
| Chatkaphat Bunnag | Thailand – APEC CTF |
| Kanokwan Makornwatthana | Thailand – APEC CTF |
