On 6 – 11 July 2024, Mae Fah Luang University representatives including Assoc. Prof. Dr. Saowapa Chaiwong and Asst. Prof. Dr. Rattapon Saengrayap from the School of Agro-Industry, and Dr. Chayapol Kamyod from the School of Information Technology visited Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Bio-economy (ATB) in Potsdam, University of Bremen’s Bremer Institut für Produktion und Logistik (BIBA), LogDynamics, and Institute for Microsensors, -actuators and –systems (IMSAS) in Bremen, Germany.
The visit aimed to achieve three key objectives:
1. Follow up on the new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in May 2024 between MFU's School of Agro-Industry and the Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Bio-economy (ATB).
2. Follow up on research collaboration under the Reinventing University 2023 and 2024 Projects.
3. Initiate a new collaboration with the University of Bremen focusing on student and staff exchange programmes, and research interests in smart agri-food logistic management.
At ATB, MFU representatives met with Dr. Pramod Mahajan and his team. They discussed potential research collaborations related to postharvest and packaging technology, sensor technology for smart logistics applications, and visited laboratories focused on biochar, natural fibers, postharvest processing, non-thermal processing, and image processing. The two institutions also agreed to establish a 4-month student internship programme in Agri-Food Logistics starting in April 2025.
At the University of Bremen, MFU and ATB representatives met with Dr. Ingrid Rügge from the International Graduate School for Dynamics in Logistics (IGS) Discussions centered on establishing a student and staff exchange programme, research collaboration, and a potential future MoU between Mae Fah Luang University and University of Bremen. MFU and ATB representatives were also given a tour of a clean room for Physical Chemosensors and Biofluidic Laboratory.
Overall, this successful visit paves the way for a strong and mutually beneficial partnership between MFU and both ATB and the University of Bremen. The MoU with ATB serves as a solid foundation for collaboration in agro-industry, while ongoing discussions on research and student exchange programs position all institutions for significant advancements in sustainable agro-industry.
Photo by BIBA