HRH Somdech Phra Kanishthadhiraj Chao Krom Somdech Phra Debaratnarajsuda Sayamboromrajakumari presided over the grand opening ceremony of the Thai Union Group’s new Global Innovation Center (GIC) on June 7. The company’s top management team joined other invited guests in welcoming Her Royal Highness at SM Tower in Bangkok.
On this special occasion, the Princess granted permission to Thai Union Chairman Kraisorn Chansiri and Chairman of Executive Director Cheng Niruttinanon to present a donation to Her Royal Highness’ charity, while President and CEO Thiraphong Chansiri gave an introduction about Thai Union’s seafood business and the GIC.
HRH Somdech Phra Kanishthadhiraj Chao Krom Somdech Phra Debaratnarajsuda Sayamboromrajakumari then officially opened the Global Innovation Center and invited Dr. Tunyawat Kasemsuwan, Thai Union’s Global innovation director, to present an exhibition about the work of the GIC. HRH also visited the global food operation room of the GIC and prepared HRH’s own special recipe of Som Tam Tuna.
During the visit, HRH observed the operations and advanced technology of the GIC, including innovative products such as frozen Yellowfin Tuna Slices – ready-to-eat cooked tuna made from 100% yellowfin tuna meat and high-quality pure tuna oil, a good source of Omega fatty acid and DHA. HRH also inspected the GIC’s DNA printing innovation for tuna traceability that can identify specific tuna species from raw materials, the catch location of Skipjack tuna and the origin of individual fish based on genetic profile.
About the GIC
The Global Innovation Center was established in 2015 as the Global Innovation Incubator, a center for research and the development of products for Thai Union’s seafood product brands around the world. It was also created to combine modern nutritional science and production innovations to develop products that address the needs of consumers and the global food industry. The center also uses technology and innovation to improve production processes, providing additional benefits and value to customers, consumers and stakeholders.
In 2019, the Global Innovation Incubator was rebranded as the Global Innovation Center and relocated from the Faculty of Science at Mahidol University to Thai Union’s Bangkok office at SM Tower. The GIC was built over 5,000 square meters with a value of THB 300 million. More than 40 Doctoral Degree scientists and over 120 researchers in the fields of marine biotechnology, engineering, medicine, food science and nutrition from around the world work at the GIC, coordinating and exchanging knowledge and expertise in R&D and using the latest technologies to provide the best outcomes for consumers and the environment.
About Thai Union
Thai Union Group PCL has been supplying value-added tuna, shrimp and other seafood fare to global markets for more than 40 years. Today it ranks as the world’s largest producer of shelf-stable tuna products with annual sales exceeding THB 133.3 billion (US$ 4.1 billion) and a global workforce of over 47,000 people.
First quarter sales in 2019 rose 46.5% year-on-year, as the company reported profit of THB 1.27 billion.
“Our first quarter performance was a positive start to the year,” remarked CEO Chansiri when the figures were posted in May. “Thanks to continued operational efficiencies and continued margin recovery, we are starting to see the flow-on benefits, with a recovery in our overall performance and normalizing of our operations.”
Gross profit advanced 29.3% from a year earlier to THB 4.38 billion, while the gross profit margin improved to 14.9% from 11.6% in the first quarter of 2018.
