Guangzhou, China | 3–6 September 2026

Over 20 Thai food innovations companies stepped onto the international stage as Thailand Science Park (TSP), under the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), participated in the China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair (CISMEF) 2026, bringing Thai FoodTech and Food Innovation companies to showcase their innovations and connect with international businesses, and explore new market opportunities in China and beyond.

For five days, Guangzhou became a meeting point for technology, innovation, entrepreneurs, government agencies, and businesses from around the world. For the participating Thai companies, CISMEF was about much more than exhibiting their goods. It was an opportunity to meet the market, build international connections, gain new perspectives, and discover where Thai innovation could go next.

Bringing Thailand’s Innovation Ecosystem to Guangzhou

At the heart of the mission was the Thai Pavilion, bringing together Thailand Science Park, NSTDA and Food Innopolis, in partnership with the Royal Thai Consulate General in Guangzhou, and in collaboration with Regional Science Parks and Science and Industrial Park (SAI Park), King Mongkut University, providing a platform for Thai FoodTech and innovation companies to present innovative products and solutions to an international audience while engaging directly with prospective business partners, innovation organizations, and global networks.

Beyond showcasing individual products, the Thai Pavilion represented something larger: Thailand’s connected innovation ecosystem, where research, technology, entrepreneurship, and business development come together to help innovations move toward commercialization and international markets.

Distinguished Delegations Visit the Thai Pavilion

The significance of Thailand’s participation was further highlighted by visits from senior government representatives and distinguished delegates from Thailand and China.

Among the distinguished visitors were

• Mr. Ke Jixin (柯吉欣), Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China;
• Mr. Wang Sheng (王胜), Vice Governor of Guangdong Province
• Mr. Napinthorn Srisanpang (นภินทร ศรีสรรพางค์), Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office of Thailand;
• Mr. Kajtiti Wiwatwanont (กาจฐิติ วิวัธวานนท์), Deputy Consul General of Thailand in Guangzhou, together with representatives from government agencies, business organizations, and international delegations.

Their visits offered an opportunity to experience Food Innovation and culture firsthand while highlighting the growing connections between Thailand’s innovation ecosystem and international government, business, and innovation networks.

One Exhibition, Connections Across the World

CISMEF 2026 brought together SMEs, businesses, technology organizations, and innovation ecosystems from around the world, creating an international environment where technology, new inventions, artificial intelligence, emerging solutions, and business opportunities came together.

This year the exhibition also featured the APEC Pavilion, alongside international pavilion from economies and countries across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, including Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Canada, Russia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Egypt, Ghana, Mexico, Singapore, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, and Japan, among others.

For participating Thai companies, this international environment offered something that cannot easily be gained through market research alone: direct interaction with markets and partners.

Companies had opportunities to present their innovations, exchange ideas with international businesses, receive market feedback, establish new contacts, and explore how their products and technologies could potentially fit into new markets.

Business matching activities further transformed the exhibition floor from a showcase into a space for meaningful business conversations, opening possibilities for future partnerships, market entry, technology collaboration, and commercialization.

Beyond the Booth: Exploring How Business Moves in China

The journey did not end at the exhibition booth.

Throughout the mission from 3 to 6 September 2026, participating companies joined a series of business development activities, including international business matching, networking, company visits, market exploration, and exposure to livestreaming and e commerce business models.

These experiences provided firsthand perspectives on how businesses operate in China, how products reach consumers, and how rapidly evolving digital channels are reshaping commercialization and market access.

For a technology company looking internationally, having a strong innovation is only the beginning. Understanding customers, business practices, distribution channels, market dynamics, and the right local partners can be equally important. In this sense, Guangzhou became more than the host city of an international exhibition. It became a living classroom for international business development.

Turning International Exposure into Impact

The impact of an international exhibition is not measured only by the number of visitors passing through a booth. Its greater value lies in the connections, knowledge, and opportunities that continue after the exhibition ends.

For participating Thai companies, CISMEF 2026 created opportunities to build international business connections, gain direct market insights, better understand potential customers and partners, explore new commercialization channels, and assess possibilities for expansion into China and other international markets.

At the ecosystem level, the mission also strengthened connections among Thailand Science Park, government agencies, innovation organizations, universities, businesses, and international networks. These relationships can provide a foundation for future business matching, technology collaboration, market access initiatives, and two-way innovation exchange.

Most importantly, the mission demonstrated what internationalization can look like in practice: bringing entrepreneurs closer to new markets, connecting them with relevant networks, and enabling them to learn directly from an international business environment.

From Innovation at Home to Opportunities Abroad

Thailand Science Park has long served as a platform where research, technology, innovative businesses, and collaboration come together. Supporting innovation today, however, also means helping technology companies look beyond their home market and connect with opportunities internationally.

Participation in CISMEF 2026 reflects TSP’s role as an international innovation connector, bridging Thai technology companies with business networks, innovation ecosystems, strategic partners, and new market opportunities.

The five-day journey in Guangzhou concluded on 6 September 2026, but the conversations, insights, and connections created throughout the mission have the potential to continue far beyond the exhibition floor.

Because taking Thai innovation global is not simply about bringing technology to an international exhibition.

It is about connecting the right innovation with the right people, markets, and opportunities, creating pathways for Thai technology to grow beyond borders.