Thailand and Australia Launch Venture Exchange to Boost Sustainable Agrifood Innovation

Australia's national science agency, CSIRO, in partnership with Thailand's Food Innopolis and the Research University Network (RUN), has launched the Thailand-Australia Venture Exchange Program (VEP) to strengthen cross-border collaboration in sustainable agrifood innovation.

The 12-week initiative is designed to connect startups and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) from both countries with research institutions, industry partners, and new market opportunities, supporting the development of resilient and sustainable food systems.

The first round of the program will focus on Sustainable Agrifood Systems Development, bringing together up to 15 participating organisations from Thailand and Australia.

Participants will receive coaching, mentoring, market immersion experiences in both countries, networking opportunities with investors and industry leaders, and support in developing commercialisation and go-to-market strategies. The initiative is sponsored by the Australian Government's Southeast Asia and Australia Government Partnerships program.

The program aims to accelerate innovation across the agrifood value chain by fostering research collaboration, strengthening investment readiness, and enabling businesses to address shared challenges such as food security, sustainability, and climate resilience. By creating stronger links between the innovation ecosystems of Thailand and Australia, the initiative is expected to promote knowledge exchange and support the commercialization of emerging agrifood technologies across the region.

Applications for the inaugural round are open until 31 July 2026, with additional rounds planned in 2027. If successful, the Venture Exchange Program could serve as a model for regional innovation partnerships that combine scientific expertise, entrepreneurship, and international collaboration to advance sustainable agriculture and food systems.

Cross-border agri-food innovation exchanges accelerate deployment of alternative proteins, precision agriculture and food-tech across Asia-Pacific, which affects Scope 3 disclosure for global food brands. Our supply-chain-and-operations and impact-assessment teams help clients evaluate what these innovation flows mean for sourcing strategy and disclosure narrative.