On November 11, 2024, PSU Pattani Campus, hosted a kick-off event under the theme “App Tech for Pattani Citizen: Ready-to-Use Technology”, showcasing innovative technologies aimed at addressing poverty in Pattani Province. This initiative, supported by the Program Management Unit on Area-Based Development (PMU A), seeks to empower communities and alleviate poverty across the Southern Border Provinces. The event was presided over by Dr. Pechdau Tohmeena, M.D., Advisor to the Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kannika Sahakaro, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology and Head of the App Tech project, presented the project report, while Asst. Prof. Dr. Aruneewan Buaneaw, Vice President for Research and Social Engagement, Pattani Campus, and Chairperson of the PSU Research Initiative on Poverty Alleviation, delivered a welcoming address. The gathering brought together key stakeholders, including leaders from government and private sectors, academic institutions in the Southern Border Provinces, the Pattani Front Office of the Ministry of Higher Education, research networks, community representatives, and civil society. The event took place at the Pattani Campus Office, Prince of Songkla University
Dr. Kannika provided an update on the initiative's progress, highlighting its role within a strategic research program dedicated to eradicating poverty and creating social opportunities in Pattani Province. The project has identified 10 appropriate technologies designed to tackle poverty and enhance the quality of life for residents by focusing on practical, impactful applications at both household and community levels. These technologies include:
- Development of a scrubber system to capture smoke and enhance the efficiency of roasted fish production at both household and group levels.
- Development of a soil leveler for sweet salt fields in Pattani and a seawater filtration set.
- Energy-efficient and eco-friendly biomass stove systems tailored for household use.
- Solar drying systems combined with other heat sources.
- Feed production technologies, including machines for grinding, mixing, and pelletizing animal feed, with technology transfer to target households in Pattani Province.
- Animal feed production technologies, such as multipurpose chopping and compressing machines for forage crops, enhancing production efficiency and promoting livestock product marketing throughout the value chain.
- Production of lime from seashells for animal feed, with technology transfer to target households in Pattani Province.
- Technologies for the production and management of high-value agricultural products, with technology transfer to target households in Pattani Province.
- Soilless plant cultivation systems using solar energy for cherry tomato production, with technology transfer to target households in Pattani Province.
- A model for applying fermented food technologies to elevate community economies.
“This project is centered on developing technologies tailored to the community's needs, with the goal of increasing the income of at least 20% of impoverished households and enhancing the social status of 150 households, or approximately 750 individuals, in Pattani Province” Dr. Kannika stated.
