Khon Kaen University (KKU) achieved a significant milestone by winning gold medals for all four of its submitted innovations at The 36th International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition (ITEX 2025). The event was held from May 29-31, 2025, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center (KLCC) in Malaysia.
The university’s delegation, led by Prof. Pewpan Maleewong, M.D., Vice President for Research, along with researchers and staff from the Research and Innovation Department and the Intellectual Property Center, celebrated the clean sweep. This success underscores KKU’s world-class research standards. All four award-winning inventions have already been filed for intellectual property protection.
The gold-medal-winning innovations are:
“The new microbial biofertilizer for plant growth promoting”: Developed by a research team from the Microbiology Program, Faculty of Science, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nuntavun Riddech, this innovation offers an advanced agricultural solution.
“Antigen Strip Specific to antibody in opisthorchiasis and clonorchiasis patient serum”: From the Parasitology Program, Faculty of Medicine, this medical diagnostic tool was created by a team under Professor Dr. Wanchai Maleewong. This invention also received a Special Prize from the Korea Invention Promotion Association.
“Development of AI Model for Sugarcane Variety Identification Using Machine Learning and Deep Learning”: An AI technology for the agricultural sector, this was developed by a research team from the College of Computing, headed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wararat Songpan.
“Lateral Flow immunoassay test kit for the detection of Staphylococcal protein A to diagnose Staphylococcus aureus”: This rapid and accurate diagnostic test was presented by a team from the Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, led by Prof. Aroonlug Lulitanond.
This achievement aligns with Khon Kaen University’s vision of being “A World-Leading Research and Development University.” It also supports several key strategic goals, including Research Transformation aimed at solving community problems and creating positive societal impact, Societal Contributions, Internationalization, and Digital Transformation.
The university stated that these awards not only elevate Thailand’s research capabilities on the global stage but also provide valuable opportunities for researchers to exchange knowledge internationally and to further develop their work for tangible commercial applications.
