Community Partnership Association (CPA) or Puenchumchon together with Thammasat University, Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR), and partners signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for “Puenchumchon – Thammasat model project” generation 5/2020 at Golden City Hotel, Rayong. The objective of the model project is to improve prototype community enterprises in Map Ta Phut Complex with technology and innovation along with local wisdom. By improving, the project intends to take the community enterprises’ trade competition capability to the international standard. This year, there are 9 groups of the community enterprises join the project: fresh sea products, preserved fruits, Carunda juice, rice milk clothes, corn milk, and processed agricultural products.
Varit Namwong, Vice President of the Community Partnership Association (CPA) said that CPA or Puenchumchon is established by the cooperation of entrepreneurs in Map Ta Phut to improve the quality of life of the people in the community by initiating career opportunities. The main principle is interdependence between the industry and the community which is also an important indicator of level 4: Symbiosis Eco-Industrial Town. “Puenchumchon – Thammasat model project” is now in the 5th generation since 2016, with the help of Thammasat University and Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR). The knowledge and competence of students in the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, Thammasat University combined with the help of TISTR, enables researchers to go into the field and share the knowledge on science and innovation for the community to integrate with their local wisdom and then improve the community enterprises.
In the past 4 years, the Community Partnership Association (CPA) has helped 29 community enterprises. This year, in the 5th generation there are 9 groups:
1. Hat Suchada small-boat commercial fisherman community enterprise: Fried fish fillet and fishbone
2. Ta Kuan – Ao Pradu small-boat commercial fisherman community enterprise: Processed mussel
3. Sanguan headland community enterprise: Riceberry Salad Roll
4. Tambon Noen Phra Processed fruits community enterprise: Sugar-boiled fruits and banana snack.
5. Grog Yai Cha canal eatery community enterprise: Isan style preserved pork sausage, and Isan style preserved fish sausage
6. PING AN 1568 at Ta Kuan – Ao Pradu processed food community enterprise: Carunda juice
7. Nam-hu canal rice milk clothes community enterprise: rice milk clothes
8. Mee Krob community enterprise: Thai rolled wafer
9. Phatthana Waterfall Corn milk community enterprise: Corn milk drink
Everyone has to get into the field and work with community enterprises. In about 4 months, we have to take the knowledge from the university to the community and us it to help them solve the problems. The knowledge is used to point out the community’s weakness, find the market for the business, improve product quality, file product stock, create a financial system, as well as other systems, do the community can continue working on their own. One of the challenges of this project is to make the community realize the benefits of all the changes and continue to work toward them. That is the only way the project can help the community out of the problem facing by the majority of community enterprise in the long run.
Besides that, “Puenchumchon – Thammasat model project” also work with entrepreneurs in the area and other partners to act as “Helping” company to look after and give advice to the community enterprises. To sum up, by working with students and Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR) this project is working toward sharing knowledge with the community enterprise to improve their management system, product quality, and service to generate more income and helping local community enterprise to reach the international standard. The project will keep on working toward the goal and transforming Rayong to Eco-Industrial Town in the future.