NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK BASED ON UNIVERSITYCOMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: A CASE OF THAILAND OTOP PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT FOR ELDERLY

Abstract

One Tambon One Product (OTOP), Thailand’s economic development program has been used to support the local economy, create incomes on the grass root for the locals, and be one of the successful engines to drive local and country economies, which create business opportunities for the locals. This research demonstrates how the new OTOP development related to the role and cooperation between different parties, especially the university and the community that owns the OTOP product can be implemented. This research project is one of the University-community engagement projects to study and initiate OTOP product development from the three provinces of Chiang Mai, Lumphun and Lampang. This collaborative product development leads to three new and innovative products of OTOP based on the large survey and focus group of 1,275 elderly consumers. The value creation technique from local culture was employed to innovate the new products. This research developed the framework consisting of the three strategic stages of development. The cross-collaboration team are the main enabler. The OTOP cooperative ecosystem was tested and it found that this ecosystem can reciprocally benefit all the staffs including help configuring the organisation context and its entrepreneurship.