Thnot d’Or 2026: 37 teams competing in the first selection round

Thirty‑seven student teams from nine Cambodian universities and institutes have entered the Thnot d’Or 2026 competition, dedicated this year to creating an innovative probiotic drink made from raw materials sourced from the Kingdom’s terroirs.

Organized since 2018 by the Kinal Foundation, Thnot d’Or aims to foster a spirit of research and innovation among students in agronomy and food processing. Founded in 2014 by Dr Hay Ly Eang, the Kinal Foundation’s mission is to promote intergenerational solidarity, support excellence in human resources and combat child malnutrition in Cambodia.

By betting on young people’s creativity around local agricultural products, it seeks to contribute to rural development and to upgrading national production.

For the 2026 edition, the chosen theme is “Innovative probiotic drink based on raw materials from Cambodia’s terroirs.”

 The teams must first identify one or more local raw materials suitable for formulating a probiotic drink that meets market expectations, drawing on processing methods that are both innovative and scientifically sound, in order to obtain a product of high visual, olfactory and taste quality and beneficial to health.
Students are invited to design a manufacturing process that can be applied at SME or industrial level, environmentally friendly and in line with the principles of sustainable agriculture, while improving productivity and controlling production costs. They must also propose an initial cost analysis to assess the market potential of their drink.

Since its launch, Thnot d’Or has gradually expanded its reach: 19 groups in 2017‑2018, 27 in 2018‑2019, 36 in 2019‑2020, 39 in 2022‑2023, 34 in 2023‑2024 and 60 groups, i.e. 286 students, for the 2024‑2025 edition devoted to technical innovation around mango.

The successive themes – adding value to bananas, emblematic products of Cambodian food processing, exportable Prahok or plants with high health value – reflect the desire to connect academic research, farmers’ know‑how and commercial opportunities, both locally and internationally.

The 37 teams must submit a concept paper by 30 April, before the selection of finalist teams by the jury scheduled for 15 May.
The selected groups will then have several months to finalize their work and prepare their oral presentations, with the final scheduled for 29 August and the awards ceremony on 12 September 2026.