Dr. Apichart Thongyou, Chairman of the Eastern Economic Corridor Human Development Center (EEC HDC) said, "The collaboration between Mitsubishi Electric and the Digital Manufacturing Ecosystem Alliance has enabled the EEC Automation Park to become the pillar in factory automation and robotics education for small, medium to large enterprises. This capacity building digitally transforms the manufacturing and human resource capabilities in the EEC. The EEC Model Type A currently also collaborates with a number of universities across the country on top of the existing 8 institutions adjacent to the EEC. This initiative also addresses the requirement for enhanced education and skills for the new industry rolling out in Thailand by foreign investors. We also provide EEC Model Type B or short courses to re-skill and up-skill human resources in an accelerated time frame. The EEC currently supports 50% of the funding for this re-skilling and up-skilling to produce sufficiently capable human resources the new world order requires."
Dr. Djitt Laowattana, EEC Education, Human Capital, and Technology Development Special Advisor, said, "The EEC currently receive attention from many prospective investors who are looking to connect their supply chain abroad with that of Thailand. This reciprocally includes human capital development where the transference of know-how is to be transferred to Thailand. Even though we do not own the technologies, but to know how they are applied in the industry is at least half the value gained. In the coming year, a multitude of businesses will invest in data centers at the EEC, creating a data industry and accelerating technological transformation. I believe that the diverse capabilities of the Digital Manufacturing Ecosystem Alliance can optimize these technologies to help drive Thailand forward. Also, by Q1 2023, I am confident of seeing THB 500 billion investment in the EEC. I would like to thank Mitsubishi Electric for being a good corporate citizen and instrumental in establishing this ecosystem to help realize Thailand 4.0 goals and the Smart City."
Factory automation and robotics are rapidly more widespread in the industrial sector, prompting the need to source System Integrators who can deliver solutions as per customer requirements from hardware and software development, system management, and maintenance. The system integrator is like a building contractor, but for the customer, IT works and is thus considered one of the trending businesses in the manufacturing industry. Therefore, an alliance of businesses from Japan - renowned as a global leader in industrial robotics and automation - can significantly build the capacity of System Integrators who, in turn, can level up the competitiveness of Thai businesses in the world arena in the near future.
Mr. Kazuo Kubota, Chairman of the Japan Factory Automation & Robot System Integrator Association or JARSIA, said "JARSIA's 3 pillars are 1. Build a network of Japanese factory automation and robotics companies, 2. Raise awareness of System integrators in the industry, and 3. Provide System Integrator personnel training. From 2018 to 2022, our membership more than doubled from 144 to over 300 companies. Starting next year, JARSIA will be the official body to provide System Integrator training for technology transfer from foreign corporations and Thailand is the first country in the world to be selected to operate upon this model. This means JARSIA is recognized as a working partner of the Ministry of Economics, Trade, and Industry of Japan. JARSIA's next initiatives are to organize a System Integrator qualifications program that comprises written and practical exams. We will also operate System Integrator education and organize outreach programs for the upper high school and vocational school level with factory automation and robotics contests."
Mr. Wichiene Ngamsukkarsemsri, Managing Director, Mitsubishi Electric Factory Automation (Thailand) Co., Ltd, as the event organizing lead, said, "I would like to thank the Digital Manufacturing Ecosystem Alliance for their collaboration over the last 3 years. The working group may seem small, but when you peruse through the membership list, then you would recognize that this e-F@ctory alliance comprises approximately 90% of all System Integrators in Thailand with combined sales of over THB 200 billion last year. Should all our collaboration objectives be met, the Thai industrial transformation will become a reality."
In synergy is the Thai Automation and Robotics Association or TARA which share the same vision of building the capacity of industries with digital transformation and automation to boost competitiveness by working with a multitude of governmental and private organizations. Dr. Prapin Abhinorasaeth. President at Thai Automation and Robotics Association (TARA) said, "The rapid growth of the System Integrator business is linked to the essential Ecosystem required to transform the industry. It relies on a multitude of technologies and know-how and therefore needs a broad range of highly skilled human resources in the alliance to unlock the potential and enable the transformation going forward. The highly competent individuals among the members all contribute to supporting the cause and ironing out any issues along the way, which is not only more efficient but also promotes wider learning than would otherwise be possible as a single entity. TARA's joint meeting with JARSIA next year will work on formulating a standardized personnel qualification system to continually boost system integrator business. I would like to thank the EEC Automation Park and the Digital Manufacturing Ecosystem Alliance for their support and contribution to TARA working with the Ministry of Industry and over 60 corporations. The success of this ecosystem is becoming evident in business performances and thus a great encouragement to continue the robust collaboration."
Another success story is the fruit of the collaboration between Mitsubishi Electric and the alliance: the EEC Automation Park located in Burapha University, Chonburi province. It is now the factory automation and robotics hub, accelerating the transformation of Thai industries to a Smart Factory level with manufacturing innovations, and contributing to the realization of Industry 4.0.
Dr. Paiboon Limpitipanich, Director of EEC Automation Park, said, "The founding of EEC Automation Park was possible thanks to EEC HDC, Mitsubishi Electric, and alliances who collaborated into building a complete Ecosystem. The EEC Automation Park has grown rapidly to become the most comprehensive Smart Factory 4.0 showcase offering a full circle of demonstrations from ordering, and sample production to automated warehousing. We also jointly develop training courses with several organizations to serve their capacity-building requirements. I am very delighted every time I see visitors and customers who ordered after being convinced of the new technologies. These all help to make our ecosystem grow and contribute to the sustainable industrial sector growth in Thailand."
Mr. Bovon Thiansawat, Head of Program Development and Alliance, Mitsubishi Electric Factory Automation (Thailand) Co., Ltd., said, "I often say to our alliance that the industries Mitsubishi Electric support would not be realized without System Integrators and an alliance with expertise in each industry. Our collaboration comprises 3 pillars: 1. Automation technology where we offer training, consultation, and proposal co-development with our alliance, 2. Recommending products offered by the alliance, and 3. Promote sales with business matching. One facet of this triangle cannot work without the rest, so we are aware that collaboration builds attractiveness and value. We are open to collaborating with System Integrators with expertise in different industries to co-develop solutions for customers. Our focus for Thailand in the next year is digitalization and decarbonization where we have already begun work with concerned organizations from the government, financial, and insurance sectors. We can support these initiatives for our system integrators and business partners. On a global level, Mitsubishi Electric is targeting to launch a new range of software solutions "Digital Twin: - built upon serving 3 pillars: 1. Design, 2. Push Start and 3. Maintenance. Initially, the software we offer will be 3D Simulator MELSOFT Gemini, SCADA Genesis64, and MELSOFT MaiLab AI Software. We are offering our partners to learn these softwares so they can add value to their customers."
Mitsubishi Electric has been supporting "e-F@ctory & SMKL-Smart Manufacturing Kaizen Level since 2003 featuring factory automation (FA) and information technology (IT) solutions for factories, improving manufacturing efficiency for more than 40,000 customers worldwide. Mitsubishi Electric also founded the e-F@ctory Alliance Partner Association with around 1,050 member companies globally including ASEAN, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Europe, and the USA. The e-F@ctory Alliance in Thailand was founded in 2019 and currently comprises of over 80 member companies.
Source: ADK Thai
