The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) has set a target to have six "Smart Eco" industrial estates, seaports and factories in Thailand this year under its plan to modernise factories and make them more environmentally friendly.
The plan, which has been carried out for three years, is in line with the government's Industry 4.0 scheme that encourages operators to blend manufacturing with digital technology and data analysis.
IEAT is applying eight criteria to choose industrial areas that match the smart eco concept.
The industrial areas must possess eight types of "smart", said IEAT governor Somchint Pilouk.
These are: smart environmental surveillance; smart water for better water management; smart energy for efficient use of energy; smart waste for better waste disposal; smart emergency for upgrading safety standards; smart logistics for better goods transport; smart information technology; and smart building or processes.
"The data from these smart systems can be reported to industrial operators in real time," said Ms Somchint.
This information is crucial for better industrial estate and factory management. If operators know how much water and energy are used in their factories, they can easily start energy and water saving campaigns, she said.
According to IEAT, Map Ta Phut deep-sea port in Rayong has the potential to become a Smart Eco port based on wise energy usage in buildings.
IEAT officials also admired two factories for their good waste disposal management. The owners gather information on waste volume and form alliances with business partners to use an upcycling process to add value to unwanted materials, making them usable again under the circular economy concept.