The Thai-German Institute (TGI) is a joint initiative of the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, with the aim to be an effective training centre for transferring advanced manufacturing technology to Thai industry, under the supervision of the Ministry of Industry. In accordance with the government’s Thailand 4.0 strategy, TGI takes on an important role of upgrading target industry productivity by enhancing technology, innovation, and human resources in the robotics and automation industry to be capable and competitive in the Industry 4.0 era.
Mr. Somwang Boonrakcharoen, President of TGI, said that since its establishment, TGI has taken part in strengthening Thai industry with advanced manufacturing technology. The TGI has researched and studied the needs of the industrial sector over the past 20 years and has found a constant lack of human resources in Computer Numerical Control (CNC), Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), Mould and Die and Automation. As a result, TGI’s early work focused on solving this problem by training, consulting, and completing projects for the industrial sector, from designing to producing, installing to repairing, and quality control.
Later, many foreign nations started to move their production base to Thailand, including those in the automotive, electrical & electronics, and food industries. The Ministry of Industry assigned TGI to oversee the supporting sectors of these industries such as mould and Die, machinery, automation, and robotics. The robotics industry, in particular, is not only a horizontal supporting industry, but also a vertical supporting industry which potentially could be the most prosperous sector in the 4.0 era.
Under Thailand 4.0, ten industries have been listed as targeted industries that will become the new engines of economic growth. TGI is directly responsible for the robotics industry cluster which is a key element in increasing productivity for other industries. Since supplies of skilled labour have always been insufficient for the Thai industrial sector, the use of advanced technology has become increasingly vital. Automation and robotics shorten production processes, reduce costs, and ultimately lead to bigger purchases. As such, the industrial sector requires more and more skilled workers who can work with automation systems.
Mr. Somwang added that according to the Federation of Thai Industries, the Thai industrial sector is currently beyond the Industry 2.0 era and many large manufacturers are now in the 3.0 era. However, it is uncertain when we can reach the goal of transforming into the Industry 4.0 era. The government sector may issue policies supporting this goal, but it depends on the private sector as to how quickly we can reach it.
“Regarding industrial sectors, business owners need to adapt and adjust to new technologies and innovations within the next five years. They need to understand what Industry 4.0 really is, what the government’s policies are, and the kind of assistance the government sector provides for SMEs. TGI has provided not only training and seminar courses, but consultations for businesses in order to efficiently adapt to the Industry 4.0 era.
There are already applications of robotics and 3D printing that fall within the scope of the 3.0 era in Thailand. For the 4.0 era, businesses should focus on the internet of things (IOT) and Big Data which will eventually create a cyber physical system (CPS),” the President concluded.
