New info hub to help plastic makers compete in Asean market
The Plastic Institute of Thailand, the latest independent organisation under the Industry Ministry, aims to be an information centre to help Thai manufacturers of plastic products penetrate the Asean market, said Kriengsak Wongpromrat, its first executive
Kriengsak said the plastic industry was important as it supported many major industries such as automotive, property, pharmaceuticals and packaging. Despite this, little attention had been paid to it previously.
“If the plastic industry is not strong, how can other industries be strong?” he said.
About 80 per cent of this industry was made up of small and medium-sized enterprises, he said. These are converters, manufacturers that convert plastic pellets into plastic products. Most have basic knowledge about plastic injection moulding, but do not know which products should be made based on market demand. Hence the Plastic Institute plans to be a centre to provide information for these converters.
To help manufacturers, Kriengsak said the Plastic Institute was gathering updated information on the industry, particularly market demand in each country in Southeast Asia.
“There are many people who have lots of money but do not know what businesses they should invest in. We would like to give them a centre that provides information so that they can make decisions on their investments. If we can do this, we can help Thai manufacturers benefit from the Asean Economic Community in 2015,” he said.
The institute will also conduct long-term strategic planning for development of the plastic industry. The strategies will include technology development, effective management, improving workers’ skills, and product development to enhance competitiveness. Higher wages are forcing manufacturers to increase productivity, so the institute wants to help them fulfil this requirement.
The institute will also act as a mediator to help bring academic research into commercial use. It plans to collaborate with several universities that do good research studies and link them with companies so studies can be commercialised in the real market. This is another way to help strengthen Thai manufacturers’ competitiveness in the global market.
The institute’s projections may take a year or two to come to fruition, Kriengsak said.
“The AEC will provide a lot of opportunity for Thai manufacturers, but they will have to be quick to reap the benefits of the single-market policy. The institute would like to play a vital role in helping them benefit from the market integration, although it may take time,” he said.
