Auto, parts makers urged to adopt new technology
Thai automobile and parts manufacturers have been advised to adopt new technology and innovative production processes urgently to serve rising demand for energy saving, environmental protection, and waste manageฌment while responding to increasฌing demand for electric vehicles.
At a recent seminar on “Automobile Technology for Future: Opportunities and Challenges for Thai Automotive Industry”, panellists agreed that the Thai automobile industry should adopt new technology and innovation to ensure their busiฌness survives and can compete in the international arena.
Vichai Jirathiyut, president of the Thailand Automotive Institute, said that amid higher concern about the environment and safety, demand for electric vehicles had increased greatly in the past few years.
“Giant automobile manufacฌturers have adopted new technolฌogy and innovation to produce not only electric vehicles, but also hybrids and other kinds of enerฌgysaving cars. Not only should local carmakers adopt new techฌnology, but autoparts manufacฌturers should produce parts that serve rising market demands,” he said.
A recent survey by the International Energy Agency found that global sales of electric vehicles had increased significantฌly in 2015, by 70 per cent year on year. Most of the 1.2 million EVs sold in 2015 – some 80 per cent – were purchased in five markets: the United States, China, Japan, the Netherlands and Norway.
Vichai said that as Thailand is one of the world’s top carmanuฌfacturing nations, enterprises here should learn to adopt techฌnology to serve global demand. They should shift away from economies of scale or lowcost production so Thai manufacturers can remain competitive and maintain their position as the centre of car production in the Asean region.
Thanawat Koomsin, president of the Thai Automotive Industry Association, said Thailand would produce about 2 million vehicles this year.
Of these, 800,000 would be for the domestic market and 1.2 milฌlion for export.
“With higher demand for autoฌmated cars and more concern about toxicwaste management and environmentfriendly prodฌucts, Thai manufacturers should learn new technology and adopt automation to serve the higher demands of the market,” he said.
He added that learning about new technology would help enterฌprises of all sizes survive in the automobile business.
Thailand is the world’s ninthlargest auto producer. Last year, total production globally reached 90 million automobiles.
Sanchai Noombunnam, deputy managing director for events at UBM Asia (Thailand), said Thai enterprises, especially auto and parts makers, could learn about the latest technology and innovaฌtions at “Intermach 2017”, a major showcase of sophisticated hightechnology industries, modern industrial procurement, and machinery parts.
Intermach 2017 will be held from May 1720 under a concept of “Advanced Technology: The Smart Way to Success” at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre in Bang Na district.
