ROBOTICS PARTNERS SOUGHT
The Industry MinistryUttama Savanayana has planned to is seeking collaboration with overseas education institutes and private companies with robotics expertise in Japan, the US and China.
This will help enable the establishment of R&D institutes for robotics in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
The ministry has also signed MoUs with 14 state and private organisations to help lift the robotics and automation industries off the ground. Among them are the Office of Industrial Economics, Board of Investment, the EEC Office, the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, The Federation of Thai Industries, SCG Group, Charoen Pokphand Foods, PTT, WHA Corp, and Home Product Centre.
The move follows Tuesday's Cabinet approval of the ministry’s proposed incentives and measures to promote the robotics and automations industry as a key plank to attract upto Bt200 billion of investment within five years under the Thailand 4.0 initiative.
Kanit Sangsubhan, secretary-general of the EEC Office, said that in the initial stage, the EEC would promote the automation warehouse business by drawing foreign firms to set up plants in the area for warehouse systems. BoI promotional measures will be sought as an incentive, he added.
The Office of Industrial Economics director-general Siriruj Chulakaratana said there are 20 foreign companies showing interest to invest in robotics parts and robot productions here.
PUSH FOR EFFICIENCY
IRPC Plc plans to spend US$10-million in technology to enhance operation efficiency under its 'IRPC 4.0,' policy. The two-year project will begin next year.
Sukrit Surabotsopon, IRPC president, expects the project would generate additional earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of $100 million or about Bt3 billion per year to the company.
IRPC has signed an agreement with Sirindhorn National Medical Rehabilitation Institute and Sripatum University for an R&D project aimed at using robots to assist patients with paraplegia in walking.
