From the forum discussion on "Looking at Global Technology Trends, Looking at the Future of Thai Industry" at METALEX 2023, there were many interesting perspectives on global technology trends and future development trends for Thai industry from three distinguished speakers on stage. Today, we would like to present the ongoing issues discussed, along with good recommendations and solutions to enable Thai industrial and business sectors to access and utilize technology to their advantage in a timely manner to advance to Industry 4.0.
Dr. Bunnin Rattanasombat, Chief Operating Officer, New Business and Infrastructure Group, PTT Public Company Limited, spoke about the sale of PTT's business to support future trends in Thai industry, saying:
"PTT, as a Thai energy company, today has a new vision: 'Powering Life with Future Energy and Beyond.' We remain committed to being an energy company, but we focus on 'green energy.' Our energy is generated through the use of modern equipment to increase energy efficiency for Thais. At the same time, we're not just in the energy business. PTT goes beyond the energy business by addressing the needs of an aging society through life sciences, such as medicine, medical devices, food, and nutrition. We also continue to research logistics, focusing on advanced materials that can be used with AI and modern industries, as materials today must be lighter and more aesthetically pleasing."
"We're also committed to working on AI robotics to address Industry 4.0. We must admit that PTT, as an energy business, lacks the expertise to address many of these areas. Therefore, we're seeking partners both domestically and internationally, including organizations, small and medium-sized businesses, large corporations, and even educational institutions."
"We also support internal employees who may be engineers but want to start a new business. We offer them the opportunity to spin off into startups and work with other teams. This is PTT's approach, from changing the company's vision, developing its workforce, and planning technology selection to identifying which technologies to leverage for further business development. We don't view technology or business as something PTT lacks as a core competency. We have numerous business partners who can strengthen us. TKK Corporation Co., Ltd. is one of our partners, with a strong track record in offering intelligent solutions like AI, robotics, and automation systems to the Thai industrial sector."
Ms. Kanlayanee Kongsomjit, CEO of TKK Corporation Co., Ltd., spoke about the business lines that TKK Corporation prioritizes, which align with technology trends and its mission to build collaboration with all sectors to drive comprehensive development of Thailand's industrial sector.
"TKK Corporation has a new vision, elevating it from its previous vision of being a "Leading E-factory Automation Equipment." This was because we grew from a business as a trader representing automation systems and machinery spare parts. Now, we've shifted our vision to being "Your Partner in Tech-driven Solutions," as we see TKK as being in the tech industry and tech-driven manufacturing. We also analyze TKK itself as part of the tech company ecosystem in Thailand."
"In addition to developing technology businesses, TKK has prioritized producing and developing people with technological skills that are ready for the changes taking place. This includes enhancing and developing coding skills using AI software. Last year, the first year after the COVID-19 crisis, we returned to host the Innovedex robot competition at Debsirin School, with nearly 300 students from lower and upper secondary levels nationwide participating. What we saw from hosting this event was that youth nationwide need a platform and "opportunities" to learn and practice essential technology skills. Businesses, large and small, should play a role in providing these opportunities to the nation's youth, enabling them to grow into quality personnel."
"Meanwhile, TKK has collaborated with researchers at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) to develop a Thai-invented AI program, CIRA Core. This research, funded by the NRCT, has been continuously developed and grown as a Thai-made AI, created by Thais. TKK believes that, as a technology business organization, having the opportunity to support research in the Thai education sector may not necessarily generate significant business returns, but we have seen the platform's continued growth and development thanks to the team's relentless efforts. Today, it has been put to practical use in the industrial sector, particularly in QC, as a vision system for several large factories."
"Today, in addition to integrated technologies, each organization must integrate or collaborate to ensure that this knowledge remains within our country and can be passed on to future generations. This technology and knowledge can be applied anywhere, but it must be utilized by businesses of all sizes and levels. Coming back to CIRA Core, I must say that today we are very proud of this product. It's a non-commercial initiative by TKK and KMITL. We have previously licensed this AI to educational institutions free of charge and have even provided our own teams of engineers and staff to provide training on its use."
Chatchai Kunpitilak, Deputy Director-General of the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), spoke about depa's mission as a government agency that promotes the Thai industrial sector in all aspects.
"We're currently working to create AI use cases that are accessible to all. Most recently, we went into communities to deliver drones. Initially, we distributed drones to 500 communities, using a co-funding model. The communities had to develop a business model, and community members came together to establish drone repair centers. We also provided training. Upon completion of the course, certification was provided. The reason we're working on this project with the Thai agricultural sector is because, admittedly, agricultural data is still poorly managed. This project will begin collecting and managing the data, storing it in Thailand's data cloud centers."
"Currently, the government doesn't operate projects in the traditional manner of just handing over money and then it's over. Instead, we're engaging agencies like depa as co-investors. depa is arguably the government agency with the largest stake in startups. We operate as a private organization, aiming to accelerate every mission."
“In addition to the drone project, we're also working on weather forecasting, which analyzes the weather conditions per square kilometer around a farm. Once we have enough data, we can create more accurate AI for precision funding.”
"Regarding the industrial sector, we've been working on an Industry Platform. It's important to acknowledge that Thailand's industrial and business sectors haven't fully evolved into Industry 4.0. For example, the service sector may be at only Industry 2.0-3.0. Therefore, there are still significant gaps in the industrial sector that need to be filled. Therefore, creating an Industry Platform to connect and collaborate with larger platforms is another mission that depa prioritizes."
“Next, logistics is a crucial issue, as the number of courses in logistics in Thailand is still high. So, we're talking with startups to gather data to plan a shared consortium. This will help us reduce some of the country's costs to a more tangible level.”
