Robotics and automation sees a whopping Bt167 billion of investment in three years

By THE NATION

 

 

A Cabinet meeting on December 22 acknowledged the progress in the plan to develop robotics and automation across a variety of key sectors presented by the Industry Ministry, government deputy spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek said on Wednesday.

 

“The plan had been proposed by the Industry Ministry in early 2018. In the past three years there has been approximately Bt167 billion of investment in robotics and automation in key industries including food manufacturing, electrical and electronics, automotive and petrochemicals,” she said.

 

“Up to 92 business operators have invested Bt13.98 billion in upgrading their manufacturing facilities to use robots and automation systems.

 

“The added progress includes the establishment of a Sustainable Manufacturing Centre in the Eastern Economic Corridor and the Centre of Robotics Excellence [CoRE], with the aim to expand cooperation in robotics and automation among 15 related agencies including the Thai-German Institute, the Electrical and Electronics Institute, Chulalongkorn University and Chiang Mai University,” Ratchada said.

 

“The ministry has also provided training to more than 2,000 system integrators in robotics and automation industries, 68 of whom have passed the CoRE certification test, 1,395 system engineers and 70 start-up companies, and has developed 185 prototype robots for industrial use,” she reported.

 

“The Industry Ministry has also drafted a regulation to exempt tax on imported parts and equipment for robotics and automation to promote related industries in Thailand,” she said.

 

In the progress report, the Industry Ministry also stipulated policies in driving robotics and automation forward with a focus on integrating the domestic supply chain of related industries, developing a specialised automation system for SMEs, and increasing the number of system integrators at the regional level.

 

“The ministry predicts that robotics and automation technology will witness increased usage in this Covid-19 situation as it can substitute human labour, especially in public health and service sectors,” she added.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30400141

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-12-24

 

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Hard to believe that high tech robots and this can exist in the same location?