UBU Spark touts value of robots
UBON RATCHATHANI: Ubon Ratchathani University Science Park (UBU Spark) is seeking innovative ways of tapping increased demand for Thai products from neighbouring Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
UBU Spark director Chaowalit Thinwongpithak, said the park offers technical support to local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which show a desire to improve their products by adopting new technology.
The volume of trade along Thailand’s borders with so-called CLMV countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) amounts to 250 billion baht annually. But the northeastern region, which shares borders with Laos and Cambodia, has played only a fledgling role in this. Mr Chaowalit said just 20% of traded goods are made in this region.
“We hope local products made [here] can grow at least 10% as we use innovation and technology to add more value. We are directly responsible for helping companies here improve their products,’’ he said.
UBU Spark is one of a number of regional science parks introduced in 2007 when the Ministry of Science and Technology came up with a policy to promote science and innovation in regional universities.
The facility was built with a budget of 2 million baht and asked to help local entrepreneurs develop higher quality goods that are clearly differentiated in the market.
It can also be seen as part of a grander government plan to turn Thailand into a hub for robotic development, to compensate for l abour shortages, particularly as the population ages. The park also awards tax benefits for Thaimade products showing the signature of innovation.
UBU Spark has helped 76 entrepreneurs to date. Of these, 31.4% are from the food and agricultural product sector, 14% from industrial manufacturing and 11% from the medicine and cosmetics industries. Mr Chaowalit said he hopes to see trade in the region with CLMV countries grow from 11.94 million baht in 2014 to 81.7 million baht in 2019.
One of the entrepreneurs working with the park is Arun Anupunswang, managing director of RST Robotics. Located in Ubon Ratchathani, the company has supplied robots to reputed industrial companies such as SCG Group.
Like many others, Mr Arun is a huge believer in automation to fix labour shortages and create new levels of efficiency. “The size of the Thai workforce has been declining at a rate of more than 300,000 people a year since 2013, which is a real challenge for the manufacturing sector,” he said.
Thailand has around 20,000 robots working at industrial and other plants, with the number tipped to grow, he said. Mr Arun said he plans to expand his business to emerging manufacturing hubs like Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
With the support of UBU Spark, his firm has produced machines for industrial manufacturing which perform tasks such as loading and moving materials, welding steel and painting.
“I’m sure we can become the region’s robotics hub if we keep getting strong government support,” Mr Arun said.