Dr. Siriporn Pittayasophon, Senior Strategist and Acting President of NXPO, attended the MOU signing between Peng Shen Technology (Thailand) (PST) – a joint venture between Saha Group and Zhen Ding Tech Group (ZDT) – and five educational institutions: King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB), Kasetsart University (KU), National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), and Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, Thammasat University (SIIT). The MOU aims to develop human resources in printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing. The signing ceremony took place on 27 June 2024, at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC).
In her speech, Dr. Siriporn stated that this MOU will significantly contribute to the advanced electronics sector, one of Thailand’s strategic industries. Given that Thailand is a major global electronics manufacturing base and the government’s policy to promote the semiconductor industry, Thailand has potential to pay a key role in the global supply chain. Nevertheless, there are challenges in developing a highly skilled and sufficient workforce to meet the demands and dynamism of this industry. To strengthen Thailand’s advanced electronics and attract foreign investment, MHESI introduces a policy aimed at creating opportunities for Thai students to gain practical skills and experiences from the industry, supporting the development of this high-tech sector.
The policy was announced by MHESI Minister Ms. Supamas Isarabhakdi at the “IGNITE THAILAND: Future Workforce for Future Industry” press conference on 17 June 2024. Minister Supamas outlined short-, medium- and long-term plans for workforce development with six initiatives: STEM Plus, COOP+, International Internship, Higher Education Sandbox, Joint Degree and Ph.D. Scholarship. The five-year plan aims to develop 80,000 personnel in semiconductor and advanced electronics, 50,000 in AI, and 150,000 in EV, to build economic sustainability for Thailand.
In addition, the Online Job Matching project was launched in collaboration with the Board of Investment (BOI) and the Taiwan Printed Circuit Association (TPCA). The project organized online interviews for Thai students with six leading Taiwanese PCB companies planning to set up factories in Thailand, offering over 300 jobs. A bootcamp was organized for over 100 students from various universities nationwide as part of the Coop+ program to enhance practical and soft skills before internships. “MHESI also focuses on cultivating an ecosystem to support higher education reform to develop a workforce to meet the dynamism of technology. This includes tax incentives to encourage enterprises to engage in workforce development, industry-academia co-creation through the STEMPlus platform, and the Higher Education Sandbox to facilitate innovative education,” Dr. Siriporn said.
The event also featured Mr. Qingfang Shen, Chairman of Zhen Ding Tech Group, discussing the industry-academia collaboration, and Mr. Darren Hsiao, Chairman of PST, outlining the objectives of the cooperation with educational institutions. Representatives from the five educational institutions also expressed their commitment to support this collaboration. This MOU represents a pilot project for industry-academia cooperation to develop manpower for PCB manufacturing in Thailand and demonstrates the commitment of all stakeholders to foster the PCB industry in Thailand.
