Call for Proposals for “The Project for Human Resource Development for Advanced Manufacturing in Thailand Utilizing Digital Technology, etc.” Using AMEICC’s FY2022 Supplementary Budget

Thailand, where many Japanese manufacturers are concentrated in the ASEAN region, is facing a turning point in its manufacturing industry structure due to soaring labor costs, with an average annual wage increase of 4.5%, and a declining working population due to a declining birthrate. Japanese companies, led by those in the automobile industry, have long been leading Thailand's manufacturing industry, but in order to cope with soaring labor costs and a shrinking workforce, it has become essential to shift from manual manufacturing to advanced manufacturing utilizing IoT and factory automation (FA) to improve productivity. Under these circumstances, the Thai government is promoting industrial upgrading under its vision of Thailand 4.0, which aims to transition Thailand into a value-added society by accelerating the digitalization of the economy and society through the attraction of foreign companies. The improvement of productivity using digital technology by Japanese companies in Thailand is in line with this Thai government's policy.

However, in the advancement of the manufacturing industry, a large-scale investment to automate an entire factory is not realistic for the majority of companies. From the perspective of investment effectiveness, it is effective to first identify waste in the manufacturing process, conduct kaizen activities to eliminate waste, and then promote automation. Until now, the high cost of acquiring information to find waste has been a major issue in the continuous implementation of kaizen activities, but the efficient use of digital technologies such as IoT sensors has made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of such activities. As a result, there is a growing demand for support for the development of human resources capable of promoting advanced manufacturing by making maximum use of digital technology.

Against this background, the AMEICC Secretariat will implement “The Project for Human Resource Development for Advanced Manufacturing in Thailand Utilizing Digital Technology etc.” The purpose of this project is to promote human resource development programs that can contribute to the improvement of productivity in the manufacturing industry by utilizing digital technologies such as IoT to eliminate waste in human movement, equipment, energy, etc. that occur in the factory manufacturing process. Specifically, the project will (1) formulate a human resource development curriculum, (2) train local supervisory personnel, and (3) train employees and others working at local companies. In doing so, the project will also seek to make maximum use of the results of the digital human resource development projects related to Industry 4.0 that have been implemented in the past as part of various institutional development projects conducted by the AOTS.

The contractor selected through this call for proposals shall be commissioned by the AOTS to implement the following services (1) and (2). Detailed contents and methods of implementation shall be based on proposals, and the project shall be implemented after careful consultations with the AMEICC Secretariat and Asia and Pacific Division, Trade Policy Bureau, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan (METI).

(1)    The implementation of “Training on the Human Resource Development for Advanced Manufacturing”
(2)    The implementation of "Local Instructor Training”

1)    Declaration of willingness to participate in the competition

If you wish to participate in this project competition, you must express your intention to participate by sending an Application Letter by e-mail attachment by 3:00 p.m. in Japan time, Tuesday, July 4 [must arrive by this date and time].

2)    Q&A

(1)    Question deadline: 3:00 p.m. in Japan time, Tuesday, July 4, 2023
(2)    How to Receive Questions: By e-mail only
(3)    How to Answer Questions: All questions received will be disclosed by e-mail to all those who have expressed their willingness to participate in this proposal competition by 4:00 p.m. in Japan time, Thursday, July 6, 2023.

6. Contact information for submission of application documents and inquiries