From: sl2k+@andrew.cmu.edu (Schitt Laowattana)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Part(2)and(3): Absorbing Technology for Electronics-Based Industries
Date: 23 Aug 92 10:42:51 GMT
Article-I.D.: andrew.oeZxkfm00WBOM1sHRb
Organization: Doctoral student, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA


    There are many people requesting information on electronics-based
industries in Thailand.  I am voluntarily posting information I have in
my hands:Volume 5 "Capability Development for Electronics and
Information Technology-Based Industries(EIBI)" by Thailand Development
Research Institute.  My ultimate goal is, of course, to inform our human
resource aborad about the current situations of the national S&TD  such
that they can contribute to the progress of "Ban Rao" as much as
possible.

    I also would like to request all three national centers to appoint
some people for S&T information service.  Their main responsibilities
are to provide S&T information to the net and to interact with other
Thai professionals. By this way, they can obtain S&T information in a
professional manner(quick and accurate).

    Most of the technological capability of the industry(EIBI) logically
lie in the factory: in the machinery and equipment, in the process, in
the documents, in the system and in the personnel.  However, there are
three kinds of institutions that can help the industry solve
technological problems and enhance technological absorptive capability,
namely:(1) R&D laboratories in the public and private sector, (2)
information services including libraries, information centers and the
proposed TIAC of STDB: and (3) consultancy services in the public and
private sector.

    Needless to say, all these three groups of institutions are weak and
have few systematic linkages with industry.  Strategies to develop and
use these institutions to support the objective of enhancing the
technological capability of the industry are discussed below.

*****************************************************************************

    Part(2): Development of Technological Information Service to Support
                  Industries

    When industries want to develop their acquisitive capability, the
first thing they need is information.  The only organization operating
this kind of service in the Technological Promotion Association. 
However, its technological Data Project is operating at a low level with
a budget of only 1 million baht a year.  The proposed Technical
Information Access Center(TIAC) of STDB will provide a network of
linkage to technology source overseas.  It will be boost to the
technical information service in Thailand, but it has yet to convince
FTI of its usefulness in Thailand and it certainly cannot be expected to
be self-supporting until public attitude towards the value of
information changes.  It will need a sizable staff and budget to
collect, format and distribute information electronically.  In fact a
number of information centers each specializing in a particular area are
required.  Their information should be stored in certain standard format
that is possible for electronic retrival and exchange.

  
    Part(3) : Development of Technical Consultancy Service to Support   
                   Industries

    Like subcontracting, consultancy service help industry to reduce
investment yet maintain performance.  In Thailand, there are no private
consultancy firms in the electronics field.  A number of universities
have established certain units to provide technical consultancy services
to industry including Chula Unisearch of Chulalongkorn University,
UNISERV of Chiang Mai University, the Center of Operations for Research
and Development of KMITT, the Technology Development Center og KMITN and
the Computer Research and Service Center, Electronics Research Center,
Engineering Service and Development Center of KMITL.  Others provide
services without any formal units.  Private sector companies providing
consultancy services to the manufacturing industry have yet to be
developed in Thailand.  The BOI should examine the possibility of
providing incentive to such activities to stimulate their establishment.

****************************************************************************

Schitt(DJ)  Laowattana

****************************************************************************
Current Address in USA:

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
USA
Tel. No. 268-8880
Fax. No. 268-3348
e-mail: sl2k@andrew.cmu.edu


Permanent Address in Thailand:

Center of Operation for FIeld roBOtics Development(FIBO)
King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Thonburi
91 Suksawasd 48  Ratburana  Bangmod
Bangkok 10140, Thailand

Tel. No. 428-3374, 427-4421 and 4270151-9 Ext. 461
Fax. No. 427-8077, 427-8787

*****************************************************************************
Organization: Doctoral student, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA