Bangkok: The Board of Investment (BOI) is aggressively pursuing the "robotics components" industry, approving investments totaling over 10 billion baht from five companies.
According to Thai News Agency, the BOI is actively promoting the new industry of "Humanoid Robot Components," approving investments from five major companies to produce parts for Tesla Bot, a world-leading company. The first phase involves a total investment of over 10 billion baht. This marks a significant step in building a supply chain for advanced robotics and automation in Thailand, reinforcing the country's potential as a destination for high-tech investment. The BOI will continue to encourage and attract Thai component manufacturers to participate.
Mr. Narut Teodsathirasak, Secretary-General of the Board of Investment (BOI), revealed that the subcommittee authorized by the BOI board to consider investment applications from five leading companies from China: Hangzhou Seenpin Electromechanical Transmission, Beite Technology, Sanhua Intelligent Drives, Tuopu Technology, and Xusheng Group. These companies will invest in building factories to produce robot frames and control units for humanoid robots, including high-precision metal parts, motion systems, and high-efficiency power transmission components. Their primary customer will be Tesla Bot, but they will also supply other clients such as Apple, Samsung, and Huawei. This will mark their first production outside of China. The five companies have a combined initial investment of over 10 billion baht, creating over 1,000 highly skilled Thai employees and utilizing raw materials and components worth over 45 billion baht annually in Thailand. Furthermore, other leading companies are preparing to invest furthe r in the near future. This represents a significant opportunity to create a new industrial cluster in the high-tech robotics and automation sector in Thailand.
Hangzhou Seenpin Electromechanical Transmission Company has received investment promotion to produce planetary roller screws and robot ball screws, high-precision power transmission components for humanoid robot drive systems. These are critical components requiring high torque, precision, and continuous robot operation. The investment amounts to 2.12 billion baht and the company is located in Chonburi province.
Beite Technology has received investment promotion for a project worth 1.67 billion baht to manufacture planetary roller screws for humanoid robots. The company is located in Chonburi province. They have also recently submitted an application for another project worth over 3 billion baht to manufacture robot ball screws, which is currently under consideration by the Board of Investment (BOI).
Sanhua Intelligent Drives has received investment promotion to manufacture actuators for humanoid robots. These actuators are crucial components of robots, acting like muscles to convert energy and control signals into various robot movements. The investment amounts to 1.8 billion baht and the company is located in Chonburi province. Prior to this, the company also received investment promotion for manufacturing high-tech automotive components for BYD, Volvo, and Tesla, with an investment exceeding 3.2 billion baht.
Tuopu Technology has received investment promotion for the production of actuators for humanoid robots, with an investment of 930 million baht, located in Chachoengsao province. In addition, the company has also received investment promotion for two other high-tech automotive parts manufacturing projects worth over 3,500 million baht.
Xusheng Group has received investment promotion to produce Robot Body/Joint/Bone Components. These are robot frame components that support other parts such as arms, legs, and joints, allowing robots to move and function as designed. The company will use strong, lightweight, and vibration-resistant materials suitable for robots requiring high precision, safety, and performance. The investment amounts to 2.7 billion baht and the company is located in Rayong province.
Humanoid robots are poised to become a rapidly growing new industry. Several research centers predict the global market value will exceed 200 billion baht by 2030, with an average annual growth rate of over 130%. 2027 is expected to be a technological turning point, leading to a rapid increase in the global production and use of humanoid robots and their full-scale commercialization. This growth is driven by innovations in bipedal robots capable of walking and performing complex tasks nearly identical to humans, such as Tesla's Optimus robot.
'This is a crucial time for Thailand to build a new industrial base that will be a new growth engine for the future growth of the Thai economy. In addition to the main sectors that have already seen investment from global companies, such as electric vehicles, advanced semiconductors and electronics, digital technology, and biotechnology, another area where investors see high potential in Thailand is the production of key components for humanoid robots. This builds upon Thailand's existing strong industrial component manufacturing base and will lay the foundation for the development of a robotics and automation industrial cluster, which will become increasingly important in the future,' said Mr. Narut.