In its role as the ASEAN chair for 2019, Thailand is pushing for a cohesive regional industrial 4.0 development plan under the main theme of “advancing partnership for sustainability”.
Speaking at a Special Session on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) held in Bangkok on 14 January 2019, the Minister of Commerce of the Kingdom of Thailand Sontirat Sotijirawong delivered a keynote speech in which he stressed that the economy and society of the future would have to rely on creativity, innovation, and connectivity between technology and the production system to create competitiveness and increase productivity in driving sustainable economic growth.
Five deliverables were discussed at the session, including an ASEAN declaration on industrial transformation to industry 4.0, development of an ASEAN Digital Integration Framework Action Plan (DIFAP), development of an ASEAN innovation road map so-called “Partnering for Innovative Community”, guidelines on development of skilled labor to address the challenges of 4IR, and policy guidelines to develop and promote ASEAN-based microenterprises and to push for their digitization.
(Sources: The Nation; ASEAN Secretariat)
