Research Activities
Research Projects 2024
Smart manufacturing development in Vietnam and Thailand in comparative perspectives
Outline
This research investigates capabilities of manufacturing firms in Vietnam, using firms in Thailand as the benchmark. Vietnam set the national goal of becoming a developed country by 2045 through industrialization. Vietnam used to have difficulties in developing manufacturing industries because of the regional competition with advanced ASEAN countries. Nevertheless, industrial experts recognize the country has about 100 million populations, skilled workers, a better quality of engineering education system, and strong entrepreneurship, and therefore has a significant potential of becoming an important production site. Thailand is wary of Vietnam’s rapid catch-up, while some Thai firms have established factories in this lower-cost country. However, to realize Vietnam’s potential as a production base, it will be indispensable to make better use of digital technologies and human resource development practices. This study will make a comparison between firms in Vietnam and Thailand, with a focus on the use of digital technologies for manufacturing and human resource development that will determine the development of competitive manufacturers. In the first year, the research team conducted interviews with Vietnamese, Thai, and Japanese firms in the greater Ho Chi Minh City area to collect information on the role of Vietnamese engineers in the digitalization of manufacturing activities. The research project will complete a survery to the firms in the greater Ho Chi Minh City area. In the second year, the research project will conduct statistical analysis using the survey data and continue field research to make a better interpretation of the data alaysis. The second year research will extend the scope to the use of digital technologies for decarbonization, based on findngs from the interviews with Thai firms.
Period
April 2023 - March 2025
Members
| Role | Member |
|---|---|
| [ Organizer ] | Ueki, Yasushi |
| [ Co-researcher ] | Jeenanunta, Chawalit(Thammasat University Associate Professor/Deputy Director forAcademic Affairs) |
| [ Co-researcher ] | Nuchjarin Intalar(Thammasat University Assistant Professor/Deputy Director ofAcademic Affairs) |
| [ Co-researcher ] | Le Thi Ngoc Lan(Thammasat University) |
*Affiliations are as of April 2024.
Expected Outcome
- Paper Submission to Peer-Reviewed Journal