Thailand’s automotive market is booming. Nearly two million cars were manufactured there in 2016, significantly more than in the UK (1,722,698) or Italy (713,182), and Bosch (www.bosch.com) is responding to this rising demand by opening a new plant for fuel-injection technology in Hemaraj, 130km east of Thailand’s capital Bangkok.

This is said to be the first ‘smart’ factory in Thailand. Before the opening ceremony, Bosch board member Peter Tyroller said: “Localisation is a top priority at Bosch.

The new plant will enable us to respond to growing automobile production in Thailand — and to serve international as well as local automotive customers.”

In a facility covering 10,000m² and costing some 80 million euros, Bosch will be making “injection valves, connection technology, knock sensors and other components using Industry 4.0 solutions that bring together a wide range of information in real time and help to increase competitiveness”.

The new facility also includes an R&D centre, where 60 staff are working on the development of gasoline injection systems.

Bosch says that Thailand is of strategic importance for the group, both in South East Asia and world-wide, adding that by 2020 it will have created 800 new jobs in Hemaraj (300 people are already employed there).

Bosch’s total workforce in Thailand currently stands at 1,350.