Amata signs MoU with World-Class Aerospace Company Saab

Amata Corporation inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saab AB, Sweden, to study potential areas of collaboration in the development of the Amata Smart City and Aerospace City to happen at Amata Nakorn Industrial Estate, Chonburi.

On 5 October 2017 AMATA Corporation inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saab AB to study potential areas of collaboration in the development of the AMATA Smart City and Aerospace City in AMATA Nakorn located in Chonburi, EEC region. Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong witnessed the MoU signing ceremony as the Guest of Honor.

Saab AB is a Swedish defense and security company that develops products, services and solutions for the aerospace, defense and civil security market worldwide. Saab has a strong presence in Thailand where it has been active since the early 1980s. In 1998 Saab opened its country headquarters office in Bangkok.

“Saab is pleased that Amata has chosen Saab, and Sweden, as a partner for the Smart City and Aerospace City concepts. Through this agreement Saab can directly contribute to the positive progress of Thailand 4.0,” said Mr. Håkan Buskhe, President and Chief Executive Officer of Saab AB.

AMATA Corporation, the largest private Industrial Cities developer in Thailand, has over one thousand clients, chiefly international corporations, with factories and manufacturing bases located in its 80km2 of estates across Thailand. Each year, the factories output of AMATA's clients produce approximately 10 per cent of Thailand's gross domestic product (GDP).

AMATA is transforming its 43km² industrial city located in Chonburi into a Smart City with state-of-the-art technology, renewable energy, energy-efficient infrastructure and sustainable environmental management. AMATA Smart City is
located in the heart of Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). "One of the value-leaping strategies under the Thailand 4.0 initiative is to create Smart Cities in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). AMATA Smart City and Aerospace City is centrally located within the EEC. AMATA is optimistic on this winwin collaboration with Saab to propel Thailand’s new growth engine in Smart City and aerospace cluster," said Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, AMATA Chairman, who is also the immediate past Secretary-General of ASEAN.

While Mr. Vikrom Kromadit, CEO of AMATA Corporation PCL is very upbeat, saying "Saab is a world-class aerospace and leading innovative company. AMATA Smart City welcomes Saab as our strategic partner to shorten our learning curve on Smart City and Aerospace City development. With Saab’s international experience and leading-edge technologies, AMATA Smart City will enhance Thailand’s aerospace cluster development in the EEC."

The aerospace sector is one of the targeted industries that the Thai Government would like to promote as a new engine of growth. Thailand has the potential to become an Asian aviation hub and a leader in the global aerospace industry. Under the MoU, AMATA and Saab agree to explore various areas of cooperation in the Smart City and Aerospace City elements of AMATA City, Chonburi. These future projects could include traffic management, communications, and training and simulation.

The Aerospace City concept is one of the elements of the AMATA Smart City framework which consists of eight key pillars: 1) Smart Energy 2) Smart Mobility 3) Smart Community 4) Smart Environment 5) Smart Education 6) Smart Manufacturing 7) Smart Aerospace City and 8) Smart Innovation.