At the Thailand Electronics Circuit Asia 2025 (THECA 2025), held on 22 August 2025 at BITEC Bangna, Prof. Dr. Surin Khomfoi, Vice President of NXPO, presented workforce development policies for the printed circuit board (PCB) and advanced electronics industries. He stressed that a highly skilled workforce is emerging as a “strategic resource” that will define Thailand’s competitive edge in the global market.
According to the Thailand Talent Landscape report, workforce demand in the smart electronics and industrial robotics sectors will exceed 226,000 workers by 2029. The greatest need will be in specialized roles such as electrical engineers, automation engineers, electronics developers, and experts in embedded systems and circuit design.
To meet this demand, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) has launched the Higher Education Sandbox initiative, introducing innovative education models that foster more flexible, modern, and industry-driven learning. The initiative promotes collaboration between universities and industry, ensuring education and training are directly aligned with workforce needs.
This approach enables higher education institutions to design curricula that reflect cutting-edge technologies while strengthening hands-on engagement with the private sector—helping to close the gap between the skills supplied by education and the skills demanded by industry.
In conclusion, Prof. Surin introduced STEMPlus, NXPO’s advanced workforce development platform that connects workforce producers and users. Acting as a central database, STEMPlus effectively matches industry demand for skilled labor with the capabilities of higher education institutions, driving more efficient workforce alignment.
