Autoliv Expands Airbag Capacity New Airbag Cushion Plant in Thailand

Good news from Stockholm:
To support the rapid growth in vehicle production and airbag fitment rates in Asia, Autoliv Inc. – the global leader in automotive safety systems – has begun the construction of an airbag cushion manufacturing plant in Chonburi, near Bangkok. Autoliv’s existing airbag cushion plant in Thailand opened just two years ago.

Thailand begins to feel aftershocks

BANGKOK POST: Auto slump takes toll on economy in April
Disruption in the automobile and electronics supply chains as a result of the March tsunami in Japan resulted in a slowdown in the Thai economy in April, according to the Bank of Thailand.

But economic trends are expected to improve over the next few months.

Dennis Hong: Making a car for blind drivers

Too Cool

Honda back on track by September

Bangkok Post:
After struggling for more than two months, Honda's Thailand plant will be back to normal by September, a few months behind its rivals.

Production of the Honda Brio, Thailand's second eco-car after the Nissan March, will start next month and will gradually increase to full capacity by September.

Japan Appears Dispensable as a Supplier

NY TIMES makes you think…..
Maybe Japan is not as crucial to the global supply chain as those first weeks after the earthquake made it seem.

Auto Institute Expects 30,000 Motorcycle Sales Related to Election Campaigns

THAI ASIAN NEWS NETWORK:
The Thailand Automotive Institute expects 30,000 motorcycles to be purchased by political parties for use in their election campaigns, especially in the provinces.

Director of the Thailand Automotive Institute, Wanlop Tiasiri expects at least 30,000 motorcycles to be purchased by political parties during this election season, as canvassers will use them in their campaign activities, particularly in the provinces.

Creative economy immune to politics

BANGKOK POST REPORT
Thailand's efforts to build a creative economy will continue no matter who forms the government after the July election, say officials in charge of the programme.

Strategic plans for the creative economy are now on the national agenda contained in the 11th National Economic and Social Development (NESDB) plan and will be financed from the central budget, said Pajchima Tanasanti, director-general of the Intellectual Property Department.

Jaguar Land Rover starts opens new plant in India

Thanks to George Strampp for this link!
PUNE, India — Carmaker Jaguar Land Rover is opening its first assembly plant in India where parts manufactured at its plant in Liverpool, England, will be used to build vehicles.

The company, now part of India’s Tata Motors, will assemble Land Rover Freelander 2 vehicles in the western Indian city of Pune.

Malaysia’s auto TIV to reach 1 million by 2020

Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) expects the industry to enhance its global competitiveness with the projected total industry volume (TIV) of one million units by 2020, positioning the country to be a regional automotive hub.

We are pleased to invite you to another CAN'T MISS EVENT....with John Conomos AO, Australia’s Automotive Envoy. He will present the status and vision for the Automotive Industry in Australia:

Automotive Australia 2020 Roadmap
Date: Wednesday, June 13th, 2012
Registration: 4.30 PM
Presentation: 5.00 PM (please be on time)
Location: Pattana Golf Club (click here for a map)

GMs Ride into the Abyss (GMs Fahrt in den Abgrund)

OPEL out of control.

Shocking Photo Collection from German Handelsblatt Magazine. Must See.

AFG Meeting Report

Check out Doc Iain's comprehensive report on the May 2012 AFG Meeting. Thanks again to our speaker Peter Wolf, our members, sponsors and partners for making this an interesting session on BMW Thailand and the EABC European Asean Business Centre.

The report was published yesterday in Pattaya Mail the report is as follows:


The Automotive Focus Group (AFG) packed the meeting room at the Pattaya Marriott Resort and Spa to listen to Peter Wolf, the MD of BMW Manufacturing Thailand at the Rayong plant.

Peter Wolf has been the MD at BMW Manufacturing Thailand since July 2010 and has been part of the overall growth of the company in Thailand which has maintained growth rates between 26-28 percent over the past three years, with their 220 employees producing 5,000 vehicles annually from CKD.  To service this output, which is mainly for domestic markets BMW now has 18 service centers, plus four dedicated to MINI.  There is, however, some limited export of the 7-Series to Indonesia and the 5-Series to Malaysia.

Peter Wolf, MD BMW Manufacturing Thailand.

Initially, the manufacturing plant had one assembly line which was expanded from the 3-Series to include the 7-Series, but this was expanded to incorporate a second assembly line because of the differences in the 5-Series.  At present the plant handles 25 variants, 10 engines, 21 exterior colors and 22 interior colors.

BMW keep their local content between 43-51 percent, but sourcing locally is not as easy as it should be, according to Peter Wolf.  Local homologation just takes too long, as Thai bureaucracy can be slow and cumbersome.  There are also price differentials not in the favor of local sourcing.

After the address covering BMW, Peter Wolf introduced the EABC to the AFG Members.  This is the European-ASEAN Business Center and the EABC has as its associates, most of the major Chambers of Commerce.  It is a European Trade Organization located in Bangkok which aims to contribute to the improvement of the trade and investment climate for European companies in Thailand.  BMW, of course, is represented there.

Following the presentation was a lively Q&A session with the AFG’s founding president George Strampp first to grasp the thorny nettle of the ‘grey market’.  Peter Wolf admitted that there were problems with different rules and regulations between locally produced and externally sourced vehicles.  However, he did say that BMW does service ‘grey market’ vehicles as after all, they are BMW’s and all BMW’s, no matter where manufactured have to meet BMW’s high standards.

John Lindsay, FUTURIS and Leigh Wilmott, Austrade

Leight Wilmott from Austrade asked whether there was a need to change set-ups between Germany and Thailand, to which Peter Wolf said “No changes, including run-flat tyres.”

He was asked if we were going to see new manufacturers setting up in Thailand, such as VW-Audi, but he did not believe so.  He also did not feel that Thailand’s local suppliers were in a position to supply other manufacturing countries, but did express a cautionary note that unless Thailand brings down the bureaucratic red tape barriers, then Thailand could be left behind by neighboring countries which could be looking for a slice of the ASEAN automotive industry pie.

Hardy souls then moved on to the AmCham, AustCham, BCCT combined chambers of commerce networking also held in the Marriott’s meeting room.

Hyundai-Kia will surge past Honda and Toyota in May, analyst says

High-flying Hyundai-Kia Automotive will outsell Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. and American Honda Motor Co. in May, according to industry analyst TrueCar.com. Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110525/RETAIL01/110529929/1448#ixzz1NPxOsgMc

NISSAN Design Concept

Aapico warns of Q2 tsunami impact

The SET-listed automotive parts maker Aapico Hitech Plc (AH) forecast its revenue this year will fall short of the original target of 13 billion baht as second-quarter financial results will be seriously hit by the recent disaster in Japan.

Chairman and chief executive Yeap Swee Chuan said that in the worst-case scenario, AH's revenue this year would be on par with last year's 11.89 billion baht.

If the situation improves in the second half, this year's turnover should increase in a range of 5-10% from the level in 2010, he said.

Great AFG Meeting with Chris Bruton

Chris works for Dataconsult in Bangkok, an Associate of the Economist Corporate Network a wholly owned division of The Economist Group, publishers of The Economist magazine.

The AFG Meeting last Friday was an intense 90 minute "power-session" on what's going on in Thailand's political sector and covered a lot of political real estate from Political Parties, the Thai Elite, the Military, the people and companies down to the individual players.

It became obvious that the "System Thailand" is a highly complex structure.

Chris knows his subject inside out and kept the audience captivated for the entire presentation.

The setting at the Amari Ocean Tower was excellent – for me this was one of the best events ever.

We will try to get Chris' notes and publish them on this blog.

Thailand must train more engineers, says new JCC boss

The Thai government should put more emphasis on increasing the size of the workforce, particularly engineers and mechanics, and cutting tax to attract investment from Japanese small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs).

THE NATION has an interesting article by Pattanadesh Asasappakij on the evolution of the pickup in Thailand:

Light trucks or pickup trucks were first introduced in Thailand by the US Army, which was stationed at various airports in the Kingdom.
The vehicles were purely American brands such as Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Dodge, etc.
It was only in 1970 that Datsun introduced a small pickup truck with a 1,200cc 4-cylinder gasoline engine, which looked like pickup trucks sold today. Nissan later introduced a larger body but still used a small gasoline engine, and it quickly became the most popular pickup truck in the Thai market. The pickup remained in production for many years, while there were also competitors such as Toyota Hilux, Mazda Proceed and Daihatsu, which was very strong in the Chiang Mai public transport market…

Check out the whole feature here.

New Ground-Breaking Airbag Technology For the Roof

A great idea from the TRW Safety team….
TRW Automotive Holdings Corp unveiled its new “bag in roof” airbag system recently that replaces passenger airbags mounted in the instrument panel.
The new airbag helps to alleviate injuries to passengers and allows for improved interior appearance, ergonomics and performance while saving space in the instrument panel.

Thailand: Auto sales increase 17.8% in April

Good news for the weekend!

New vehicle sales in Thailand rose to a record 67,283 units in April 2011, up 17.8% compared with the levels reported in the corresponding month a year earlier. With this increase, vehicle sales in the first four months of this year increased 36.6% year-on-year to a record 305,902 units.

Bangkok Post, citing figures compiled by Toyota Motor Thailand, said the passenger car segment accounted for 30,953 units out of total sales last month, an improvement of 17.8% from a year ago. Sales were driven by the continued demand for small and fuel-efficient cars.

Proton not decided when to launch Proton Emas concept car

BORNEO POST!

YOKOHAMA: The national car maker, Proton, has not decided when to start marketing the Emas concept car, a well informed Proton source said here yesterday.

He said should any decision be made to produce or launch Emas (an acronym for Eco Mobility Advance Solution), a proper announcement would be made to the public at the right time. “It is Proton’s first concept car that is based on a hybrid propulsion system,” he told Bernama at the Malaysia Automotive Industry Exhibition (MAIE) which was being held concurrently with the Automotive Engineering Exposition (AEE) here. He said the specially designed chassis of Emas features a raised floor that could accommodate the hybrid system’s batteries under the floor and leveraging on maximising space, while maintaining the overall dimensions of a compact car.

Bloomberg: General Motors Says Opel Unit Attracted Three Bids (Update5)

General Motors Corp., which is selling its Opel unit while preparing for a probable June 1 bankruptcy, attracted three bids for the German division, according to Chris Preuss, a spokesman for GM Europe.

Bangkok Post: Toyota: Hybrid won't be costly

Toyota Camry hybrid cars assembled in Thailand will cost no more than 100,000 baht more than existing petrol-powered models, subject to import duty exemptions on certain parts, says Toyota Motor Thailand president Mitsuhiro Sonoda.

The Rallye continues.....

....up to 500% gains in the last 6 weeks. Economic crisis and opportunity....

Malaysia: Institute expects one million total vehicle sales by 2020

CYBERJAYA: The Malaysian automotive total industry volume (TIV) is projected to hit one million units by 2020, according to the Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI).

“By 2020, I think we can hit a TIV of one million,” said chief executive officer Madani Sahari, adding that the forecast was in fact a conservative one, underpinned by inevitable factors that would spur the demand for vehicles in Malaysia over the next eight to nine years.

The Deal that backfired....Porsche & VW

Is this the same story as Schaeffler - Conti deal? Comments invited!

Auto Stocks today

Click on the image below to enlarge...

(I said they would go up 150%..... check the April posting....)

AFG Meeting 18th of May 2012

We are pleased to invite you to another CAN'T MISS EVENT....with Peter Wolf, Managing Director of BMW Manufacturing Thailand. He will present status and vision for BMW in Thailand and introduce the Automotive Working Group at the EABC (European Asean Business Centre): Date: Friday, May 18th, 2012 Registration: 5.00 PM Presentation: 5.30 PM - 6.30 PM Location: Marriott Pattaya, Beach Road Please click on YES or NO  NOW, so we can reserve your seat at this interesting event. Part 1: BMW Manufacturing Thailand Today and Tomorrow – BMW in Thailand und ASEAN – View to AEC 2015 (Asean Economic Community) Part 2: European ASEAN Business Centre EABC Automotive Working Group – EABC Background – Members – Position Papers – Timeline – Participation for AFG & members Speaker: Peter Wolf  Peter Wolf assumed his position at BMW Manufacturing (Thailand) on 1 July 2010. Mr. Wolf (53) has been working with BMW Group for nearly 25 years. Before joining BMW Manufacturing Thailand, he served in the position of Managing Director of BMW Fahrzeugtechnik Eisenach GmbH (or 'BMW Plant Eisenach') in Germany. In addition, he had extensive experience in various areas of production, technology and logistics. In his current  position, he is responsible for managing the overall business for BMW Manufacturing Thailand, or so-called BMW Plant Rayong – assembling BMW automobiles to supply to BMW Group Thailand for domestic sales, as well as export to other BMW subsidiaries in the ASEAN region. Networking: After the presentation, AFG Members are invited to join a combined AMCHAM/AUSTCHAM/BCCT networking session sponsored by DANA and VISTEON at member rates (400 Baht instead of 800 Baht). NOTE: We will have our 5th Anniversary Celebration & as a 'stand-alone' Function in June 2012. We had to move the event from the 25th due to a schedule conflict with the annual AMCHAM golf tournament.

No Truth In Claim Malaysian Cars Expensive Due To Proton

(Bernama) - KLANG -- There is no truth in claims by certain quarters that car prices are expensive in Malysia because of the existence of the national car, Proton, says former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"This is not true. The government has been imposing high tax for imported cars even from before so that the country does not lose out substantially in the outflow of the ringgit to foreign countries," he said at the joint launching of the Proton's Logistics Centres in Sijangkang and Tanjung Malim in Sijangkang here yesterday.

What Drives Information Technology

Information technology generally refers to all forms of technology used in the creation, storage, exchange and utilization of data, conversation and all multi-media forms of communication. With computer technology constantly changing and improving, businesses are being driven with the need for the right system that is based on the requirements and goals of their enterprise. They are considered business allies in an information-based economy.

What drives information technology is competition within the business environment and the progression of computer technology that it is a part of. The systems of technology involve varied shapes of many state of the art devices that help in the transmission of information to managers translating such information to their decisions in the organization's operations.

There are many forms of information technology like computers, sensors, robots and decision support systems. The newest one being used in the market today are handhelds to help managers and subordinates to support their daily operations in the office. Due to the emergence of varied accounting system technology, Electronic Data Process Auditing now also known as Information Technology Auditing was launched to also cater to the need for technology control and as a response to utilize computers' capacity for attestation services.

Information technology has revolutionized business operations. In shaping the structure and functions of work organizations, plants, and office, modern information technology is considered one of prime movers among many industries. When one talks about technology, it brings up a whole exciting world of computers and the Internet. It also prompts terms like server, intranet, security, firewall and network. Other terms in its jargon are Ethernet, VoIP and more.

Information technology has not always alluded to computers, but referred to the oldest information processor, which is the brain. Technology is perhaps man's scientific attempt to imitate the brain's efficiency in functions of communication and information storage. Thus it is essentially the communication, storage and processing of information that would suit the purposes of users.

Through the use of high technology in the form of state of the art computers and software systems, communication is well managed. Some companies refer to its Information Technology Department as MIS or Management Information Services. Large companies have bigger requirements for the Information technology departments with bigger responsibilities in information storage, information protection, information processing, information transmission, and even information retrieval. IT contributes to the success of these businesses as it works along side its human resources in accomplishing the organization's tasks while reducing costs and opening new possibilities that have never been tried before by the company.

Darth Vader's Car

2,000 Horsepower armored car …. very impressive. Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi Airport in 20 minutes.

One of the wildest car companies on the planet at the moment has got to be Dartz Prombron. This Russian automaker has made quite a few headlines with their over-the-top SUV’s featuring such optional extras such as diamonds and whale penis upholstery (how did they even find a supplier for that!).

Doc Iain's Presentation – ready for download

Thanks to Doc Iain for his fabulously entertaining presentation about his 40 years passion for car racing!

The presentation, held on 29th of April 2011 at the Bangkok Hospital Pattaya and sponsored by Cromwell Tools, Shaun Burke, is available for download here…

Do you get confused when you hear things like "2G Technology", "3G Technology" "Smart Phones" and so on? Well, this article is written to explain in simple language just what 3G Technology really means. It stands for "Third Generation Technology."

Technology at its simplest just means the total knowledge and skills in any human society or group. Primitive technologies were concerned with skills of hunting, making stone tools and weaponry. Then came the Iron Age, the mechanical technologies of past centuries, bringing us to the electronic technologies of the current period in which we now live.

During the past half century the whole world has seen the rise of electronic communications from Morse Code, telegraph, the telephone, that have literally changed our whole way of communicating.

2G Technology is short for Second Generation Technology, primarily concerned with mobile or cellphone systems. Most simple phones, especially those used by young children and the elderly with no frills use 2G Technology.

3G Technology, on the other hand, is a further development including much more than just phone calls. Third Generation Technology phones are much more concerned with downloading information such as music, videos, and taking digital photographs and movie presentations and forwarding them onto others. Receiving and sending faxes and receiving and sending emails are also part of the new 3G Technology. Some cell phones are almost like miniature laptop computers, enabling you to latch onto the World Wide Web. Such phones are known as "Smart Phones" and are among the most used cell phones by professional, business and sophisticated Internet users.

You can see why cellphones using 3G Technology are so useful. They enable you to keep records, email messages, receive instructions, consult your diary, check inventories, watch movies or television programmes almost (but not quite) anywhere in the world. They are quite fast and are helped considerably by satellite tracking radio systems. There are many thousands of these satellites currently circulating the Globe. On top of this, some 3g phones have systems such as GPS, Gyroscopes and Accelerometers.

With 3G Technology, your cellphone or mobile phone" will help you keep in contact with friends, send them photos and messages. While those of you needing to keep in touch with business colleagues will find the developing strengths of 3G Technology vital in your work.

Whether you want a cellphone for pleasure, business or keeping in touch with friends, you will find the new 3G Technology here to assist you in ways unimaginable until now.

Is Your Small Business in Tune With Proper Functioning Technology?

How is technology affecting your business? Is it driving business results and increasing your efficiency? Or is it becoming an encumbrance?

One of the most important jobs of any technology consultant is to ensure that a company is operating on the highest possible efficiency through their technology infrastructure. A company's technology infrastructure may consist of several different things, most notably their company website, any intranet web portal application(s), along with their hardware and network setup. These technology areas are critical to the performance of all companies and must be maintained to ensure proper functionality. Improper setup, maintenance, or functionality in your technology infrastructure is going to decrease company efficiency and create short term and long term issues.

Employee efficiency is greatly reduced when technology infrastructure is functioning improperly. A particular employee may be spending unnecessary time not being able to do their job effectively due to a technology malfunction or outdated system. Short term effects can include efficiency problems. Long term effects can include employee frustration which will affect their performance even more. Rather than fighting with outdated or malfunctioning technology, optimizing your technology to ensure maximum performance can produce many positive things for any small business. Aligning technology with your business can allow you to maximize your resources in the workplace.

A company's credibility is at stake every day. If technology failures are consistently disrupting core business activities, the results can be severe. Depending on your industry, your clients may be less inclined to stick with your products or services if your company cannot deliver their needs in a consistent manner. This can and will drive your business's credibility down. Customers will not do business with a company that appears incompetent because they simply won't be able to trust the company. Trust is such a huge factor when potential customers select a company to do business with.

Consistent technology strategies need to be thought out and implemented in all facets of a business technology infrastructure. Small businesses cannot risk falling behind as technology drives small businesses and business requirements need to be met. Technology requirements cannot be properly met without the consistent availability of technology strategy and planning professionals.

Proton Delisted From Malaysia's Stock Exchange

Proton has been delisted from Bursa Malaysia, almost eight years since joining the local stock exchange, after new owners DRB-Hicom succeeded in securing 98.6 percent (as at April 26) of Proton shares, above the threshold of 90 percent required to privatise Proton.

Starting with the buying of a 42.74 percent stake in Proton from Khazanah Nasional Bhd at RM 5.50 a share early this year, DRB-Hicom then launched a mandatory general offer for the remaining shares it did not own, valuing Proton at RM 3.02 billion. With 98.6 percent now in hand, DRB-Hicom can compulsorily acquire the 1.4 percent still with investors.

Without the public eye of scrutiny, DRB-Hicom will have the flexibility to embark on long-term plans to make Proton a more profitable company, and not worry about short-term results that the stock market players are more concerned about. Approvals from shareholders on any future corporate exercises will no longer be needed once Proton becomes private.

And indeed change is in the air: DRB-Hicom Bhd managing director Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil was asked in March to assume the leading position as Proton's executive chairman and executive director, taking over from Proton's then chairman and director Datuk Seri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh.

Honda restarts Thai vehicle deliveries

Honda has commenced delivery of vehicles to customers across the country, with its Ayutthaya plant having resumed operations in late March.

However, Honda dealers are facing further pressure as the Japanese auto-maker has chopped the credit period for dealers from 1 month to just 10 days.

Honda's two assembly plants in Ayutthaya were totally submerged during last year's massive flood, resulting in more than 60,000 customers orders going unanswered.


Read the full story here.

Perodua Bezza

Have you seen this one? Paul Tan takes a look at Perodua's new prototype for the 21st century.
In case you don't know what a "Bezza" is: The 'Urban Dictionary' defines it as "A best friend of either sex. A friend who you can depend on unconditionally."

Best Friend: The Perodua Bezza

MALAYSIA: Perodua to make automatic transmissions in 2012

Perodua, Malaysia’s second national car company, plans to begin construction of a new electronic automatic transmission (EAT) plant in Malaysia in the fourth quarter of 2011.

The new facility will likely be located near its existing car assembly facility in Sungai Choh, Selangor, and is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2012. The technology will be licensed from Daihatsu Motor, one of Perodua's main shareholders.

Bosch USA to add 1,000 employees as auto business grows

New jobs for US car industry….my prediction: for every job added in the US there will be (roughly) 50 jobs added in Asia….

German auto supplier Bosch said today that it plans to add about 1,000 employees in North America this year as its automotive business continues to grow.

The auto supplier, whose headquarters for North and South America is in Farmington Hills, expects to employ about 23,000 in North America by the end of this year.

Last year, Bosch's North American workforce increased 8% to 22,000 as the company recovered from the Great Recession, said Peter Marks, Bosch’s chairman, president and CEO for Bosch’s North and South American operations.

NNT: Thai auto business to revive from Japan disaster by Oct 2011

BANGKOK, 4 May 2011 (NNT) – Negative impacts on the Thai automotive industry caused by the twin deadly disasters in Japan are likely to ease off in October 2011, according to the Automobile Workers Union (TAW).

TAW Chairperson Yongyut Mentapao stated that the production volume in the domestic automotive industry has decreased by more than half of the original figure as a consequence of the catastrophe in Japan.

Thai auto parts shortage unpredictable future car production

Chinglish news about Thai Auto Industry...

The beginning of 2011, Thailand's automotive market is still maintained rapid growth momentum, although the previous car market had expected because of the higher base of comparison in 2010 because, this year will show Jianhuan car market trends, but the latest figures show that the first quarter of 2011, Thailand's automotive market remains relatively rapid growth rate of 43.1% year on year. But this year, Thailand auto market risks in addition to market demand, and oil prices along with tensions in the Middle East and North African countries climbed upgrade increasing pressure, the will face the greatest risk, will be the supply-side risks. The market caused by the earthquake in Japan automobile assembly parts supply shortage is growing concern that the problem of lack parts over time become more serious and may lead to slower growth or even car market shrinking, especially in the second coming quarter.

AFG Meeting Mike Usher's Talk

Mike Usher's presentation can be downloaded here.

AFG Meeting James Beesons Talk

A synopsis of James Beeson's talk can be downloaded here.

China Automotive comes to Thailand

SAIC & CP team up to bring Chinese car manufacturing to Thailand. Volume is unclear with capacity figures between 50,000 and  300,000 vehicles including 50,000 MG and 200,000 motorbikes

Check. out the stories in Bangkok Post and The Nation.

60,000 Thai workers dealing with aftermath of Japan’s earthquake, tsunami

The recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan have impacted over 60,000 Thai workers in Thailand, with another 80,000 are at risk.

According to Amporn Nitisiri, Director-General of Thailand’s Department of Labour Protection and Welfare, nearly 61,000 workers -- 60,704 exactly -- working in Japanese owned companies cut working hours, with 140,000 overall at risk.

Perodua maintains 195k sales target despite Japan disaster

The triple disaster that hit Japan in March has severely affected the automotive industry, as carmakers and their various levels of vendors saw production disrupted or stopped completely in the aftermath. Overseas CKD operations aren’t spared, as vital parts still come from Japan.

Malaysia can be stable source of auto parts: FMM

KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 (Bernama) -- Japanese manufacturers must seriously consider Malaysia as an alternative source for their auto parts and components looking at the shortages that followed after Japan's recent earthquake and tsunami disaster that affected supplies to some of these major manufacturers.

On the other hand, Malaysian manufacturers need to respond by ramping up efforts to attract Japanese automakers and investors through high quality auto products and a consistent supply, said the President of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, Tan Sri Mustafa Mansur.

Vietnam: Bosch opens euros 30million hi-tech facility

Situated at Long Thanh Industrial Zone, Dong Nai Province, the plant is part of the Bosch Group’s Gasoline Systems division and spans over a land area of 160,000 square meters. It will produce up to 1.6 million push belts in its first year, which can be fitted into vehicles ranging from sub-compact cars to sports utility vehicles with diesel, gasoline or hybrid engines.

Ford opens new plant, vows major local sourcing of parts

Ford plans to purchase up to US$800 million worth of parts annually from Thailand to supply its new $450-million passenger vehicle plant in Rayong.

The purchases do not include sourcing by Ford for AutoAlliance Thailand, its joint venture with Mazda.

The $800 million in purchases will go to achieving 40% local Asean content, a requirement for automakers wanting to export the vehicles duty-free within the region.

Read the complete Bangkok Post article here.

Ford opens new plant in Rayong

Ford opened a second plant in Thailand on Thursday giving the firm the ability to produce 445,000 vehicles a year in the country. Ford Thailand Manufacturing opened a $450 million U.S. manufacturing plant in the Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate, which is roughly 99 miles southeast of Bangkok.

Check out the video here.

Did Silicon Valley Hijack the Definition of Technology?

Have you noted that when you go and read the news online, and read through the various stories from the syndicated websites that they usually have a technology section, and that technology section is filled with the latest gadgets, social networking methods, and any of the newest things coming from Silicon Valley? I have, and as a lover of technology, and coordinator for a think tank, I am disturbed by all this. Now then let me explain what I mean.

There are plenty of new technologies that are extremely important, technologies that if we didn't have we wouldn't be where we are today. Likewise many of the challenges of the future will be solved through technology. And most of the major challenges don't have to do with the latest social network. For instance, if we want to solve the pollution problem, or have less CO2 in the atmosphere, then maybe we need to work more on clean coal technologies. Incidentally, it's amazing how far all of that technology has come in the last five years, but you don't hear much about it much do you?

Right and why is that? What about all the new material technology, and carbon nanotubes, and all the things that will make our cars lighter and stronger, and our aircraft more efficient? Technologies that will allow us to go down to the bottom of the ocean, and perhaps mine rare Earth elements from the seafloor without disturbing any aquatic life that is down there? Don't you want to learn about that sort of technology? Why are we being barraged with the latest sleek displays, e-readers, and smart phones? Isn't there more to life than that? Don't get me wrong, they are great little consumer personal tech devices, but.

It seems that the marketeers, the press releases, and an abundance of money flowing into those sectors have hijacked the definition of technology. People now read the news and assume that technology comes from Silicon Valley? Yes, I would submit to you that much of the hard-core technology comes from IBM, Intel, and other Silicon Valley companies - but that doesn't mean that all technology comes from Silicon Valley, or that it's the only place where major strides are being made and broken.

It seems to me that in the syndicated news such as Google, MSN, and some of the other search engines which offer all the news stories around the world, well, they ought to divide the technology section up with new categories such as:

Personal Tech Gadgets
Social Technologies
Real Technology

Why, because if they did that, then the up-and-coming engineers and scientists would understand that there's more to life and technology than just the latest cool gadget being designed in Silicon Valley, and made in China or Taiwan. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on.

MALAYSIA STAR: Burden or catalyst?

Really interesting….running a Proton Gen2 is more expensive in China than in Singapore….?

THE cost of cars is always a hot topic. Last month, International Trade and Industry (MITI) Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed again publicly reiterated that the number of Approved Permits (AP) for imported cars was still being kept at 10% of car sales, with 4% for franchise holders.

JOB VACANCY: HR Officer at AISIN

Interesting position at AISIN/ATAC, 24,000 Baht/month.

The Growth of Internet Technology: Will the Trend Continue?

The world has become a 'global village'. This oxymoron is because of the immense contribution of the internet and the way it has been able to successfully bring the globe together in a village like community. The term 'Global Village' was coined in 1970s by the great visionary Marshall McLuhan. This has been converted into reality by the growth of the internet technology and its continuing trend. Before delving deep into the stats, one can easily count the benefits of the internet in the field of transportation, communication, entertainment, medical science, education, research and development, logistics and many more. The growth of internet has been exemplary over the last couple of decades. It is already documented and speaks volume about how this technology has penetrated into the lives of the masses all over the globe.

It is unbelievable and surprising that the internet had just around 16 million users (about 0.4 percent of the global population) in 1995. Today, it has around 2,267 million users (December 2011). This is approximately 32.7 percent of the global population (source: IDC, International World Stats). In a span of 17 years the internet technology has grown by leaps and bounds. Off course, the credit for this impetus should also be given to the people and other emerging technologies that has consistently made internet more accessible, beneficial and omnipresent.

In common parlance, Internet refers to a global interconnection of networks owned and operated by industries, academia, government and other private entities. It is meant for the transition of knowledge, information and a viable means of communication. While racing with time, it has so far achieved and surpassed all the objectives of its authors and concept builders.

Even the flora and fauna has been impacted upon by the internet technology. If you are around 35 years of age then you can easily recollect the vintage years of this technology and the way by which it grew. The consolidation of the internet as a global platform has changed the way of communication and international and domestic business activities. Due to this technology, communication has no distance related barriers. It has integrated the whole world with a single thread and gave true meaning to the words 'global village'. It would not be an exaggeration if you call internet technology as the best and universal means of communication for billions of people.

The credit for this rapid growth of the internet technology should also go to the development of different protocols such as http and https, TCP/IP and IPv4 that may become IPv6 very soon. Moreover, Ethernet, routers, routing protocols, the development of the document object model, domain name resolution (DNS) and security measures like firewalls and fiber optics are some of the technological aspects that you should include in the list of the factors that has played a pivotal role in making internet technology such a big success.

One more thing that you can't afford to omit in this discussion is the role played by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). W3C has delivered all important interoperable technologies in the form of tools, guidelines, specifications and software to help the Web grow to its full potential. As a forum for information, communication, commerce and collective learning, W3C has innumerable contributions to the growth of the internet technology.

What is more intriguing and encouraging about the internet technology is its consistent growth over the years. Every day we come across about new products and services using this technology. It has given concrete platform for many industries to grow and benefit people. The latest buzz in the market related to the internet technology is the smartphone. Most recently, it has revitalized the complacent telecommunication and entertainment industry with fresh concepts and given vigor to achieve more and more in the coming years. So there is no harm in saying that the growing trend of internet technology that began a couple of decades ago is likely to continue and bring something new and improved.


Jennifer M Shields enjoys resolving tech issues that might take place with PCs, laptops, Macs and devices like iPhone, iPad, smartphones, digital camera etc. Being associated with Qresolve as a tech support engineer she carries experience of fixing more than thousand issues so far. As a part of professional computer support service provider she has been offering quick tech solutions to global customers through premium services like virus removal, PC optimization, PC security and support to emerging technologies. Her interest in disseminating awareness about technology has induced her to convey her skills into texts through articles, blogs and other online documents. She has got various documents published across the online platform and earned accolades from readers.