BOI Approves 9.2 Billion Baht Investment by Five Major Chinese Firms to Establish Humanoid Robot Parts Factories
A significant milestone for Thailand's industry as the Board of Investment (BOI) has approved five major Chinese companies to invest over 9.22 billion baht, marking the first time humanoid robot parts production will be established outside China.
Mr. Narit Therdsteerasak, Secretary-General of the Board of Investment (BOI) revealed that the BOI's subcommittee on investment promotion has approved the investment promotion applications from five leading Chinese companies: Hangzhou Seenpin Electromechanical Transmission, Beite Technology, Sanhua Intelligent Drives, Tuopu Technology, and Xusheng Group. They will invest in factories producing humanoid robot frameworks and control units for arm and finger joints, including high-precision metal parts, motion systems, and efficient power transmission components.
Their main customer is the Tesla Bot robot, and they will also supply clients such as Apple, Samsung, and Huawei. This will be the first production outside China. The five companies' initial investment totals 9.22 billion baht, creating about 1,000 skilled Thai jobs. They will also source raw materials and parts worth 45 billion baht annually from Thailand. Additionally, other leading firms are preparing to invest soon. This represents a key opportunity to build a new industrial cluster focused on advanced robot parts and automation technologies in Thailand.
- Hangzhou Seenpin Electromechanical Transmission received investment promotion to produce Planetary Roller Screws and Robot Ball Screws, which are high-precision power transmission components in humanoid robot drive systems. These parts must support high torque, precision, and continuous operation. The investment is 2.12 billion baht, located in Chonburi province.
- Beite Technology was approved to produce power transmission parts (Planetary Roller Screws) for humanoid robots, investing 1.67 billion baht in Chonburi. The company has also submitted a new application for another project worth 3 billion baht to produce Robot Ball Screws, which is currently under BOI consideration.
- Sanhua Intelligent Drives received investment promotion to produce actuators controlling motion for humanoid robots. These are essential parts acting like muscles, converting energy and control signals into various robot movements. The investment is 1.8 billion baht in Chonburi. Previously, the company was also promoted for advanced automotive parts production supplying BYD, Volvo, and Tesla, with a 3.2 billion baht investment.
- Tuopu Technology was granted investment promotion to produce actuators for humanoid robots with a 930 million baht investment in Chachoengsao. Previously, the company also received promotion for two advanced automotive parts projects valued at 3.5 billion baht.
- Xusheng Group received investment promotion to produce Robot Body, Joint, and Bone Components, which form the robot's framework supporting arms, legs, and joints to enable designed movements. They will use strong, lightweight, vibration-resistant materials suitable for robots requiring precision, safety, and high performance. The investment totals 2.7 billion baht, located in Rayong province.
- The humanoid robot industry is poised for rapid growth. Research centers project the global market value to reach 200 billion USD by 2030, with an average annual growth rate of 130%. The year 2027 is expected to be a technological turning point leading to rapid global production and commercial use of humanoid robots, driven by innovations such as Tesla's Optimus bipedal robot that can walk and perform complex tasks similar to humans.
“This is a crucial time as Thailand builds a new industrial base that will serve as a New Growth Engine for the country's economic growth. Beyond existing key sectors attracting global companies, such as electric vehicles, semiconductors, advanced electronics, digital technology, and biotechnology, one sector investors see great potential in is the production of key humanoid robot parts. This builds on Thailand’s strong industrial parts manufacturing foundation and will lay the groundwork for developing a robotics and automation industrial cluster that will become increasingly important in the future,” he said.
