UPDATE Q4/2018: SMART FARMING

4/2018 http://thailand.ahk.de

T H E M AG A Z I N E O F T H E G E R M A N - T H A I C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

SMART FARMING Building on smart farming: Thailand’s initiative for broad promotion of agriculture PREMIUM PARTNERS 2018

BASF enhancing digital platforms for precisive farming in Thailand

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FROM THE EDITOR Dear readers, Thailand’s agriculture, forestry and fishing industries employ about 17 million people, representing 43 per cent of Thailand’s total workforce. Yet, these industries generate only one-tenth of the country’s total gross domestic product of US$ 455 billion.

Therefore, advanced agriculture and biotechnology is one of the focus industries in the government of Thailand’s “Thailand 4.0” economic model. The government provides its full support to smart farming development and investment in modernising its agricultural sector.

Up to 12.4 million Thai farmers have registered themselves as “smart farmers”, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC). Although Thai farmers still use inappropriate materials for farm production and tend to overuse fertilisers and chemicals, they are driven towards modern farming technology. Conventional farming is being transformed into digital farming as a new precision agriculture model for the digital age. Smartphones are increasingly playing a key role in enhancing farmers’ knowledge of yield improvement and efficiency.

In addition to financial support of almost US$ 1 billion by the Ministry of Finance for agricultural reform in the first half of 2018, the MOAC recently launched the “Smart Farmer Project” to enhance the skills of farmers, especially the new generation. This will be done through various training courses and educational trips to visit model farms within Thailand and beyond.

In terms of the Government’s investment promotion, smart farming investment will be granted five years of corporate income tax exemption with no maximum capped amount, together with an exemption from import duty for machinery and raw materials used for the production of export goods. Such investment includes the development of system and software for resources management.

Germany can be a model for Thai agriculture to achieve smart farming. Following its long history of technology development, innovative agriculture has been smoothly deployed with the full support of the government of Germany. German-Thai co-operation in showcasing farming technologies also boosts the development of Thailand’s smart agriculture. For example, Germany’s leading trade fair in agricultural technology AGRITECHNICA, brought to Thailand last year, is organised biannually in Bangkok to strengthen Thailand's position as a hub for trade and investment in agricultural machinery and technologies. At the latest AGRITECHNICA ASIA, held in August 2018 at BITEC, Bangkok, the German company BASF presented xarvioTM, its latest tool for digital farming, and gained huge interest from many of the 10,000 visitors. Joint machinery usage was also introduced by the German Machinery Ring Association as an innovative approach to help farmers effectively utilise modern machines and reduce costs.

I trust you will enjoy an interesting and informative read.

Dr. Roland Wein UPDATE is published quarterly by the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce and distributed free of charge to members and qualified non-members in Thailand and abroad.

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CONTENTS

06

Building on smart farming: Thailand’s initiative for broad promotion of agriculture

10 Interview: BASF enhancing digital

platforms for precisive farming in Thailand

24 Farewell to German Ambassador H.E. Peter Prügel

25 Exclusive site visit to Würth (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

32 Collaboration with the GTDEE Apprenticeship Programme

SMART FARMING

GTDEE INSIGHT

12 Bosch transfers technologies from cars to

29 Round table meeting on quality assurance

agriculture

14 Evonik planning to create “the internet of chicken” 16 Reality and future of Thailand’s smart agriculture BUSINESS BRIEFS

31 VETNET Conference in Berlin, Germany

MEMBER’S CORNER 35 GTCC Member Speed Networking

19 New CEO of Mercedes-Benz Thailand

TRADE FAIRS

19 Sanet (Thailand) under new management

40 Power Transmission and Control Asia (PTC ASIA)

CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 22 GTCC Joint Chambers Luncheon: “GDPR and PDPB Readiness”

23 GTCC YP Network Evening: “Google’s Culture – 9 Principles of Innovation”

24 GTCC Ice-Breaker Networking – Welcome Back

41 bauma CHINA 42 International Green Week 2019 43 Spielwarenmesse 2019 44 BIOFACH 2019

06 SMART FARMING

BUILDING ON SMART FARMING: THAILAND’S INITIATIVE FOR BROAD PROMOTION OF AGRICULTURE Dr. Waldemar Duscha

© Getty Images/ArtistGNDphotography

In its new development strategy, “Thailand 4.0”, the Government places emphasis on the acceleration of the industrial development of ten “s-curve industries” — five current industries with high export potential and five future industries. The former includes agriculture and biotechnology.

“Smar t Farming” — also called “Farmers 4.0” — is aimed at combining knowledge, technology and digitalization to accelerate the development of agriculture. Highly developed measurement and control technology transfers data to specific software to optimize agricultural processes and to improve harvests. Commonly used tools are sensors that send climate, temperature and ground humidity data via the Internet. Other equipment includes GPS tracking, radiofrequency identification (RFID) and alarm systems.

Thailand is targeting the achievement of a modernised and more efficient agricultural industry with a focus on an enhanced resource regulation, the implementation of international standards and several approaches for ensuring higher value-added. The technology transfers require sensors, drones, GPS, satellites as well as software and electronic markets. The Government of Thailand has approved the first US$ 1 billion for an agricultural reform spread over several years.

UPDATE 4/2018

PUSH DUE TO FINANCIAL INCENTIVES The Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI) is spearheading a Digital Farming programme. The governmental agency wants to favour both small and large investments by national and international companies with tax benefits and non-fiscal incentives, such as corporate income tax exemption, for several years. The BOI differentiates between © Getty Images/MarsYu three fields of action for investment incentives.

SMART FARMING 07

Incentives catalogue of the Board of Investment Activity

Purpose, standard, technology

Production of tracking, monitoring and control systems.

Regulation of resources (water, fertilizers and pesticides) in agricultural projects, smart greenhouses and services.

Upgrading of production processes to Best Practice.

Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), food safety management systems ISO 22000 and similar international standards.

Higher value-added and efficiency in harvests and processed agricultural products.

The production of organic and nano-chemical fertilizers and pesticides, quality control, plant and animal breeding, packaging and conservation, and trade markets.

Source: Board of Investment For the BOI, meaningful aids include satellite images, forecast software and ar tificial intelligence to enable rapid decisions by farmers in “real time”. Drones, robots or self-driving tractors, controlled from a smartphone or tablet, are the next generation of technological aid. Well-funded companies are already investing in new technologies.

For example, Thailand’s biggest sugar cane production company Mitr Phol uses drones, satellite images and GPS tracking on its combine harvesters.

In addition to the lack of sufficient know-how, financing is a major challenge for a vast majority of farmers. The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) is considering the establishment of a US$ 150 million investment fund for smart farmers, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and agricultural cooperatives. Knowledge required for future precision agriculture will expand due to digitalization as well as smart devices and apps. For example, the henhouses of Betagro and the water circulation system of Charoen Pokphand Foods’ shrimp farming are already highly automated.

In addition, financial support of almost US$

“ In the long term, foreign direct investment in the industry will increase. In the first quarter of 2018, 11 out of 215 foreign projects, with an investment volume of US$ 43 million or 5.5 per cent of the total foreign investment, were realised in agriculture and biotechnology.”

1 billion for agricultural reform was granted as a supplementary budget by the Ministry of Finance for the first half of 2018. The main focus is on water management, the restructuring of rice, rubber and palm oil plants, and investment in silos, warehouses and other infrastructure. The programme marks the star t of three to four years of agricultural reform, which will be enshrined in the budget of 2019.

E-COMMERCE ACCELERATES DISTRIBUTION Th e A s i a n De ve lo p me nt Bank (A DB) believes agr iculture needs to under go radical transformation. Positive examples of

modernised farming can be seen in China and Vietnam, with co-operation and digital e-commerce markets for high-value goods such as fruit, vegetables and tea. Co-operation enables consolidation of resources and thus higher scales of returns.

Chinese trading company Alibaba has set a milestone with an electronic marketplace for Thai farmers and SMEs. Its founder, Mr. Jack Ma, has assured the Thai Government of at least US$ 3 billion of investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor during the next five years.

Alibaba’s electronic market, “Thai Rice Flagship Store”, offers an opportunity to sell excess mass products or high-value tropical fruit such as durian on its Tmall.com platform.

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08 SMART FARMING

In the long term, foreign direct investment in the industry will increase. In the first quarter of 2018, 11 out of 215 foreign projects, with an investment volume of US$ 43 million or 5.5 per cent of the total foreign investment, were realised in agriculture and biotechnology.

PRICE FLUCTUATION AND AGEING RISKS Thailand’s agriculture, forestry and fishing industries employ about 17 million people, representing 43 per cent of Thailand’s total workforce, yet generating only one-tenth of the country’s total gross domestic product of US$ 455 billion. Due to the cyclical character of the market, which is caused by climatic fluctuation and volatile world market © Getty Images/jxtzsy prices, the industry’s growth is proceeding slowly. Thailand’s major cash crops, such as rice, sugar and cassava, are especially affected by the cyclical character of the market.

Important agricultural products (2016) Product

Value (million US$)

Volume (1,000 t)

Rice

6,329

25,268

Rubber

5,121

4,477

Sugar cane

2,872

87,468

Cassava

3,067

31,161

Mangoes, mangosteen, guava

2,056

3,432

Other tropical fruit

1,030

2,521

Pineapple

516

1,812

Palm oil

807

12,082

Bananas

303

1,075

Chillies

416

379

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT).

Due to the increasing number of younger people moving into the cities, the demographic phenomenon of an ageing society — “Greying Asia” — is having the strongest impact on agriculture. Consequently, smart farming could attract an agricultural start-up generation. This hope is nurtured by experiences in developed countries, as recently presented in February 2018 at the “Israel-Thai Agriculture Technologies 2018” seminar. The trend is clear – the share of 40- to 60-year-old people has increased from 39 per cent to 49 per cent in the past 10 years, while the share of younger people has decreased from 48 per cent to 32 per cent.

A recent study by the Bank of Thailand and the Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic

UPDATE 4/2018

Research (PIER) revealed the significant predicament of the income situation. Forty per cent of farming households are living below the poverty line of US$ 1,000 a year, while the average income of agricultural households, with 2.7 family members, is US$ 1,780. While younger farmers have already been able to specialise successfully, the returns-of-scale are still not be sufficiently profitable.

Contact details: Dr. Waldemar Duscha Representative in Thailand Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI) www.gtai.de/thailand www.gtai.de/asien-pazifik

INTERVIEW 09

FROM CROP PROTECTION TO INTEGRATED SMART FARMING: BASF ENHANCING DIGITAL PLATFORMS FOR PRECISIVE FARMING IN THAILAND Petrus Ng, Managing Director of BASF (Thai) Limited.

Conventional farming is being transformed into digital farming as a new precision agriculture model for the digital age. Smartphones are increasingly playing a key role rather than computers in boosting the development of farmers’ knowledge of yields improvement and efficiency as well as connecting with modern agricultural tools, especially in rural areas.

BASF has seen that transformation as an opportunity to reach out to, and better serve, farmers through digital technology. Last year, the company acquired ZedX, a leader in digital agricultural intelligence, to help it further develop its Maglis® digital services porfolio. BASF has also recently completed its acquisition of a range of seed and nonselective herbicide businesses from Bayer Crop Science, which also included the later company’s digital solutions platform, xarvio™.

For this issue of UPDATE Magazine, GTCC is pleased to have the opportunity to interview Mr. Petrus Ng, Managing Director of BASF (Thai) Limited. Since 2016, Mr. Ng has been responsible for Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Cambodia, with more than 20 years of BASF management experience in the region. During these years he has gained a deep understanding of several business units ranging from country management, regional business and operation management to strategy development.

Thailand looks forward to enhancing its value-based industries and to developing “Thailand 4.0”. How fast, and in which context, will the digital disruption affect Thai agriculture?

The Government of Thailand is trying its best to transform the entire Thai economy. We believe that initiatives in value-based industries are the right way to drive Thailand towards the future. BASF is happy that agriculture is one of Thailand’s focus industries. We can observe many initiatives that create promising opportunities. Today, 40 per cent of the Thai workforce is involved in working in the agricultural sector, yet generating only 10 per cent of Thailand’s

gross domestic product (GDP). Thus, the country has a chance to make use of its good infrastructure and to enhance its economic power as well as efficiency by implementing the “Thailand 4.0” approach.

Today we talk about smartphones, artificial intelligence (AI), data mining (the process of discovering patterns in large data sets), and digital technology. These are more widely available and easy to access for decisive farming that will help farmers to increase the yields and crop quality. One thing about digitalization is that Thailand nowadays has a quite good infrastructure. 4G technology is now common as there are many ser vice providers; smar tphones are much more affordable, so that most farmers are now using them. With the new technology, farmers are able to access information in Thailand and it can be shared by multimedia. For example, at the end of last year, we launched the BASF “Facebook” page for crop protection. Within less than two months more than 10,000 farmers were following our page; today, we reach more than 36,000 people in Thailand.

We use this application to share information on the latest technologies, products and markets. Another digital application we use is “Line”. We have created different Line groups

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10 INTERVIEW

for different crops, such as durians which are in big demand in the Chinese market.

Based on your experiences from indirect contact with farmers via social media channels, do you believe that Thai farmers are ready for Agriculture 4.0?

There are two aspects. First, through the availability of the 4G smartphones, farmers can access social media to get information about prices, crop conditions and weather data, demand and supply of certain products, tools and modern technology. The second aspect concerns actual farming. Even though information sharing is quite widely utilised now, smar t farming is based on digital technology and the transformation from conventional to modern farming is therefore still challenging. Thus, this is a work in progress.

However, technology moves very fast and people adapt themselves ver y well to technology. We tried to connect to farmers three years ago. At that time, they did not have smartphones yet, just normal mobile phones. They liked messages, but unluckily no one replied when we sent messages to them because they did not read them. It was difficult to change their habits. However, last year we found that almost all farmers had smartphones as well as Line and Facebook accounts. They followed whatever was sent to their smartphones. Therefore, we decided to launch the “BASF Facebook”.

Right now, farmers monitor commodity prices, crop situations and weather forecasts on their phones and from mobile applications. They are ready for smart farming, depending on their type of agricultural production. For fruit agriculture, farmers tend to monitor market situations closely on the digital platform. Our experience has shown that our farmers have trust in us, follow our advice and are ready for Agriculture 4.0, but that there still is much work in progress and room for improvements. The theory is easy, but the implementation is difficult.

What is the potential of smart agriculture in Thailand and the ASEAN region? Will smallholder farmers be able to afford the new technologies?

An increase in demand for quality food can be observed in Thailand and around the world, while the area used for agricultural purposes is shrinking at the same time. Thus, limited land area has to satisfy the demands of an increasing population. Smart farming, especially precisive farming, can help farmers to achieve better quality of crops and increases in their yields. Modern technologies can help in using land more efficiently and in maximizing the output.

Furthermore, we believe that both types of farmers will be able to deploy smar t technologies. About 80 per cent of the food supply in Asia is generated by smallholder farmers. Under the 4.0 concept, the Thai Government is trying to establish large-scale farming, which means grouping smallholder farmers together in certain areas to produce

UPDATE 4/2018

similar types of crops. This will enable the smallholder farmer s to access modern technologies and to increase their yields as well as achieve better quality crops. However, in terms of smart farming, it is important not to neglect smallholders who operate by themselves.

What are your opportunities, challenges and current products in Thailand’s smart agricultural sector?

In addition to digital solutions, the combination of modern technologies and innovative agrochemical solutions, which enhance performance and the crop protection, enables great opportunities for the agricultural industry. Modern technologies are becoming more popular among famers, which opens the agricultural sector to modern technologybased products. For example, we can prevent yield loss, caused by weather conditions, by analysing collected data with our smar t farming applications in order to predict the spray time for agrochemicals. By using BASF chemicals and smart applications, farmers can optimise their yields and reduce the amount of chemicals used on their fields. Thus, farmers can maximize yields, reduce their inputs and find the right dosage of agrochemicals by using modern technologies.

In addition, we know that in Thailand and many other countr ies, consumer s and governments are increasingly concerned about the impact of agrochemicals on the environment and people’s health. While we strongly believe that the science behind crop protection technologies demonstrate their

INTERVIEW 11

safety when used as intended, smart farming can also help ensure more targeted and efficient use of agrochemicals — meaning that we can better protect crop yields and the health of farmers, consumers, and the environment.

With the acquisition of xarvio™ you have expanded your product portfolio in the digital farming solution segment. Will it be necessar y to implement more digital solutions?

The three main functions of xarvio™ — Field Manager, Scouting and Digital Advisor — fit the region. Analysing big data with artificial intelligence can, for example, provide farmers with valuable information about leaf damage, detection of diseases and the classification of weeds in their fields. Farmers can be educated by receiving information about how to solve issues, and the analysing process of the application will constantly be improved by feeding the software’s database with new input by farmers. Fur ther, xar vio™ is a top-up to our digital solution, Maglis®, which we are using to suppor t growers in optimizing the use of crop protection products.

Offering more than one digital tool is important to helping farmers to use proper farming techniques as well as find in-time solutions for problems occurring in their fields.

Farmers should not be solely concerned about the quantity but also about the quality of their yields. The digital solutions we offer will educate farmers and at the same time help them to minimize losses caused by improper farming techniques.

What is the market size and market growth of crop protection in Thailand and the ASEAN region?

The value of the crop protection market is about 2.5 billion euros in the ASEAN region, of which Thailand’s market accounts for about 500 million euros, which puts the country in third place after Vietnam and Indonesia. The crop protection market is growing, both in Thailand and ASEAN, partially based on the higher demand for healthy food and the modern way of farming. In Thailand, BASF offers products and solutions in ever y agricultural market segment in order to increase and enhance crop yields.

“Right now, farmers monitor commodity prices, crop situations and weather forecasts on their phones and from mobile applications. They are ready for smart farming, depending on their type of agricultural production.”

What are the advantages of your products over those of your competitors?

BASF focuses strongly on research and development (R&D) and we will launch several new products and technologies in Thailand within the next few years. We will introduce a digital solution that will help farmers to achieve higher yields for the Thai market later this year and in 2019. For instance, functions of xarvio™ need to be customised to Thai contexts and language. In the long-term, our strength will be built on R&D and products in the pipeline.

In the short- and medium-term our advantages are based on the products and services BASF is able to provide in order to educate farmers, increase yields and achieve better quality crops.

What are your success factors in the smart agricultural sector?

Innovation is the key to BASF’s success. Looking back over the past 150 years, BASF’s success has always been based on innovations. We have put a great deal of effort into R&D and have spent almost 2 billion euros on it, which amounts to around 3 per cent of our turnover.

Today, we have more than 10,000 employees working in R&D-related fields who are developing the baseline for future achievements.

How has BASF benefitted from the Thai Government initiatives and promotion?

There are many government initiatives for large-scale farming and related educational opportunities in schools, but there is still a long way to go in completely changing from conventional to smart farming. Given the fact that 40 per cent of Thai workforce is involved, the transformation is challenging and a catalyst for acceleration is needed. A partnership between the Government and companies and non-governmental organisations involved in agriculture is important in successfully promoting and driving the change towards Agriculture 4.0. BASF is already playing its part by supporting farmers with smart products, educational applications and meetings, innovative agrochemicals and the promotion of safety tools in accelerating this transformation of the agricultural industry.

For more information, please visit BASF Website: http://crop-protection.basf.co.th and Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/BASF.CropProtection.Thailand Interviewed by Chadaphan Maliphan and Niklas Schulte, GTCC Team

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12 SMART FARMING

BOSCH TRANSFERS TECHNOLOGIES FROM CARS TO AGRICULTURE Inga Ehret

The market for agricultural technology is growing worldwide, with farmers using sensors to determine the perfect time for harvesting, consulting apps to measure soil temperature and steering automated tractors across fields.

It is also a lucrative field for Bosch. From powertrain systems for tractors and hydraulic solutions for agricultural machiner y, to connected products for smart farming, the company is transfer r ing automotive technology to agriculture, and as a result has already generated sales with agricultural technology worth 1 billion euros. Moreover, this business is set to keep on growing.

GROWING AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS By the middle of the next decade, Bosch plans to double sales of technologies for agriculture. “Bosch can do more than cars and cordless screwdrivers. We are bringing high tech to farms, opening up a market wor th billions,” according to Dr. Markus Heyn, a member of the Robert Bosch GmbH board of management.

UPDATE 4/2018

The challenges are considerable, given the fact that the world is home to a constantly growing number of people. According to several studies, the world’s population will total 8 billion by 2025. To feed people, more food needs to be grown. However, the amount of arable land is not increasing, which means farmers need to increase their yields.

While one farmer fed four people in 1900, the figure now is feeding 155 people — and that figure is on the r ise , according to Rheinischer Landwirtschafts-Verband.

One key to higher yields and more farming efficiency is connectivity. Studies indicate that themarket for digital agriculture is set to grow worldwide from 3.5 billion euros today to 6 billion euros. Smart farming and the connectivity of agriculture are catapulting farms into the future — and are driving forward new technologies at Bosch. From field connectivity to machiner y, Bosch solutions support farmers in their everyday work and help optimise harvests or make operating processes more efficient.

SMART FARMING 13

“ …the world’s population will total 8 billion by 2025.

To feed people, more food needs to be grown.

However, the amount of arable land is not increasing, which means farmers need to increase their yields…

One key to higher yields and more farming efficiency is connectivity.”

Bosch is also applying MEMS sensors, which were originally developed for car s, to agriculture. These sensors measure relevant values such as temperature and humidity, and transmit them via the “Cloud” to farmers’ smartphones. By using an app, they are able to keep an eye on their crops at all times, no matter where they are, without having to actively check on crops in the field. Thus, farmers save time and increase the quality and yields of their products. Another service that the Bosch IoT Cloud can help to become reality is connecting agricultural machinery. Vehicle data can be used to predict faults and remedy them in good time, thus preventing breakdowns and expensive repairs in the first place.

As par t of a research par tnership with Bayer, Bosch is developing smar t spraying technology. Using camera sensors, it is able to differentiate between crops and weeds,

and target weeds with pesticides — at lightning speed, in a single process.

Smart Cab, which Bosch co-developed as a member of the CAB concept cluster, turns agricultural vehicles into connected command centres in the field. All components — vehicles, cameras and drones — can interact with each other in the smart cab. Via the Cloud, cameradrones send detailed pictures of the condition of crops to the driver’s cab, and operators can receive warnings from the object recognition camera about living obstacles such as deer. Using a feature store, vehicle users can download certain functions over the air directly to the machine.

THAI MARKET HAS HUGE POTENTIAL The Thai market has also shown high potential for smart agricultural products and

services. “Smart farming is one of the Thai Government’s key topics on the S-Curve.

There is high market potential in Thailand since the country is a major producer and exporter of agricultural products. As for challenges, many ideas are possible, but determining the pain points and finding/ developing the solution to effectively address the issues in a sustainable and cost-effective way is the key. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, as different crops may require different approaches,” explained Mr. Joseph Hong, Managing Director of Robert Bosch in Thailand.

Following its plan to market products and services in Thailand’s smart agriculture sector, the company is currently exploring and studying the readiness of Thailand’s infrastructure, local field experts and endusers for the transition to smart farming technology.

Contact details: Inga Ehret Corporate Communications and Brand Management Robert Bosch GmbH Tel: +49 711 811-16476 Inga.Ehret@de.bosch.com www.bosch-press.com

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© istock.com/gpointstudio.

14 SMART FARMING

EVONIK PLANNING TO CREATE “THE INTERNET OF CHICKEN” Evonik Nutrition and Care GmbH

Evonik is pursuing a holistic, data and knowledge-based approach to optimizing health, animal well-being and productivity in poultry farming.

To achieve this objective, the company is now linking its competency in animal nutrition with modern digital technologies.

The chicken farm of the future will be fully digitalised. It will use intelligent sensors and integrated systems to generate optimal climate conditions. Animal health will be continuously monitored: What does the clucking say about the mood in the barn? Is the flock’s body temperature at a normal level? Are the animals eating and drinking enough? Sensors and microphones will provide information, while specialized software will analyse the collected data. In the event that any questions and problems arise, a support system comprising selflearning ar tificial intelligence components will help. In addition, consumers will be able to get access to data; thus, this availability of a wealth of important information will create transparency about animal farming, breeding, and slaughtering.

It will most likely take more time to establish these conditions, but the researchers and developers of Evonik have already started to work on the Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) system for poultry.

The term stands for the use of digital technologies to gather knowledge and data in order to develop effective recommendations with verifiable benefits. Based on its analytical services for amino acids, Evonik already has many years of experience with digital business models in agriculture.

UPDATE 4/2018

“We are now linking our competency and innovation capacity in animal nutrition with modern digital technologies in order to create added value for customers and consumers,” according to Prof. Stefan Pelzer, the head of the Gut Health and Diagnostics Innovation Unit at Evonik. To achieve this target, the company plans to dig deep into data — its own, those of scientific studies and those of customers.

DETECTING CHANGES IN REAL TIME The vision is this: The Evonik PLF system will give meat producers precise information about the current condition of the animals in a flock and their development. The necessary data will be recorded and evaluated automatically, with results conveniently available via an app on a smar t phone, tablet or laptop. The system will detect changes in important parameters in real time. The program will provide daily recommendations for feeding and livestock management, with a primary focus on improving meat quality.

“The combination of digital technologies and product innovations enables increased productivity. At the same time, it substantially reduces the use of antibiotic growth promoters, which still are frequently being mixed into the feed,” says Prof. Pelzer. “Our goal is to keep animals healthy and raise them without any unnecessary drugs.”

Animal health is a top priority for Evonik in product innovations. The

SMART FARMING 15

Evonik scientists consider the chicken gut a decisive element. This is the location where feed is digested and where important immune functions are situated — many infectious diseases have their origin in the gut.

To better understand the complex processes in the digestive system, Evonik has been working to develop a chicken gut simulation model since late 2015 within the scope of the “Good Bacteria and Bioactives in Industry” innovation alliance, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (GOBI, “Industrial bioeconomics” funding category, funding reference number 031B0074 A - C). The model is intended to reflect the interactions between feed, the immune system and the intestinal flora, and will enable the testing of feed additives such as probiotics.

" The chicken farm of the future will be fully digitalised.

It will use intelligent sensors and integrated systems to generate optimal climate conditions. Animal health will be continuously monitored…”

MAKING USE OF DATA AND KNOWLEDGE The productivity of a chicken farm is influenced by many factors, which must be understood and made measurable. From the data obtained, together with existing knowledge, digitalization can then be used to derive recommendations for optimizing the conditions in which the animals are kept.

Probiotics are living natural microorganisms that unfold their effect in the intestines.

Their metabolic products have a positive impact on the composition of bacteria in the digestive system, strengthen the immune system, and boost the resilience and health of animals. The Evonik por tfolio already includes a number of probiotics for animals such as GutCare ® , which was specifically developed for use with poultry.

In feeding studies involving GutCare ® in chicken farms, it was possible to confirm the performance of the product. “That could make our probiotic an alternative to the prophylactic use of feed antibiotics,” Prof.

Pelzer explained. This is an important point, since the World Health Organization sees a link between antibiotic growth promoters and the occurrence of increasingly resistant pathogens in humans.

Evonik researchers are also working on the development of quick and simple test systems that will allow chicken-farm managers to make assessments of the health of poultry livestock. Evonik’s goal is to warn poultry producers when an infection is about to arise, based on these new tests, so they can implement suitable countermeasures at an early stage.

Note: This image may only be used with acknowledgment of source and in connection with Evonik. Storage on ser vers and fur ther use is prohibited.

Contact details: Pinyo Kantasakorn BIG DATA IN CHICKEN FARMS Evonik (Thailand) Ltd. Tel: +66 2 030 7902 Evonik plans to contribute to improved health Email: pinyo.kantasakorn@evonik.com and productivity in chicken farming by means animal-nutrition.evonik.com of systematic data collection and evaluation and custom-tailored feed additives.

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16 SMART FARMING

REALITY AND FUTURE OF THAILAND’S SMART AGRICULTURE Chadaphan Maliphan

New technologies are disrupting the agricultural sector globally, as they offer more comprehensive analyses and precisive solutions at every level of the agricultural production. Inevitably, digital technologies are also transforming Thai agriculture. The question is, how fast?

Borderless e-Commerce has recently opened up to agricultural products and made them easy to access from different parts of the world. The Internet of Things (IoT) and intelligent sensor systems now empower farmers to monitor their produce in real-time and adjust inputs accordingly. Modern machinery has made food processing more efficient and less costly.

Currently, Thailand is Asia’s second-largest food exporter after China, with its main export products comprising rice, tapioca, canned pineapple and seafood as well as corn and sugar cane. Driven by the “Thailand 4.0” economic model, the Government of Thailand provides its full support to smart farming investment in the country. Under the current investment promotion scheme, smart farming and its related services, such as detection or tracking systems, resource regulation systems and smar t greenhouse systems, are classified under the A3 category of the Activity-Based Incentives.

the Micro-Climate Monitoring System, using a network of sensors to detect key data on temperature, humidity, light, wind speed and air pressure. The collected data are analysed by the intelligent system to increase output yield and reduce the risk of failure. Another example is FarmD Asia, a smart farm service that aims to boost agricultural productivity through its pre-programmable pesticide-releasing aerial drone. The drone can cover approximately six to eight acres in a single flight to reduce farmers’ risk of exposure to chemicals as well as save time and lower cost, Thailand’s Board of Investment reported in May this year.

In terms of the readiness of Thai agriculture, it sounds promising that up to 12.4 million Thai farmers have registered themselves as “smart farmers”, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC). Apart from large-scale producers such as Mitrphol and Betagro, some Thai small and medium-sized entrepreneurs have started to explore the options for future agriculture.

In reality, the road to Thailand’s smart farming is still winding. Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives General Chatchai Sarikulya admits that Thai farmers in general still use inappropriate materials for farm production. Many of them have overused fertilisers and chemicals; as a result, their costs have soared unnecessarily. Some farmers are still unaware of the climate change and environmental impact of their farming activities. In addition, few farmers really know about accessing weather updates and other important information.

For example, researchers at Mahidol University and GranMonte Farm, a renowned vineyard in Nakhon Ratchasima province, have created

To combat this problem, the MOAC launched the “Smart Farmer Project” with a budget of 103 million baht in March 2018 to enable

OPTIONS FOR FUTURE AGRICULTURE

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SMART FARMING 17

the skills development of at least 182,077 farmers. The project is targeting 65,000 new generation farmers in the first year in order to replace ageing farmers. The project is also set to develop teams of government officials at the district and provincial levels in order to support farmers’ competencies and their learning process. Activities, including training and educational trips to visit model farms within Thailand and beyond, are also planned for these farmers. The “Digital Farmer” mobile application was recently launched by MOAC. Only in the Thai language, it features four categories: (1) Know(ledge), (2) News (about the ministry’s policies and activities), (3) Trade (market prices for crops) and (4) Service (related apps).

AGRITECHNICA ASIA TO ACCELERATE MORE DIGITAL AGRICULTURE The future of digital farming in Asia and Thailand was the focus of the recent trade fair, AGRITECHNICA ASIA 2018 at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center (BITEC), which was jointly organised by DLG e.V. International GmbH (German Agricultural Society) and VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific Co., Ltd. from 22 to 24 August 2018. Official co-hosts included MOAC, the Department of Agriculture Extension and the Department of Agriculture, with support from Germany's Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau.

The trade fair showcased farming technology from 29 countries and shared best practices in agriculture, including drone technology and precision farming. BASF also presented its latest tool for digital farming, xarvioTM and gained huge interest from many of the 10,000 visitors.

The aim of AGRITECHNICA ASIA is to further strengthen Thailand's position as a hub for trade and investment in agricultural machinery and technologies, which will enhance the country’s significant role in the world's agricultural sector. The next AGRITECHNICA ASIA will take place in 2020.

One of the most informative topics on smar t farming at AGRITECHICA ASIA 2018 was “Farming goes Digital – Ways to Get Agriculture Smart and Digital”, which was discussed by Dr. Werner Kloos, Deputy Director-General for Agriculture of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Mr. René Döbelt, Chairman and Vice-President of DLG’s Department of Exhibitions, Mr. Khalili Rosly, CEO and Co-Founder of MKR Hartamas, and Mr. Andree-Georg Girg, GlobalCommercialisation Head of Digital Farming and Managing

Director of BASF Digital Farming GmbH xarvioTM, and moderated

by Dr. Klaus Erdle, Division Manager Plant production and Field Operations and Head of the DLG International Crop Production Center. The discussants agreed that there was still a lack of utilising smart agro-technology in the ASEAN region and farmers view it as an extra cost. Therefore, the additional value of new technologies should exceed the initial costs. However, the acceptance level of digitalization is increasing as new technology evolves very fast.

Mr. Rosly believed that farmers would ultimately need to acquire precisive data to support themselves in order to make progress. In the long term, implementation of digital tools on a farm will decrease expenses such as labour and material costs. Research collaboration with universities for smart agriculture is a common approach in other ASEAN countries and Europe.

The German-Thai Chamber of Commerce (GTCC) also supports the development of Thailand’s smart agriculture through valuable learning experiences. As the official representative of DLG in Thailand, GTCC organises a biannual business and study trip for Thai people in the agricultural sector to exclusively visit the trade fair and selected world-class companies in Germany. The next business trip will take place in November 2020.

“THAILAND COULD ACHIEVE SMART FARMING WITHIN 10 YEARS” Germany's agriculture industry expor ted produce and farming machinery worth € 78.3 billion (US$ 95.9 billion) in 2017, according to the German Export Association for Food and Agriproducts. It remained the world’s third-largest exporter of agricultural products.

Following the country’s long history of technology development, innovative agriculture has been smoothly deployed with the full support of the Government of Germany.

Dr. Klaus Erdle from DLG International believes that Thailand’s agriculture can be on the same level as that currently in Germany within the next 10 years, as Thailand has a well-connected agriculture network that can accelerate the agricultural development towards smart farming. However, he said, the development of the agriculture industry would have to be carried out, step by step. Thai farmers have to be educated first before smart farming technology can be deployed.

For example, they need to understand farming structure and soil conditions. He also suggested that educational seminars “might be a more successful way for local and experienced farmers to share knowledge with their colleagues as farmers trust farmers”.

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BUSINESS BRIEFS 19

NEW CEO OF MERCEDES-BENZ THAILAND Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Limited organised its CEO Handover Reception "Night of the Legend Star" on 6 September 2018 at the Siam Hotel. GTCC’s President, Vice-President, Board members, members and Director joined the reception to bid farewell to Mr. Michael Grewe and welcome the new Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) CEO, Mr. Roland Sebastian Folger. Mr. Folger will take up the position from 1 October 2018, after heading Mercedes-Benz India since 2015. Mr. Grewe will take up his new role at Mercedes-Benz Taiwan.

SANET THAILAND UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT Since 1 September 2018, 37-year-old Asia expert Mr. Alexander Alles has served German-Thai consulting company, Sanet (Thailand) Co. Ltd., as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer (COO). He succeeds Sanet founder and board member, Dr. Gunter Denk, who will continue to play an active role in the company as board chairperson.

Mr. Alles began his international career as a project manager in Asian distribution for a German SME in Berlin. His experience there led to him receiving an offer from the German-Asian Business Circle (DAW) in Frankfurt to facilitate negotiations between German and Asian companies. He first came in touch with Sanet in 2008, as he was the Director of International Relations at the DAW while Sanet was the organization’s representative in Thailand.

Mr. Alles’ work for the DAW got him noticed in Brussels, where he was offered a position as European Union partnership co-ordinator for the EU SME Centre for a project under the purview of the European Commission. The EU SME Centre provides support for to European SMEs planning their market entry into China. His work on behalf of the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry (EUROCHAMBRES) yielded impressive success.

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20 BUSINESS BRIEFS

BayWa r.e OPENS RENEWABLE ENERGY CONTROL CENTRE GmbH, commented: “Our new operations centre will provide the very best monitoring, security and management services for our customers located in the Asia-Pacific region.

We will be closer to the operators, service technicians, grid operators and their third par ties, enabling us to provide better maintenance, shorten our reaction time and improve analysis to achieve the very best performance for our customers’ solar and wind plants.”

Global renewable energy developer, service provider and wholesaler, BayWa r.e. recently opened a new central control room in Bangkok.

The operations centre was established in direct response to the significant increase in wind and solar energy projects that BayWa r.e. is now managing within the Asia-Pacific region.

Mr. Marc Niem, Managing Director of BayWa r.e. Operation Services

Located in the Indochina time zone, the new control room will bebetter suited to its customers throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

The centre will work side by side with BayWa r.e.’s main control centre in Munich, Germany. With a presence in both Europe and Southeast Asia the control centres will provide BayWa r.e.’s customers with around the world, real time, 24-hour cover and support.

BayWa r.e. is currently overseeing 5,190 MW of renewable power, which is set to rise by a further 220 MW as more projects come online in Asia and Australia at the end of the year.

SSI SCHAEFER EXPANDS AGV COMPETENCE In order to meet the increasing demand for Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), SSI Schaefer is expanding its product portfolio in this future-oriented area by co-operation with, and investment in, the Austrian AGV specialist DS AUTOMOTION. DS AUTOMOTION has been specialising in the development and production of highly dynamic AGVs for more than 30 years and has become one of the world’s leading manufacturers in this sector. Its focus is on the automotive, hospital and health care, agriculture and industry sectors as well as on innovative logistics 4.0 applications.

“With this investment, we are expanding our existing AGV portfolio, which has already seen the implementation of numerous 2Move® or 2Store® applications thanks to the MoTuM organisation”, explained Rob Schmit, EVP Technology & Innovation at SSI Schaefer. This new partnership will provide a significant boost for these competencies with regard to the variety of vehicle types, expertise in navigation technology and overall project management.

UPDATE 4/2018

SSI Schaefer integrates customised AGV solutions, for a wide range of applications, into holistic logistics solutions. This investment is in line with the system supplier’s strategy of continuously expanding its specialist expertise and solution portfolio in future-oriented areas.

For more information, please visit: https://www.ssi-schaefer.com

BUSINESS BRIEFS 21

MAZARS WINS THE XERO REGIONAL PARTNER OF THE YEAR – ASIA AWARD At Xerocon 2018, Mazars was crowned as Xero’s Regional Partner of the Year – Asia. The annual Xero awards recognise excellence across the bookkeeping and accounting industries as well as third-par ty app developers.

This award is proof of Mazars’ leadership in Asia, enabling Xero to provide high-quality and innovative services to its clients that range from local startups to multinationals.

With one common goal of multi-country engagement and driving cross-border growth for clients, Mazars is proud to be operating a truly global model, that enables it to support its clients consistently and seamlessly across Asia and the rest of the world.

Mr. Jonathan Fryer, Accounting and Payroll Ser vic e s par tn er of M a z a r s , w a s i n Brisbane to receive the award. “It is fantastic recognition of the work we are doing for our clients in Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam Viet Nam and the Philippines. Xero has enabled us to really innovate the range of services we can provide to our clients,” he said.

For more information, please visit the Mazars website: https://www.mazars.co.th

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22 CHAMBER ACTIVITIES

GTCC JOINT CHAMBERS LUNCHEON: “GDPR AND PDPB READINESS”

In partnership with Baker McKenzie and co-operation with other bilateral Chambers, GTCC hosted a Joint Chambers Business Luncheon on the topic of “GDPR and PDPB Readiness” on 19 June 2018 at the Sukhothai Hotel Bangkok. The speakers from Baker McKenzie shared their expertise on key policies, practical considerations and market approaches that should be considered in order to reduce non-compliance risks.

STAMMTISCH BANGKOK AT “BEI OTTO” The third GTCC Stammtisch Bangkok of 2018 took place at Bei Otto on 21 June 2018. GTCC Board Members Khun Krisna Thiengtham, Dr. Monpilai Narasingha and GTCC Executive Director Dr. Roland Wein opened the event by welcoming more than 50 guests, friends and partners from the German-Thai business community. The participants then joined a lively networking with traditional German food and beer.

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CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 23

GTCC YP NETWORK EVENING: "GOOGLE'S CULTURE-9 PRINCIPLES OF INNOVATION"

The Chamber was very pleased to welcome Mr. Ben King, Country Director of Google Thailand, as the keynote speaker of the GTCC Young Professionals Network Evening held at Anantara Sathorn Bangkok Hotel on 12 July 2018. His presentation on "Google's Culture – 9 Principles of Innovation" provided the participants with first-hand insights about Google’s work culture and underlying principles that make the company as successful as it is. The session was followed by dynamic business networking.

GTCC SEMINAR ON DIGITAL MARKETING

GTCC, in collaboration with CRM and Cloud Consulting and SAP Thailand Ltd., hosted a seminar on the topic of digital marketing at the GTCC office on 2 August 2018. More than 30 participants from different industries were able to enhance and deepen their digital marketing and analytics knowledge in the framework of "GTCC Seminar: Accelerate Your Marketing Team — Modern Digital Marketing by SAP".

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24 CHAMBER ACTIVITIES

FAREWELL TO GERMAN AMBASSADOR H.E. PETER PRÜGEL

The GTCC President, the Board of Directors, GTCC members, the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director joined to express their sincere gratitude for three years of steadfast collaboration and to bid farewell to German Ambassador to Thailand H.E. Peter Prügel and Madam Lucia Costantini Prügel at the Ambassador's Residence on 25 July 2018. After serving for three eventful years in Thailand, Mr. Prügel will take up his new assignment in Kabul as German Ambassador to Afghanistan.

The GTCC President and Executive Director were also invited to a luncheon on the occasion of the farewell to H.E. Peter Prügel on 6 August 2018, which was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

GTCC ICE-BREAKER NETWORKING – WELCOME BACK The Chamber welcomed distinguished guests, friends and partners to the “GTCC Ice-Breaker Networking – Welcome Back” on 9 August 2018, with the special presence of Governor and Vice-Governor of Ubon Ratchathani Province. Thanks are due to the event partners Eventbank, Kuehne & Nagel, Lufthansa Group, Meyer Seals, Symbior Solar and the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel as well as to all bilateral partner chambers for supporting this lively networking event at the hotel.

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CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 25

GTCC SEMINAR: BUILDING A DIGITAL WORKFORCE BY BRANDNOW ASIA More than 20 par ticipants attended the GTCC Seminar on the topic of “Building a digital workforce: Are you and your company ready for this digital transformation?” by Mrs. Pacharee Pantoomano from brandnow.asia at the GTCC office on 23 August 2018.

They learnt about the implications, challenges and oppor tunities that go along with Thailand 4.0, such as building a digital workforce, effectively recruiting new talent as well as promoting the organisation’s values.

EXCLUSIVE SITE VISIT TO WÜRTH (THAILAND) CO., LTD.

Thirty-five GTCC members joined the GTCC exclusive site visit to Würth (Thailand) Co., Ltd. at the Lad Krabang Industrial Estate on 24 August 2018. The participants gained a deep understanding of the company's new products and were given the opportunity to explore Würth’s modern office and warehouse. The Chamber is grateful to Würth (Thailand) Managing Director, Dr. Andreas Sturm, and his team for sharing interesting insights into their business.

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26 CHAMBER ACTIVITIES

GTCC EXECUTIVE BREAKFAST TALK WITH LORENZ & PARTNERS GTCC, in collaboration with Lorenz & Par tners Co., Ltd. organised an Executive Breakfast Talk at the Pullman Bangkok Hotel G. on 28 August 2018.

During the talk, Mr. Til Morstadt, a profiled expert in foreign investment law and international taxation, discussed the topic of “Strategies to Reduce Corporate and Personal Income Tax in Thailand" and shared his experience with the participants.

GTCC BREAKFAST TALK ON THE UNITED STATES-CHINA TRADE WAR

The GTCC, in collaboration with Sasin School of Management, organised a Breakfast Talk on 30 August 2018 at the Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel on the "Trade war between the United States and China? Implications for the Thai Economy". International economics and macroeconomics exper t, Prof. Dr. Michael Frenkel, Associate Dean for International Relations and Diversity at WHU, Otto Beisheim School of Management, presented an analysis of the American/Chinese trade conflict and its possible consequences for Thailand. The breakfast and presentation were followed by a lively discussion among the participants.

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CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 27

GTCC, SKYWAVE TECHNOLOGIES SEMINAR ON CYBER SECURITY TRAINING

Together with Skywave Technologies, GTCC hosted a seminar on “Cyber Security Training for End-users” on 11 September at the GTCC office. Keynote speaker Mr. Joao Paulo Maluf provided a highly

informative presentation, during which he highlighted key methods of identifying cyber security threats and handling them properly as well as the way to enforce an organisational security policy.

STAMMTISCH BANGKOK AT DEUTSCHES ECK At least 50 guests, friends and partners of the GTCC came together for the fourth GTCC Stammtisch Bangkok on the evening of 13 September 2018. The par ticipants from the German-Thai business community, shared lively discussions accompanied by German beer and traditional food.

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28 GTDEE INSIGHT

THREE-PARTY MEETING ON ELECTRIC POWER TRAINING

On 14 May 2018, Mr. Markus Hoffmann and Dr. Kamonsak Suradom par ticipated in a three-par ty meeting with the trainers and management team of Pathumthani Brewer y Co., Ltd. and the teachers at the Electric Power Depar tment from Don Bosco

Technological College. They discussed teaching and training plans for apprentices Batch 2018. The meeting was held at Pathumthani Brewery Co., Ltd., Pathum Thani.

eCademy WORKSHOP GTDEE team members Mr. Markus Hoffmann, Dr. Kamonsak Suradom, Mr. Panuwat Jaitham, Mr. Katiphot Kanoknorrasade, Ms. Apinya Amporn and GTDEE trainee Ms. Rinrada Thananowan or ganised an eCademy Workshop from 15 to 16 May 2018 at the Eastern Technological College (E.Tech). The workshop was held to provide an e-learning platform for 12 automotive mechatronics apprentices in Batch 2018 who are receiving training at BMW (Thailand) Co., Ltd. E.Tech Director Dr. Prasert Klinchoo, together with teachers from E.Tech, also participated in the workshop as observers.

UPDATE 4/2018

GTDEE INSIGHT 29

MACHATRONICS TRAINING MEETING On 22 May 2018, GTDEE team members Mr. Panuwat Jaitham and Ms. Apinya Amporn visited the Thai-Austrian Technical College located in Chon Buri to participate in a meeting with the teachers in the Mechatronics Department of the college and Ms. Kanchana Moonkaew from the Training Development Department of Bosch Gasoline. The Electrical and Control System Manager of the ThaiGerman Institute, Mr. Phoemsak Suksiri, was also invited by Bosch Gasoline to participate in the meeting, which discussed the teaching and training plans for apprentices Batch 2017 and Batch 2018 in Mechatronics.

ROUND TABLE MEETING ON QUALITY ASSURANCE On 30 May 2018, GTDEE team members Mr. Markus Hoffmann, Dr. Kamonsak Su r ado m, M r. Panuw a t Ja i t h a m , Mr. Katiphot Suradom, Ms. Apinya Amporn and GTDEE trainee Ms. Rinrada Thananowan participated in a Round Table Meeting to discuss quality assurance. The meeting was hosted by Mr. Karl-Heinrich Helmut Ewald Herbert Adam, Third Secretary (Economic and Commercial) of the German Embassy in Bangkok, and was held at the Embassy.

The Representatives who participated in the meeting were from: (a) Government organisations (Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) of Germany, and the Office of Vocational Education Commission); (b) the public sector (Thailand Professional Qualification Institute (Public Organization), and Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ); (c) the private sector (Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Co. Ltd., BMW (Thailand) Co., Ltd. and Robert Bosch Automotive Technologies (Thailand) Co., Ltd.; and (d) the education sector (King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok and Eastern Technological College).

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30 GTDEE INSIGHT

SITE VISIT AT SRITHAI ENGINEERING PRODUCTS CO., LTD.

On 7 June 2018, the GTDEE team, led by Mr. Markus Hoffmann and Dr. Kamonsak Suradom, together with teachers from Eastern Technological College (E.Tech), made a site visit to Srithai Engineering Products Co., Ltd. During the visit, they participated in a meeting on preparations for training apprentices Batch 2019 in electric power and mechanics at the company.

CO-OPERATIVE MEETING WITH GERMAN EMBASSY & OVEC On 14 June 2018, the GTDEE team, led by Mr. Markus Hoffmann, Dr. Kamonsak Suradom, Mr. Panuwat Jaitham, Ms. Apinya Amporn and GTDEE trainee Ms. Rinlada Thananowan, organised a meeting at the GTCC office to share experiences on: (a) current co-operation between the Office of Vocational Education Commission (OVEC) and GTCC; (b) the future plan for enhanced co-operation with public colleges; (c) Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) teacher development - pilot project with public colleges, teachers receiving training by GTCC; (d) implementation of quality assurance for VET schools; a pilot project with one selected public college; and (f) a students’ training trip to Germany, and student exchange.

Mr. Karl-Heinrich Helmut Ewald Herber t Adam, Third Secretar y (Economic and Commercial) of the German Embassy in Bangkok, and Ms. Nina Stephainsky, Economic and Commercial Affairs trainee at the German Embassy in Bangkok were invited to participate in the meeting. Furthermore, key representatives from the OVEC participated in the meeting.

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NINTH VOCATIONAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEETING On 14 June 2018, the GTDEE team organised the ninth Vocational Education Committee (VEC) meeting at GTCC. The topics discussed in the meeting included Roadmap 2018, the GTDEE Final Examination Results 2018, GTDEE activities and the GTDEE Service Agreement.

The representatives from partner companies par ticipated in the meeting, including Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Co., Ltd., BMW (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch Automotive Technologies (Thailand) Co., Ltd., at Amata City, Robert Bosch Automotive Technologies (Thailand) Co., Ltd., at Hemaraj, Amata B.Grimm Power Ltd. and B.Grimm Joint Venture Holding Co., Ltd.

VETNET CONFERENCE IN BERLIN, GERMANY

GTDEE Project Director Mr. Mar kus Hoffmann and GTDEE Project Manager Mr. Panuwat Jaitham, together with GTCC Executive Director Dr. Roland Wein participated in the Vocational Education and Training Network (VETnet) Conference on Dual Vocational Education, German standard, which was held in Berlin from 18 to 20 June 2018. Eleven countries have been receiving support by VETnet – China, Greece, India, Italy, Latvia, Mexico, Portugal, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, Thailand and the United States of America. Three apprentices from Greece, Italy and Thailand were invited to attend the conference in order to share their experiences related to dual apprenticeship.

GTDEE alumni Mr. Tawan Wiengthongsarat, who was a GTDEE apprentice at Grohe Siam Limited, was selected by GTDEE to attend the conference to talk about his dual apprenticeship in cooperation with GTDEE through the GTCC.

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32 GTDEE INSIGHT

COLLABORATION WITH THE GTDEE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME On 5 July 2018, GTCC member Thai Technic Electric Co., Ltd. (TTE), represented by Mr. Romeo Ramos de Moreira, Business Development Director of TTE, visited the GTCC office and agreed on collaboration with GTDEE Apprenticeship Programme Batch 2019 in electrics training. The GTDEE team has a positive outlook on the future of electrics is therefore looking forward to working together with TTE in the future. TTE plans to train and educate five apprentices in the field of electrics from Spring 2019 onwards.

CERTIFICATE PRESENTATION CEREMONY FOR APPRENTICES BATCH 2016 IN AUTOMOTIVE MECHATRONICS On 6 July 2018, a GTCC certificate presentation ceremony took place at the Mercedes-Benz Competence Center. President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Mr. Michael Grewe presented the certificates under the German technical standards to apprentices Batch 2016 in automotive mechatronics. Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Economic Affairs of

the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to Thailand, Mr. Jan Scheer, also participated in the ceremony as an honorary guest, together with the management team of Mercedes-Benz including Vice-President After sales Services, Mr. Putthi Tulayathun and General Manager for National Training, Mr. Van Vuong Nguyen Kim. GTCC Executive Director, Dr. Roland Wein, together with GTDEE Project Director, Mr. Markus Hoffmann, and GTDEE Project Senior Manager, Dr. Kamonsak Suradom, congr atulated the newly gr aduated M e r c e d e s - B e n z ( T h a i l a n d ) C o. , L t d . apprentices on the successful completion of their training. Teachers from Eastern Technological College (E.Tech), Don Bosco Technological College and Samut Prakarn Technical College also attended the ceremony to congratulate their students.

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GTDEE INSIGHT 33

VISIT TO SAMUT PRAKRAN TECHNICAL COLLEGE On 17 July 2018, the GTDEE team led by Mr. Markus Hoffmann, Dr. Kamonsak Suradom and Mr. Katiphot Kanoknorrasade visited the Electric Power Department at Samut Prakarn Technical College and par ticipated in a meeting to discuss co-operation with the college in electric power training as a new partner company of GTDEE.

APPRENTICE WORKSHOP

On 23 July 2018, GTDEE Project Senior Consultant Mr. Katiphot Kanoknorrasade and GTDEE Project Assistant Ms. Apinya Amporn organised a workshop at Eastern Technological College (E.Tech) on “Quality Concept, Basic of Productivity and Systematic Thinking” for apprentices Batch 2017 at Grohe Siam Limited.

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MEMBERS’ CORNER 35

GTCC MEMBER SPEED NETWORKING On 9 August 2018, GTCC organised a GTCC Member Speed Networking at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel. Twenty-two GTCC member companies from various industries gathered at the meeting which provides a unique opportunity for them to establish meaningful connections through the speed networking format.

Our participants included: Joseph Oliver Willan, Baker & McKenzie Ltd.; Teerasarn Thanakijkamthorn, Bambino Co., Ltd.; Boonyarat Ninmanee, Bangkok Marriott Hotel The Surawongse; Tom Sorensen, Boyden Associates (Thailand) Ltd.; Roland Sensch, BSI Broker (Thailand) Limited; Siddhiphat Boon-Long, C. ILLIES (Thailand) Co., Ltd.; Peter Rankl, Continental Automotive (Thailand) Co., Ltd.; Trinupab Jiratritarn,

Creatus Corporation Ltd.; Dr. Robert Himmler, EGS-plan (Bangkok) Co., Ltd.; Kit Sananwathananont, G.M. Tour & Travel Co., Ltd.; Jörg Klinner, Goethe-Institut Thailand; Kris Sisneros, Merck Ltd.; Nawin Watanakitti, Messer (Thailand) Co., Ltd.; Boripan Panusoontorn, MIC Customs Solutions Th. Ltd.; Jakrapat Chitnelawong, OMC Business Consulting Co., Ltd.; Pornnapa Sastraruchi, Ramada Plaza Bangkok Menam Riverside; Oliver Franz, Rent a Nurse (Thailand) Co., Ltd.; Kitiya Rila, Senator International Logistics Ltd.; Joachim Raber, Tereas Co., Ltd.; Litsan Chong, Thailand Arbitration Center ("THAC"); Romeo Ramos De Moreira, Thai Technic Electric Co., Ltd.; Phattharika Sawangwong, Verztec Consulting (Thailand) Ltd.

I really enjoyed the event and made valuable connections along the way.

Joseph Oliver Willan, Business Development Specialist Baker & McKenzie Ltd.

I really liked the setup of the event. The participants are at the right number – not too many and not too few.

Overall I would give a rating of 9/10. It is just because nothing and nobody is perfect!

Oliver Franz, Founder and CEO Rent a Nurse (Thailand) Co. Ltd.

I enjoyed the speed networking a lot! I’m looking forward to attending more of GTCC events.

Nawin Watanakitti, Marketing, Sales and Customer Service Manager Messer (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

Personally I like this event a lot. It is more formal to talk about business than other networking events.

Par ticipants have a chance to talk to ever yone, and there is no need to shout. Also, knowing who will participate before the event starts is very nice – so you can prepare.

Boripan Panusoontorn, Sales Manager MIC Customs Solutions Th. Ltd.

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36 MEMBERS’ CORNER

NEW GTCC MEMBERS up to 30 September 2018

German-Thai Chamber of Commerce warmly welcomes 18 new members!

Aeroklas Co., Ltd.

Biotrix Asia Company Limited

Sale office: 62 Soi Bangna-Trad 25, Bangna, Bangkok 10260 Thailand Headquarter: 111/1, 111/10 Moo 2, Makamku, Nikompattana, Rayong 21180 Thailand Tel: +66 2 744 3020 #1302 Fax: +66 2 2744 3030 Thomasb@aeroklas.com www.aeroklas.com

226/19 1st Floor Pattanakarn Road, Prawet, Bangkok 10250 Thailand Tel: +66 2 026 1250 Fax: +66 2 026 1250 ueal@biotrix.asia www.biotrix.asia

Activities Manufacturer and distributor of automotive accessories parts Chamber representatives Thomas Brunecker and Marc La Marca

Allianz Flextronics Co., Ltd. 28 Soi Ladkrabang 9, Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520 Thailand Tel: +66 2 320 8009 Fax: +66 2 326 8010 www.aflextronics.com numchai@aflextronics.com Activities Authorised dealer of Detronic Battery (deutronic.de) and Endress Generator (endress-stromerzeuger.de).

Chamber representatives Numchai Narkvitul and Waetinee Lohsiwanont

UPDATE 4/2018

Activities Biotrix Asia specialises in biogas, solid waste & effluent treatment. Biotrix has the expertise to design, construct & commission biogas and effluent treatment plants as well as operate, refurbish, troubleshoot & optimise existing systems.

Chamber representatives Dr. Ulrike E.A. Leroff and Dr. Stephan P. Etheridge

Continental Tyres (Thailand) Co., Ltd. 9 G-Tower, 16th Floor, South Wing, Rama 9 Road, Huay Kwang sub-district, Huay Kwang district, Bangkok 10310 Thailand Tel: +66 2 232 1800 www.continental.co.th Activities Tire Manufacturing Chamber representatives Sirivan Koo-Amphorn and Vignesh Devasenapathy

MEMBERS’ CORNER 37

E.ON Climate & Renewables GmbH

INC Corporate Services (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

Brüsseler Platz 1, 45131, Essen Germany Tel: +49 2 01 18400 info@eon.com www.eon.com

281/19-23 Level 6, Silom Soi 1, Silom Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 Thailand Tel: +66 2 038 5821 thailand@inc-corpservices.com www.inc-services.com

Activities E.ON Climate & Renewables is responsible for E.ON’s industrial-scale renewable energy activities. Our technology portfolio covers onshore and offshore wind, utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) solar power and energy storage. We develop, build and operate large renewable assets in Europe, North America and beyond, totalling to an energy generation capacity of 7 GW. Chamber representatives Till Schwarzlose and Markus Kösters

ERBER Biotech (Thailand) Co., Ltd. 1/913 Paholypthin 60, Kukot, Lumlukka, Pathumthanee 12130 Thailand Tel: +66 2 993 7500 Fax: +66 2 993 8499 www.biomin.net charanda.rungsittitana@biomin.net Activities ERBER Group is a leading group of companies in the field of food and feed safety, with focusing on natural feed additives, feed and food analysis and plant protection with headquarters in Austria.

ERBER Group consists of BIOMIN, ROMER LABS, SANPHAR and EFB Including distribution partners, represented in more than 120 countries worldwide.

Chamber representatives Dr. Erich Erber and Piyapa Erber

Herrmann Ultraschaltechnik GmbH & Co. KG Descostr. 3-11 76307 Karlsbad, Germany Tel: +49 7248 790 Fax: +49 7248 79 11 info@herrmannultraschall.com www.herrmannultraschall.com Activities Ultrasonic Engineering for Automotive, Food, Hygiene, Medical, Electronics, Consumer and Automation Branches.

Chamber representatives Michael Boerner

Activities Corporate Services which includes: 1. Consulting and advice on legal and tax 2. Consulting and advice on accounting, payroll and other related services Chamber Representative Robert Dahlems and Florian Leber

Issar international Co, Ltd. GTCC MEMBER 2018

77/333, Soi Phahonyothin 54/1 Yaek 4-45 (Muban Chollada), Saimai Sub-distrct, Sai Mai District, Bangkok 10200 Thailand Tel: +66 98 249 2888 Fax: +66 2 937 3989 sale@issarinter.com Activities Import-Export and Trading Engine, spare parts of all type of aircraft, all securitie equipment and platform software.

Chamber Representative Permsak Thongpibul and Panprapai Jarunopratamp

Messer (Thailand) Co., Ltd. 3656/50 Rama IV road, Level 16 Green Tower, Klongton, Klongtoei, Bangkok 10110 Thailand Tel: +66 2 168 4920 Fax: +66 2 168 4999 info.th@messergroup.com www.messergroup.com Activities Local subsidiary of Messer Group, the largest owner-managed industrial gas company in the world. Messer manufactures and supplies oxygen, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, helium, shielding gases for welding, speciality gases and mixtures, medical gases and food gases as well as gas supply systems and equipment.

Chamber representatives Anthony Grandpierre and Nawin Watanakitti

www.thailand.ahk.de

38 MEMBERS’ CORNER

MIC Customs Solutions TH. Ltd.

Level 32-33 Interchange 21 Building, 399 Sukhumvit Road (Soi 21), North Klongtoey, Wattana, Bangkok 10110 Thailand Tel: +66 2 660 6252 to 3 www.mic-cust.com office-th@mic-cust.com Activities MIC is the worldwide leading provider of global customs and trade compliance software solutions. We specialize in the automation of global customs and trade compliance processes considering regional and national legal requirements. MIC - one world, one market, one partner delivered as On-Premises or SaaS solution.

Chamber representatives Armin Sonnauer and Boripan Panusoontorn

Rent a Nurse (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Glas Haus Building, Unit P01, 1 Sukhumvit 25, North Klong-Toey, Wattana, Bangkok 10250 Thailand Tel: +66 95 729 1652 info@rentanurse.asia www.rentanurse.asia Activities Rent a Nurse Thailand is a German managed service provider for domestic care solutions of all kinds. From simple home-visits to intensive domestic care by 2 nurses, we can arrange any concept, depending on the individual request of the customer. We can bill to the insurance directly and offer interpreter service on a 24/7 basis, among other non-medical services.

Chamber representatives Oliver Franz and Jarinya Wongkraisron

Nortis Energy Company Limited

11/1 AIA Sathorn Tower Building, Room 2007, Floor 20th, South Sathorn Road, Yannawa, Sathorn Bangkok 10120 Thailand Tel: +66 2 286 3090 Fax: +66 2 286 3092 www.nortisgroup.com Activities Renewal Energy/ Energy Efficiency Chamber representatives Prapharat Tangkawattana and Onuma Sisangthong

PlanET Biogas Global GmbH Up de Hacke 26 48691 Vreden Germany Tel: +49 25649950 0 Fax: +49 25643950 50 info@planet-biogas.com planet-biogas.com Activities PlanET Biogas Global GmbH is one of the leading AD plant manufacturers. Our portfolio covers complete biogas technology, biogas upgrading and cogeneration.

We offer support for planning and licensing, engineering, material supply and service.

Chamber representatives Dr. Ulrike E.A. Leroff and Stephan Hoffmann

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Sanet Legal Ltd. No 2/1 Soi Rom Klao 25/2 Klongsamprawet, Ladkrabung, Bangkok 10520 Thailand Tel: +66 2 737 6420 Fax: +66 2 737 6425 https://legal.sanet.eu Activities Providing legal and investment services (corporate law, commercial law, labour law and foreign direct investment) Chamber representatives Dr. Gunter Denk and Alexander Alles

SGF (Thailand) Co., Ltd. 890/3 Moo 3 Khao Kan Song, Sriracha, Chonburi 20110 Thailand Tel: +66 63 393 0403 rapeepun.jaitang@sgf.com www.sgf.de Activities Automotive parts (Flexible coupling) Chamber Representatives Frank Beernaert and Rapeepun Jaitang

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Sun Lifestyle (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

Zeck TSE International Ltd.

10/25 Saisin, Wongsawang, Bangsue, Bangkok 10800 Thailand Tel: +66 61 242 2616 sunlifestyle2016@gmail.com www.sunlifestyle.co.th

88/53 Ramkamhaeng 174, Minburi, Bangkok 10510 Thailand Tel: +66 2 540 0796 Fax: +66 2 540 0795 www.zeck.co.th dbf@zeck.co.th

Activities eCommerce Import Export Chamber representatives Tim Bierig and Withaya Chan-In

Activities Manufacture of machines and tools for construction of high voltage electric transmission lines e.g. Linecars, Ginpoles, winches, braided wire ropes, drumstands, etc.

Chamber representatives Dirk Braun-Friderici and Rachata Pidkanphai

YOUR GTCC MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY 2018 HAS BEEN DELIVERED

*Additional copy can be ordered from the Chamber at a discounted member price.

For more details, please contact us at +66 2 055 0600 or membership@gtcc.org

www.thailand.ahk.de

40 TRADE FAIRS

POWER TRANSMISSION AND CONTROL ASIA: LEADING FAIR FOR ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL POWER TRANSMISSION 6-9 November 2018, Shanghai

As the leading international power transmission show in Asia and the world’s second-largest event of its type, Power Transmission and Control Asia (PTC ASIA) serves as an important platform to showcase electrical and mechanical power transmission and control technology, fluid power, machine parts, bearings and springs. This year’s show, to be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, is again expected to attract the world’s leading enterprises, innovative SMEs and start-ups in this sector, to jointly discuss the trends of the industry and exchange views about the importance of power transmission and control technology in the future.

In 2017, the exhibition attracted nearly 1,500 industry leaders from more than 20 countries including Germany, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Turkey and Taiwan, covering an exhibition area of nearly 100,000 square metres. The four-day exhibition attracted 98,742 trade visitors, greatly pushing forward international exchange and trade market development in the field of power transmission and control technology. This show not only provides opportunities for international brands to enter the Chinese and Asian markets, but also functions as a perfect platform for the Chinese market to source worldwide procurement.

This year, the exhibition will follow the model of “large industrial platform” proposed by Hannover Messe, with emphasis on predictive maintenance and intelligent components. It is aimed at powering the Industry 4.0 transformation as well as meeting the huge demand driven by China’s One Belt, One Road Initiative. The show will attract trade visitors from the engineering machinery, metallurgy, petrochemical industry, automotive, food processing, agricultural machinery and other fields that aim to be part of Intelligent Manufacturing.

For additional information about PTC ASIA, please contact the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce, which is the official representative of Deutsche Messe AG in Thailand, at tel: +66 2 055 0643, or by e-mail at hannover@gtcc.org.

UPDATE 4/2018

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bauma CHINA: PRIMARY EVENT FOR THE ASIAN CONSTRUCTION SECTOR 27-30 November 2018, Shanghai bauma CHINA is Asia’s largest and most important event for the construction industry.

It takes place in Shanghai every two years and attracts international buyers – a fact that guarantees a high return for investors as well as sustainable success. The show is both a platform for product presentations and a grand industry par ty for communication, co-operation and continued growth.

The 2016 event broke all bauma CHINA records and attracted more than 170,000 visitors from 149 countries as well as 2,958 exhibitors from 41 countries. The show occupied all 300,000 square metres of exhibition space at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). The world’s construction industr y will get together again at the ninth bauma CHINA international trade fair for construction machinery, building material machines, mining machines and construction vehicles held from 27 to 30 November 2018 at SNIEC. The signs are promising for the largest construction equipment trade show in Asia.

Market researchers continue to see an upturn in the Chinese market. Thus, bauma CHINA provides the gateway for international companies to enter the Chinese market and for Chinese enterprises to participate in the global market.

Whether for new innovations or proven

technologies, bauma CHINA presents its extensive range of products and services to all decision-makers in the international construction industry: All types of construction sites: Mining, extraction and processing of raw materials; Production of building materials; Component and service suppliers.

As the world’s second-largest trade fair for construction machinery, bauma Munich also offers an exhibition area of 300,000 square metres. The trade show’s high reputation attracts renowned companies both from China and from other countries all over the world. Various countries – including Germany, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Turkey and the United States of America – will be represented with joint stands.

The organizer, Messe München, is also pleased to welcome the return of a giant in the sector; Caterpillar, the world’s leading manufacturer of construction equipment, will be participating in bauma CHINA this year for the first time since its last attendance in 2012. Well-known names such as Bauer, Liebherr, Volvo and Wirtgen have also signed up, while major construction equipment manufacturers from the China have expressed their interest in participating.

More details about bauma CHINA are available at https://www.bauma-china.com/index.html.

For further information, please contact GTCC’s official representative for Messe München GmbH in Thailand, Ms. Patamaporn Wasuwat, by tel: +66 2 055 0641 or by e-mail at muenchen@gtcc.org.

www.thailand.ahk.de

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INTERNATIONAL GREEN WEEK 2019: FOREMOST EVENT FOR AGRICULTURE AND THE FOOD INDUSTRY 18-27 January 2019, Berlin

Messe Ber lin is setting the scene for International Green Week Berlin (IGW) 2019.

From 18 to 27 January 2019 the world's leading consumer show for agriculture, the food industry and horticulture will be inviting trade experts and the general public to the Berlin Exhibition Grounds for the eightyfourth IGW. This is the first time a northern European countr y will be represented as par tner country of the fair. The focus will be on Finland which, taking as its slogan ‘Greetings from the wild’, will present a wealth of local specialties including food from Arctic farming production, the types of wheat that grow in sub-Arctic conditions and reindeer meat from Arctic regions.

IGW is the origin of the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA). This is where more than 80 international ministries and food producers meet and provide displays that reveal the fascinating world of the food and beverage industries.

More than 1,700 exhibitors from some 65 countries, together with 400,000 trade visitors and members of the public, are expected to attend IGW 2019, which is the longestestablished and busiest trade fair in Berlin.

Around 200 ministers, minister-presidents,

UPDATE 4/2018

secretaries of state and ambassadors from Germany and abroad will also be present, reflecting the importance of the Green Week as an agricultural policymaking event.

The Green Week Experience offers the opportunity to explore: A comprehensive range of international and domestic foods and beverages; The very finest produce; Product markets for beer, wine and champagne, meats and sausages, seafood, teas, herbs and spices; Agricultural and horticultural machinery and equipment, seeds and greenhouses; Gardening supplies, breeding stock, pets and everything related to hunting and fishing; Kitchen appliances, kitchen fixtures and household appliances.

IGW 2019 provides an overview of the world’s food markets and the largest display of specialties from every German region. Topical trends, including superfoods, alternative protein sources, street food as well as products for vegetarians and vegans, will round off the event.

The Farm Experience will provide visitors with an insight into many different topics, including animal husbandry, plant protection and hi-tech farming practices. With a wide range of animals on display, the Livestock Hall (25) will be the place for breeders and visitors alike to visit. As IGW 2019 will be taking place in the middle of the cold, dark winter months, the horticultural section at the Green Week will definitely fascinate visitors to the Floral Hall, designed by Landgard, with its thousands of flowering spring plants.

IGW Berlin 2019 is being organised by Messe Berlin GmbH. Its non-commercial sponsors are the German Farmers’ Union (DBV) and the Federal Association of the German Food Industry (BVE).

More details on International Green Week Berlin are available at https://www.gruenewoche.de/en/. For further information, please contact GTCC’s official representative for Messe Berlin GmbH in Thailand, Ms. Patamaporn Wasuwat, by tel: +66 2 055 0641 or by e-mail at berlin@gtcc.org.

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Spielwarenmesse is the world’s leading international fair for toys, hobbies and leisure.

It is the biggest, and most important annual gathering for these industries. This is where international toy markets come together : renowned brands, toy innovations, licensed products, trendy start-ups, and buyers from large chains, independent retailers and a plethora of media representatives.

At Spielwarenmesse 2018 there were 2,902 companies from 68 countries exhibited their products to a record 71,000 retailers and buyers from 129 nations. 89.3 % of the exhibitors plan to exhibit again in 2019 and 30.8 % of the exhibitors only exhibit at the Spielwarenmesse. A total of 63 per cent of the visitors came from Asia, Eastern Europe and South America and a total of 83 per cent of the visitors stated that they would attend next year’s show. buyers from 129 nations.

89.3 % of the exhibitors plan to exhibit again in 2019 and 30.8 % of the exhibitors only exhibit at the Spielwarenmesse. A total of 63 per cent of the visitors came from Asia, Eastern Europe and South America and a total of 83 per cent of the visitors stated that they would attend next year’s show.

Covering an area of 170,000 m², 1 million products including 120,000 new products from 12 product segments will be on display in 18 halls at Spielwarenmesse 2019. They include: Lifestyle Products; Dolls, Soft Toys;

SPIELWARENMESSE 2019: 70 YEARS SPIRIT OF PLAY Baby and Infant Articles; Wooden Toys, Toys made from natural materials; School Articles, Stationery, Creative Design; Technical Toys, Educational Toys, Action Toys; Electronic Toys; Model Railways and Model Construction; Sports, Leisure, Outdoor; Festive Articles, Carnival, Fireworks; Games, Books, Learning and Experimenting; Multi-Product Group.

Discover toy trend 2019 at the TrendGallery in hall 3A. You can also see product presentations, live events and talks, and thus lots of impetus and inspiration for you, over more than 1,000 m². Memorize the latest trends in the toy industr y collected for you worldwide by Spielwarenmesse “TrendCommittee” and use this knowledge to your advantage.

The Spielwarenmesse 2019 will take place from 30 January to 3 February 2019. Be there when the Spielwarenmesse - the toy industry’s most important event invites the world of play to celebrate its 70th anniversary. Join fantastic events and activities on each day of the toy fair.

Additional details are available at www.spielwarenmesse.de. For more general information about Spielwarenmesse 2019 – entrance tickets, fair catalogues, travel facilities and local accommodation, visitor brochures or information about the exhibition city of Nuremberg – please contact GTCC’s representative in Thailand, Ms. Chonlagorn Loypetch by telephone at +66 2 055 0642 or by e-mail at chonlagorn@gtcc.org.

www.thailand.ahk.de

44 TRADE FAIRS

BIOFACH 2019: WORLD´S LEADING TRADE FAIR FOR ORGANIC FOOD 13-16 February 2019, Nuremberg From 13 to 16 February 2019, BIOFACH will bring the international organic community together for the 30th time to kick off the new year of organic trade shows. At the next round of the leading international fair for organic food, the sector will be putting the spotlight on the connection between organic food and health at the BIOFACH Congress.

As one of its four principles, the international organic movement on ecology, justice and care has embedded health as fundamental to its economic activity. A holistic organic system is beneficial to fer tile soil, clean water, and healthy animals and plants. It therefore favours an environment in which people can live more healthily. In addition, organic farms deliver products that are good for human health. When discussing organic food and health in the sense of an extended concept of health, the debate needs to focus on aspects such as biodiversity, soil fertility, clean water, strong plants, animal welfare and nutritional diets.

Every year, the BIOFACH Congress theme is determined by the German Federation of Organic Food Producers (BÖLW) as the national suppor ting organisation, together with international patron IFOAM – Organics International and the fair organisers. This time

UPDATE 4/2018

round, the spotlighted topics to be discussed within the main theme include: A comprehensive view of health: What does the agriculture and the food industry have to do with public health?

Nutrition – inadequate focus by health policy. What consequences need to be drawn from the prominent role played by diet-related illnesses?

Organic food and health: Healthy soil – healthy human, what's the connection?

Best Practice: How does organic food changing eating habits, for example in the home and in the catering industry?

How can policymakers use the organic system to reduce health costs and environmental damage?

What influence do cultivation and processing methods have on the health quality of foods?

For additional information about BIOFACH and the BIOFACH Congress, please contact the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce, which is the official representative of NürnbergMesse GmbH in Thailand, at tel: +66 2 055 0643, or by e-mail at nuernberg@gtcc.org.