IN a strategic move to fortify its presence in the Asia-Pacific region, Industrial IoT (internet of things) global leader Advantech has officially inaugurated the ASEAN Shared Service Center (ASSC) in Penang, Malaysia.
The establishment of ASSC represents the initial phase of Advantech’s “China Plus One” strategy, aiming to enhance customer service and support industrial users in project implementation and development.
The first project under the ASSC initiative kicks off with a significant collaboration, as Advantech signs a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Piacom, a system integrator affiliated with the Vietnamese petroleum group Petrolimex. The partnership focuses on the gas station industry and involves co-creating a comprehensive Solution Ready Package, integrating both software and hardware solutions.
Advantech Asia and Interncontinental Region managing director Vincent Chang emphasised that Penang, recognised as the “Silicon Valley of the East” and abundant in multicultural talent, was strategically chosen for ASSC.
“Penang, renowned as the ‘Silicon Valley of the East’ and rich in multicultural talent, was selected for this purpose. This strategic choice enables Advantech to cultivate its Domain Solution Integration Team, dedicated to serving and supporting regional users and project implementation.
“Concurrently, the company has signed industry-academia collaboration agreements with numerous universities, building a complete talent development ecosystem from the campus and service centre to industry implementation.”
Moreover, to complement the ASSC initiative, Advantech has launched the University Co-Creation (UCC) Worldwide Expansion Plan. The plan aims to create a comprehensive talent development ecosystem, encompassing industry-academia collaboration, localised services and the execution of strategic goals.
The UCC Worldwide Expansion Plan involves partnering with universities worldwide to establish 12 AIoT laboratories within two years. These labs will facilitate standardised IoT Course Modules, open/online courses, training kits and funding to support collaborative programs, including internships, innovation competitions and research projects.
Furthermore, Advantech has already signed memorandum of understanding (MOUs) with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB). These collaborations focus on setting internships and innovation competitions.
USM aims to establish an AIoT Lab by the end of the year, contributing to the cultivation and attraction of outstanding IoT talents in the Asia Pacific region.
In addition to providing repair and maintenance services to regional customers, the ASSC operates two production lines for product assembly. Its primary focus is on Southeast Asian countries including Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, while also extending support to other Asia-Pacific markets such as Pakistan and the Philippines for digital transformation and AIoT technology needs.
The ASSC’s Co-creation Business Innovation Center showcases industry domain-focused solutions developed with ecosystem partners. This move not only signifies Advantech’s expansion into the Asia-Pacific market but also underscores its commitment to local talent cultivation, industry-academia collaboration and engineering integration. – Jan 24, 2023
