DR. WILAIPORN CHETANACHAN
DIRECTOR, CORPORATE TECHNOLOGY OFFICE THE SIAM CEMENT PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED
It is the fact that Thailand needs innovation to increase the country’s competitiveness. SCG has a vision to become the regional business leader with emphasis on innovation and sustainability. The company is moving forward to living solutions from all combined businesses, medical solution, and packaging solution. SCG ecosystem is consisted of cement – building materials, chemicals, and packaging. Innovation ecosystem is focused on collaborative network of the best people in each area, open innovation center, strategic investment, and stage of commercialization.
Strategic investment is to bring in the external innovation to suit business needs, driven by business units and growth rate. The bright side of acquired external innovation will increase value to customers and affordability. The management committee, innovation committee and business unit innovation committee set up the percentage of key performance indicators for revenue, research and development expenditure, and return or increased contribution from research and development.
The team will select the right topic based on the World problems, followed by ASEAN, Thailand and customers, respectively, with consideration of the capability of SCG to be the high growth leader. They are testing all products and services in Thailand before actually launching them in other countries for good quality control.
In terms of information technology innovation, the Internet of Things for industrial solution are implemented based on better real-time inventory management, effective supply chain and logistic planning, and improved safety in operations.
They also turn waste to value in forms of plant byproducts, innovative green technology, and superior products.
In 2020, aging people in Thailand will be about 1/5 of the total country population, and it will be very good business opportunity to offer eldercare solutions e.g. housing innovation for the elders with superior products of high strength bricks and heat insulation.
She ended her presentation with kind invitation to visit SCG Open Innovation Center, Pathum Thani Province, to see the gateway of innovation community and discuss what can be collaborated together to find out the best of the best innovation.