Messe Frankfurt expands Southeast Asian presence with new collaboration in electronics and automation technologies events

Team IIGA

September 9, 2024

Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd Taiwan Branch has announced that it will join Yorkers Trade & Marketing Service Co Ltd and GMTX Co Ltd to co-organise three events in the field of Electronics and Automation Technologies targeting the ASEAN region. Intelligent Asia Thailand and Automation Thailand, taking place from 6 – 8 March 2025 at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC), will present end-to-end solutions for electronics manufacturing and automation. Accompanying the shows will be the launch of SPS Stage Bangkok, a new dual-focus showcase and seminar area that marks the SPS brand’s first appearance in the region’s promising manufacturing sector.

“As a leading global exhibition organiser, we focus on holding our events in areas where industry needs are most pressing. Nowadays, industrial automation is crucial for any manufacturing firm seeking to stay ahead of the competition. We know this all too well, as we have been hosting the internationally recognised SPS series of events long enough to understand the needs of the industry. Currently, we are seeing strong demand throughout Southeast Asia for digital transformation and automation solutions. I believe these additional events will address the emerging requirements in the manufacturing and technology sectors as a whole,” explained Mr Wolfgang Marzin, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Messe Frankfurt GmbH.

Mr Stephan Buurma, Member of the Board of Management, Messe Frankfurt Group, added: “Messe Frankfurt has developed a strong regional presence in Asia over the last 30 years, promoting technological advancement through its trade fairs and events. Connecting Thailand and the wider ASEAN market to our global network enables us to introduce international expertise that drives local industry growth. These new additions to our portfolio are particularly relevant as the region is becoming an increasingly attractive option for companies diversifying their manufacturing base to reduce supply chain risks.”

Thailand, in particular, has been a major beneficiary of this trend, with the number of submitted FDI applications increasing 83% year-over-year in the first half of 2024, totalling 325.7 billion baht (USD 9.2 billion).1 These investments largely target the nation’s ‘S-curve’ industries, which include automation and robotics, along with the country’s nationally important electronics and automotive sectors.

Thailand’s economy is heavily export-oriented, with manufacturing contributing to nearly a quarter of its GDP.2 However, while the country remains attractive to foreign investors, it is also facing new challenges including increasing regional competition and an aging workforce. The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) projects a decline in the working-age population of over 3 million each decade.3

Consequently, automation is becoming an increasingly decisive factor in the country’s continued industrial growth, shaping how both international and domestic manufacturers respond to global market pressures and labour constraints.

Intelligent Asia Thailand and Automation Thailand bring the world’s latest advancements in automation and electronics manufacturing to the region, connecting prospective industrial buyers from the country’s high growth industries, such as electronics and automotive, with solution providers from domestic and global markets. In 2025, the two fairs will host an anticipated 300 exhibitors, showcasing products and solutions designed to support local manufacturers in building fully digitalised industrial ecosystems, regardless of their current level of automation.

At Intelligent Asia Thailand, visitors will find a wide variety of advanced solutions for electronics manufacturing, with product categories covering equipment and technologies for printed circuit board (PCB) production, electronics manufacturing and assembly (EMA), optoelectronics and laser displays, battery power storage and electric vehicle solutions.

Meanwhile, Automation Thailand will showcase technologies across five main application categories: industrial automation, robotics, inspection and measuring equipment, digital factories and warehouse and logistics. Exhibits will range from basic components, such as drive systems, sensors and control technologies, to more complex solutions including industrial PCs, Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI), industrial communications and robotics.

A new ‘stage’ of automation in Thailand: introducing SPS Stage Bangkok
Alongside the two exhibitions, the internationally-recognised SPS brand will make its regional debut in Southeast Asia as SPS Stage Bangkok, a new dual-format showcase and seminar area. This expansion brings Thailand under the international SPS network, joining events in China, Italy, and the United States, as well as the brand’s flagship exhibition, SPS – Smart Production Solutions in Nuremberg, Germany.

SPS Stage Bangkok narrows its focus to complete solutions, reflecting the concept of its German mother show. Utilising the brand’s international network, this new platform will bring exhibitors, industry specialists and visitors from key markets to the ASEAN region.

This expertise will also shape the seminar programme, which will adapt themes from the Nuremberg event and explore them within the context of Thailand’s manufacturing sector. Topics for 2025 include innovations in sensor technologies, predictive maintenance and the industrial internet of things (IIoT), digital twins, and, with reference to the country’s upcoming 2025 carbon tax, the role of smart manufacturing in carbon management.

Together with Intelligent Asia Thailand and Automation Thailand, the co-location of these three events is intended to bring together industry players from across the region’s manufacturing sector, forming a cohesive, end-to-end platform for sourcing and sharing industry knowledge in electronics manufacturing and automation.

The events are jointly organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd Taiwan Branch, Yorkers Trade & Marketing Service Co Ltd and GMTX Company Ltd. For more details, please contact: Israel.Gogol@taiwan.messefrankfurt.com.

Other events within Messe Frankfurt’s Electronics & Automation Technologies portfolio include: