ARTECH CNC COMPANY (hereinafter referred to as "ARTECH CNC") and Thai Mold Tech, a leading mold enterprise in Thailand, officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement. Going beyond the traditional "equipment sales" model, the two parties will jointly launch the "Southeast Asia Mold Talent Program" and open "shared workstations" at the localized service center in Bangkok. This initiative provides one-stop support including "talent training + equipment trial + technical consultation" for small and medium-sized mold enterprises (SMEs) in Southeast Asia, helping the regional mold industry break through the development bottlenecks of "talent shortage and outdated equipment".

In recent years, the Southeast Asian mold industry has grown rapidly due to the global manufacturing shift, but the "talent gap" has become a core constraint to its development. According to data from the Thai Mold Industry Association, the shortage of professional technicians in Thailand's mold industry exceeded 8,000 in 2024. Around 60% of SMEs have an equipment utilization rate of less than 60% due to a lack of skilled CNC operators. Meanwhile, SMEs struggle to afford the cost of high-end CNC equipment, resulting in product precision failing to meet the high-end requirements of the automotive and electronics industries.

"We have 3 idle imported CNC machines in our factory, not because the equipment is bad, but because we can't find workers who can operate them," said Somchai, the person in charge of a small-to-medium mold factory in Bangkok. His predicament is representative of the Southeast Asian mold industry. The "Southeast Asia Mold Talent Program" launched by ARTECH and Thai Mold Tech is designed specifically to address this pain point, featuring the following key components:

The training is conducted at the localized service center in Bangkok, which is equipped with 20 practical operation workstations. Trainees can directly operate ARTECH's latest CNC equipment and even participate in the processing of real orders from Thai Mold Tech (undertaking small-batch auxiliary processes), ensuring they can quickly take on jobs after graduation.

Cooperation has been established with 100 mold enterprises in Southeast Asia for "talent recommendation". Graduates can be prioritized for employment at Thai Mold Tech or ARTECH's client enterprises. Currently, 30 trainees from the first batch have signed employment intention letters with local enterprises.

At the same time, the Bangkok Service Center has innovatively launched a "shared workstation" service. SMEs in the mold industry can rent CNC equipment (with operators) at the center by the hour without purchasing equipment themselves, which is suitable for small-batch order processing or prototype production. A person in charge of the service center explained, "Many SMEs have to turn down high-end orders because they lack high-precision equipment. The 'shared workstations' are charged by the hour (approximately $50 per hour), which is 30% lower than the cost of outsourcing processing while ensuring quality." To date, 5 small and medium-sized mold enterprises in Bangkok have completed the prototype processing of automotive electronic component molds through the "shared workstations" and successfully secured international orders.

"Our cooperation with ARTECH is not only for our own development but also to drive the overall progress of the Southeast Asian mold industry," revealed Nuch, Director of Human Resources at Thai Mold Tech. Thai Mold Tech will reserve 10% of its annual internship positions for outstanding graduates of the "Southeast Asia Mold Talent Program" and open its production workshops as "practical training bases", allowing trainees to gain exposure to real large-scale mold production scenarios.

Li Bowen, General Manager of ARTECH CNC's Southeast Asia Region, stated, "We aim to be a 'partner' of the Southeast Asian mold industry, not just a 'supplier'. The talent program and shared workstations may seem like 'additional investments', but in fact, they enable us to grow together with the regional industry. When SMEs gain access to quality equipment and trained talents, the overall market demand will become more vigorous – this is beneficial to ARTECH's long-term development."

According to the plan, the "Southeast Asia Mold Talent Program" will train 1,000 professional technicians within 3 years, and the number of "shared workstations" at the Bangkok Service Center will be expanded to 50. In the future, this model will be replicated in Vietnam and Malaysia. As part of this strategic cooperation, Thai Mold Tech will purchase 12 sets of ARTECH's CNC equipment to expand its own production capacity, while providing practical support for the talent program, forming a virtuous cycle of "equipment supply + talent training + industry support".