The post-COVID 19 economic recovery during the past year required digital technology to drive the economy by unlocking the potential of business sectors through smart-solution services. Moreover, recent developments have included the need to satisfy varied consumer needs through personalized services, alongside socially and environmentally responsible consumption trends. Aware of these changes, AIS underwent major business strategy transformation. We had to be more than a network provider, whose ability to make profits from the connectivity business has decreased. The market having become saturated experienced a downturn. Instead, we moved towards becoming a “Cognitive Tech-Co”, generating new sources of revenues from various digital services to ensure long-term growth.
Management Approach
AIS has boosted its capabilities to adapt so that it can meet various challenges, while promoting the growth of new revenue sources from consumers’ adoption of digital lifestyles and development trends for Thai industry in the digital era. The company is focused on building an ecosystem which can nurture innovation in the AIS Open Innovation Framework, which promotes the development of innovation relying on know-how from both inside and outside the organization.
Innovation Management Strategies
AIS strives to join forces with partners in the public, private, and educational sectors to share knowledge and technologies and to jointly innovate solutions from product and service prototypes on the principles of the Collaboration Diamond which sets out criteria and processes for collaboration with partners as follows:
Relationship Management Criteria
Our Actions
5G Smart Autonomous Vehicles Solutions
AIS partnered with SCG and Huawei; Yutong and Waytous, who offered their expertise in developing driving systems to improve the logistics at SCG’s industrial sites to be more efficient and safer. The system leverages the capabilities of intelligent 5G networks to efficiently upgrade logistics at SCG’s industrial plants, while reducing drivers’ working hours in risky locations.
Joint Innovation Center (JIC)
AIS and Huawei developed new technology in IT, networks, additional services, broadband internet, and the Internet of Things, so that coverage and network performance improved while consuming less electricity. Our technology allows 4G and 5G technologies to work in the same bandwidth, so users fully benefit from the effective network.
The 5G A-Z Center to Develop the Smart 5G network
AIS and ZTE Corporation aimed to establish strong digital infrastructure and we have promoted collaboration in three aspects:
1) Developing the 5G innovation infrastructure and solutions,
2) Upgrading the 5G network to be a smart digital network through Big Data and AI,
3) Increase 5G competence to improve different industrial sectors.
SDG Lab by Thammasat & AIS
AIS joined hands with Thammasat University to establish “SDG Lab by Thammasat & AIS” under the concept of integrating 5G and IoT digital technologies to develop innovations and adapt them to tech use cases which address environmental issues in various aspects. These lead to upgrades in quality of life for the Thai public, and provide opportunities to the public to study digital tech and digital solutions in this program.
Performance Table
| Topic | Unit | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business partners 1 | Number of partners | 89 | 80 | 77 | 74 |
| New products and services 2 | Number of launches | 37 | 39 | 108 | 104 |
| R&D investment | Million THB | 159 | 110 | 253 | 248 |
Remark :
1 Partners on the AIS Partner Platform delivering products or services to the market
2 Products or services that were launched or whose functionality was developed in the past one year
2 Products or services that were launched or whose functionality was developed in the past one year
Information about “Digital Innovation” can be found in the 2022 Sustainability Report
